Oculus have introduced the 'ecosystem', a new documentary series for Oculus Quest, in World Oceans Day.
Ecosphere is a journey all across nature’s ecosystem which is produced in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature, Silverback Films Ltd. and Oculus. The documentary is narrated by Emmy-winning actress Anna Friel. It is free on Oculus Quest and Oculus Go.
Using VR technologies to give audiences a marginal perspective is becoming more common by filmmakers. In ecosphere, VR technology lets audiences to explore the ecological systems and relationships between them on Earth. The 180° experience have been split into three episodes -Borneo, Kenya, Raja Ampat- and gives you an extraordinary journey from rainforests to savannahs. This documentary also have both entertainment and educational features thanks to recent filmmaking technologies.
Oculus Immersive Media Lead Eric Cheng has given information about inspiration process of the project;
I spent a large percentage of my career in the ocean doing underwater natural history work. For a long time, I felt that high-quality immersive video in Oculus Quest would have the potential to push natural history and conservation experiences to the next level of immersion and impact.
The documentary crew mostly suffered from varying extreme climate conditions. They needed to shoot at sunrise and with humidity. It is not only a problem for people, It was problematic for equipments also. For example, the issues with the cameras, lenses was fogging inside so they had to ensure they keep them in cases with desiccant.
For underwater capturing, cooperation with Blue Ring Imaging helped them to build underwater housing so they’ve been able to capture VR180 underwater. ecosphere Director Joseph Purdam conveys his feelings as;
I’m not sure how we got out of this with all the cameras intact, but we did.
Traditionally, filmmakers have avoided movement in VR films since they hesitate to cause any unpleasant experience on viewer. But they used steadicam with a gimbal to stabilize moving shots, and get the camera into position quickly while in the field. They want to shift thay paradigm as they say.
If you’re ready to start exploring, grab your Oculus Quest or Oculus Go, and check out ecosphere today.