By Robert Goldrich

During a session at the Cannes Lions Innovation Festival last month, David Mellor, creative director at Framestore Pictures, the live-action production arm under the Framestore umbrella, teamed with R/GA sr. VP/executive creative director Jay Zasa to offer insights into how to best use virtual reality (VR). Mellor honed his VR expertise on two projects that he took the lead on and which underscored the potential of VR–one for Marriott Hotels with experiential agency Relevent, the other for the Volvo XC90 in partnership with R/GA. The Volvo Reality app was billed as being the first-ever automotive project for the Google Cardboard VR headset. The Volvo “test drive” combined live action, a 360-degree VR camera technique, and a CGI photo-real car interior to immerse the driver in the panorama of British Columbia.

The Marriott project offers a VR experience which "teleports" you first to a Marriott hotel and then to the tranquil sands of a Hawaiian beach and the lofty heights of Tower 42 in London.

Malaysian born and extensively traveled, Mellor brought his creative talent to Framestore U.K. in 2003 to work on the third installment of the Harry Potter series. From film visual effects he moved to the London commercials department where he was instrumental in many of director Danny Kleinman’s most noted spots such as Johnny Walker’s “Tree,” Esuvee’s “Keep It On All Fours” and Guinness’ “noitulovE.” The latter for AMV BBDO, London, earned a Cannes Grand Prix honor in 2006. And for the Kleinman-directed “Sea” for Smirnoff and JWT London, Mellor earned his first Visual Effects Society (VES) Award in 2008.

Mellor later moved over to Framestore’s NY office where he became a key plater on the commercials team. He then spread his creative wings, getting the opportunity to pitch on live-action projects and eventually to co-direct. He made his directorial debut in 2009 with the McDonald’s “Lemon Aid” campaign, followed by Electronic Arts’ “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit,” a series of award-winning commercials for Qualcomm Snapdragon (the 2013 Clio-winning and Cannes shortlisted “Coming Soon”), and work for Benjamin Moore. Mellor then ventured into the world of VR, creating live action experiential content for Marriott and more recently Volvo.

SHOOT: You spoke about VR at last month’s Cannes Lions Innovation Festival? What were the most important messages you tried to impart to your audience and what lessons did you learn from your overall Cannes experience as it pertains to prospects for VR?

Mellor: I think the biggest message is that VR is not a medium you can throw at any situation. There needs to be consideration on a great level as to whether the impression you want to make either needs VR, or will even make good use of or work in VR. It’s a new world as far as storytelling is concerned. Almost all of the film techniques we’re very used to do not apply. As you are taking over a person’s point of view, you have to be conscious of how dramatic movement and rapid changes in the environment can effect their sensory balance. Getting it wrong leads to a very uncomfortable experience. But getting it right can lead to a fully immersive and engaging experience.

SHOOT: Provide backstory on the Volvo Reality app for the Google Cardboard VR headset. What was (were) the biggest challenge(s) that project posed to you and your colleagues at Framestore?

Mellor: I think Volvo Reality is a great example of when collaboration and request between creative teams creates a better product. R/GA approached us initially for a real-time graphics experience to show off the new Volvo XC90, as it wasn’t yet available for customers to view. Our previous work with VR and their trust in our expertise then led us to push for a live action experience. The challenge then became how to capture those live action plates. We believed we could do it, but it had not yet been done. Our vast VFX experience allowed us to prototype in CG how we would achieve this, which informed a feasible way to create a camera rig for the job in reality.

SHOOT: When should an agency consider VR as a viable option? What additional costs and creative considerations need to be accounted for?

Mellor: It’s a difficult question. It depends on the message and product they are looking to promote, but also the emotion and reaction they’re trying to evoke.  We have actively advised clients to avoid VR experiences if we don’t feel it needs VR. Otherwise, it risks coming across as forced or a gimmick, which isn’t good for the client or for people’s perceptions of VR – which are still in the early stages of forming.

R&D time, freedom to alter creative and time to prototype are the biggest considerations to take into account when dealing with VR. Cost-wise, it depends on scope and the type of project. While many of our traditional VFX talent is harnessed for VR the same way it would be for a TV commercial or feature film, there are less “shortcuts” at this point in time.

SHOOT: What do directors need to learn and/or do (in terms of their approach) in order to best tap into the potential and advantages of VR?

Mellor: Almost forget what they know about making movies! Storytelling is key, and that still stands firm. But we’re now making experience to simulate reality as seen though your own eyes, not what a story looks like through the lens of a camera.  At the moment, until either we adapt to this new way of viewing media, or technology for motion in VR becomes more accessible, we need to be very conscious of a moving experience. In a movie you can throw the camera around, use cuts, and other techniques that create energy and excitement. We can’t do that in VR, as you’re then taking control of what your mind thinks is movement, without the other sensory inputs. That just leads to nausea! It’s a much more delicate experience at present, unless you build a system to simulate that motion.

SHOOT: What are the prospects for VR in advertising? Entertainment? And what is Framestore doing on the VR front to respond to/anticipate those marketplace needs?

Mellor: The prospects are huge for the right projects. GoT, as an example, worked so well because it gave fans a chance to be in Game of Thrones. It’s experiences like this that can create a resounding connection. Entertainment-wise, we’re still at very early stages in terms of technology and interaction. I personally still really enjoy a passive storytelling experience in the form of film and TV. But VR has the potential to be something different and new. Another branch. As technology catches up, and we can have longer VR experiences without disorientation, the possibilities will only open up more.

Personally, and here at Framestore, we are constantly working to push the boundaries with each project.  We don’t want to do the same thing over and over, we always want to take a step forward to advance the VR experience. I think the best way we are anticipating the needs of clients is open communication, collaboration and honesty. We want to create great work which leaves a viewer wanting more, and so a clear line of communication on what works and what doesn’t ensures we’re always delivering content that’s ahead of the pack.

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