This document provides an overview of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. It discusses the evolution of 360 cameras and video, as well as head mounted displays (HMDs) and controllers used in VR. Different types of VR content are described, ranging from passive 360 video to interactive real-time 3D. Production pipelines for VR content are outlined. Major players in VR include Oculus, Sony, HTC, and Microsoft. Montreal is highlighted as an emerging hub for VR production. Applications of VR discussed include entertainment, immersion, empathy, and helping people. The future potential of VR as a new communication platform is noted.

1. 1

2. VR 101:
The (Re)Birth of
Virtual Reality?
VR 101:
The (Re)Birth of
Virtual Reality?

6. Guess what? Even Apple!

7. 360 Projection- Expo 67 / Samsung 2014

8. Circarama 1967

9. Evolution of 360 Cameras

10. Spherical 360 Video

11. Stereoscopic 360 Video

12. Stereoscopic Spherical 360 Video

13. VR Head Mounted Devices (HMD)

14. AR Devices

15. Controllers
On HMD
Switch / Motion tracking / Gesture tracking

16. External to HMD
External Keyboard / JoyStick / Motion tracking / Gesture tracking
Controllers

17. Types of VR
Live Action / Animation
- 360 Video
- Stereoscopic 3D
Real Time 3D
- Game Engine
- Interactive
Hybrid

18. Level of interactivity
Passive Highly
Interactive
RANGE
Strangers
with
Patrick
W
atson
Felix &
Paul Studios
The
Enem
y
by Karim
Ben
Khelifa
W
ay
to
Go
by Vincent M
orisset

19. “Google Cardboard is
the AOL of VR”
- Maria Korolov

20. Distribution Channels
OCULUS SHARE

21. webVR

22. webVR - Facebook 360

24. Who is producing VR
Oculus Story Studio
Jaunt VR
Framestore
Disney Imagineering
Microsoft
Sony
Niche:
Felix and Paul
BackLight Studio
Vrse (Chris Milk)
Emblematic Group
New Deal Studios
the NFB

25. Montréal - VR Valley?

26. Montréal - VR Valley
Aerospace
& defense
Tech Gaming

27. Montréal - VR Valley
Visual fx

28. Montréal - VR Valley
Tomorrow?

29. “This is really a new
communication platform.”
- Mark Zuckerberg

30. Entertainment

31. Immersion + Presence

32. Empathy

33. Helping
People

34. “Looking back, the movie and TV screens
we use today will be seen as an intermediate
step between the invention of electricity and
the invention of VR.”
- Chris Dixon, Andreessen Horowitz

36. Thank You
Merci

38. Appendix

39. Interactivity
Passive Highly
Interactive

40. Interactivity

41. Interactivity
Passive Highly
Interactive

42. Interactivity

43. Interactivity

44. Interactivity
Passive Highly
Interactive

45. Interactivity

46. Interactivity

47. Means of Production

48. Production Pipelines
360 Video
(ex.: Way-To-Go)
1.Capture footage
2.Ingest footage
3.Video stitching
4.Compositing
5.VFX / Motion Graphics
6.Color Correction
7.Scripting / Coding
8.QA and Debugging
9.Export deliverables
Real Time 3D
(ex.: BioCube)
1.Modeling
2.Texturing / Lighting
3.Rigging / Setup
4.Animation / Mocap / VFX
5.Scripting / Coding
6.Integration
7.QA and Debugging
8.Export deliverables
Audio
(see next slide)
Hybrid

49. Spherical 360 Video

50. 360 Stereoscopic Post Production

51. Realtime 3D Engine

52. 3D ENGINE (Unity 3D - Unreal Engine)

53. VR Audio
“Baked-in”
● Mono, Stereo
or Binaural recording
● Channel-based
● The sound is anchored
to a certain point in the
3D environment. How the
user hears that sound
depends on the position of
each ear in relation to it.
“Dynamic”
● Binaural or Ambisonics
recording (and playback)
● Object-based
● Real-time audio post-production
(Real-time dynamic mix)
● Greater control: Discrete vs
Ambient sound
Hybrid
Sound design in VR is even more important than with traditional film.
“Interactive”
● Binaural or Ambisonics
recording (and playback)
● Object-based
● Real-time audio post-production
(Real-time dynamic mix)
● Greater control: Discrete vs
Ambient sound
● User interaction will also
“generate” sounds

54. Price/Avail. User Interface
Google Cardboard $20 Side slider
Oculus Rift DK2
Consumer Version
$350
2016 Q1
“Proximity” positional tracking
Samsung Gear VR
Samsung Note 4
$99
$700
Side slider
Optional wireless joystick
HTC Vive SteamVR 2015 Q4 “Walk-around” positional tracking
Sony Playstation VR 2016 Q2
VR Head Mounted Devices (HMD)

55. Price/Avail. User Interface
Smart Phones / Tablets $200 to $1000
Now
2D Camera, Accelerometer,
Gyroscope, GPS, etc
Microsoft Hololens HMD ? Holographic environment sensors,
Positional tracking
Google Project Tango $1500
Developer only
3D Camera, Accelerometer,
Gyroscope, GPS, etc.
Google / Magic Leap ? Projection of digital light field
into the user's eye.
AR Devices

56. AR Mobile App

57. AR Mobile App

58. - Microsoft Hololens

59. - Microsoft Hololens

60. LIVE Broadcasting VR

61. Single Screen 360 video - Out My Window

62. Virtual Cave - Circa 1948 Installation

63. Head Mounted Display - Way to Go

64. Creative Opportunities