AdWeek have an article that’s well worth checking out that goes behind the scenes of Facebook’s VR short Here and Now. Shot in New York’s Grand Central Station, the piece involved 20 actors, 500 extras and was filmed using Facebook’s recently revealed Surround 360 camera system.
The piece is embedded above but you’ll need Chrome or Firefox to view it as the player doesn’t currently work in Safari.
The most interesting things from my point of view were the unwieldiness of the kit (there’s a rather extraordinary BTS photo of the camera being rigged) and the high-stakes nature of the production. There’s no way to monitor what’s being shot and the filming restrictions imposed by the venue meant that the team only had one take.
Lots more details over at AdWeek – but just look at that credits list. Looks like it’s going to be a while before this technology is ready for single operator run and gun style filming… Let us know what you think in the comments below – is VR something you’ve been asked to investigate for clients yet?
