What does the closure of Oculus Story Studio mean for VR filmmaking? – TNW

With Oculuss place at the forefront of virtual reality technology becoming shakier with the departure of its CEO Palmer Luckey, the news that the company was shutting its filmmaking division, Story Studio, was a surprise. Some have accused Facebook the company which owns Oculus of being behind the move, as a way of prioritizing the social functionality of VR.

Whatever the motive, what was hailed at its inception as the Pixar of virtual reality is no longer a going concern. But will the former Oculus Story Studio staff who counted former Pixar employees amongst their number simply take their talents elsewhere? Or is this a flare sent up to the industry that VR film isnt worth making to begin with?

Firstly, it is worth noting that when people talk about virtual reality film, what they are really talking about are movies shot with a 360 camera. This has led those in the industry to take pains to note that 360 film isnt really true VR, as it lacks the interactive element virtual reality is, by definition, entirely computer-generated, after all. Last year, UploadVR convincingly argued the case for True VR being reclassified as responsive VR, in the hope that both 360 cinema and VR experiences could coexist peacefully in the eyes of the industry.

Speaking at the Cannes festival in 2016, Stephen Spielberg told journalists of his scepticism towards VR filmmaking. It gives the viewer a lot of latitude not to take direction from the storytellers but make their own choices of where to look. This may seem like futurephobia from the director of some of the most beloved films of all time, but its a view shared by those in the VR industry as well.

Virtual reality production company REWIND have noted that, as a film medium, VR can be technically dazzling, but lacking in story: there is no certainty that anyone watching a film in VR will even notice the plot points of the narrative going on around them. However, with most virtual reality films clocking in at under ten minutes apiece, the best virtual reality film content will arguably strive to strike the ideal balance between story and spectacle. This is where the pros come in.

As far back as 2015, commentators were claiming that VR film would favor creative experimenters, which may explain why so many Hollywood luminaries are eager to work in the medium. Aprils Tribeca Film Festival may have premiered The Handmaids Tale and the new documentary from Werner Herzog, but some of the festivals biggest-names were there to promote their VR work. Kathryn Bigelows eight-minute documentary The Protectors about the ivory poaching industry was widely praised, and Emily Mortimers appearance in Broken Night was hailed as a breakthrough in tailoring the medium of VR film to accommodate narrative filmmaking.

Last years festival saw the first screening of Invasion!, the debut VR film by Baobab Studios, a then-new VR production company helmed by the director of the Madagascar films. One year on, and the festival premiered the first episode of Rainbow Crow, Baobabs latest series, which also featured the voice talent of John Legend and Constance Wu. The Tribeca Film Festivals VR programmer told the BBC that he believes the richer the content is, and the more compelling, the more it warrants being paid for. Thats when we have an industry and a legitimate visual medium. Whether that new industry sees a sustained spirit of collaboration between Silicon Valley and Tinseltown that has so far eluded traditional filmmakers remains to be seen.

The first celluloid films were even shorter than their VR counterparts, limited in length to under a minute by the bulky cameras and nonexistent editing technology. By comparison, VR films are generally only 10 minutes long (though Miyubi, a 40-minute feature, has been garnering some of the mediums best reviews yet).

The forms brevity could be down to the health risks some have associated with spending too long in VR worlds, though the bitesize nature of virtual reality film has given some studios alternative ideas about how it could be used. RSA Ridley Scotts production company launched a dedicated virtual reality division a month prior to the Tribeca festival, with its inaugural VR experience being released to accompany Alien: Covenant. Its first projects independent of existing Ridley Scott films are two new VR series (one fiction, one documentary), though it seems telling that the head of its division neglects to mention narrative filmmaking in the companys launch statement.

I think VR is one of the most exciting areas in the industry today, said RSA VRs head of department, with potential to influence how we consume content for generations to come. Whereas Spielberg was worried about storytelling, RSA are simply content with creating content.

But this isnt necessarily the final direction down which VR film could travel; indeed, perhaps Baobab Studios will end up supplanting Oculus Story Studio as the mediums Pixar. Invasion! is set to be adapted into a feature-length 2D movie, with a follow-up VR short also in the works. At the very least, this surely shows that, regardless of how they choose to use it, VR film is fertile ground for some of the most imaginative minds in cinema.

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What does the closure of Oculus Story Studio mean for VR filmmaking? - TNW