Jaunt, a developer of hardware, software, tools and applications to enable cinematic VR, announed the availability of The Cinematic VR Field Guide: A Guide to Best Practices for Shooting in 360°. Knowing that filming in VR for the first time can be daunting for aspiring and established filmmakers alike, as old rules of cinematography may no longer apply, this guide provides creatives with tips, tricks and lessons learned for entering into VR filmmaking. Starting today and throughout the duration of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Jaunt will be hosting a series of panel discussions and workshops where the creative community can learn about the company’s hardware and software offerings and receive a hardcopy of the current field guide.
Grant Anderson, executive producer at Jaunt, developed The Cinematic VR Field Guide to help VR creatives focus on melding imaginative stories with the latest advances in virtual reality. Prior to Jaunt, Anderson was executive director and stereoscopic supervisor at Sony Pictures where he collaborated with industry professionals on the creative uses of 3D. Among other roles he’s held, Anderson was also a senior producer at Stan Lee Media, and digital artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is a board member of the Advanced Imaging Society and chairman of its VR committee.
The Cinematic VR Field Guide delves into crucial topics ranging from camera hardware and lenses to software, rendering and distribution. A few key subjects discussed include:
- Camera motion – Understand proven practices for shooting high-quality, action-packed experiences without motion sickness-inducing separation between visuals and audio.
- Directing the action – How does one direct the action when in VR there is no such thing as behind the camera? Everything in the scene – including the crew, lighting, vehicles, etc. – will be shot.
- Lighting and exposure – Lighting is a critical part of any cinematography process but because VR filmmaking requires shooting in a full 360° there are some additional challenges involving contrast, flares, and lighting rigs.
“As VR, AR and mixed realities become more prevalent throughout mainstream cinematic entertainment, it is critical to ensure that the production teams behind these projects are equipped with the very latest and greatest guidelines to filmmaking in VR,” said Anderson. “With that in mind, who better than Jaunt to develop and distribute a complete industry set of guidelines?”
Jaunt’s industry-leading VR platform continues to be the most sought-after end-to-end solution. Its technology enables creators to focus on making high-quality VR content by automating the transcoding and distribution of projects across all devices to ensure VR experiences are available wherever their audiences are. Jaunt will be regularly updating The Cinematic VR Field Guide as new VR technologies and techniques emerge including an upcoming section on post-production techniques.
As an Official Partner of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Jaunt will be operating the The Jaunt VR Lounge at 580 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060. The lounge will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. featuring content demos, VR production workshops, charging stations, after-hours events and more. The lounge will host daily screenings of 20 different VR experiences including exclusive and award-winning VR content from RYOT, Lily Baldwin and Saschka Unseld, and Conservation International.
The Jaunt VR App, including all content released to date, is available on iOS, Android, Gear VR, Google Daydream, PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and major desktop browsers.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More