It's A 360 World!
360-Degree Videos on This Site Explained
What is a 360-degree video?
- It is a video that records everything all around us, in all directions, at the same time. The camera doesn’t have a “viewfinder”, as “the view” is not a small portion of the reality around us. “The view” is the entire 360-degree world around us.
How is a 360-degree video made?
- In the past, films and videos that tried to give us the 360-degree illusion were made with multiple synced cameras, each filming its own limited view. Multiple projectors were used, projecting each camera view on one or several screens, giving a coarse approximation of a surrounding view. We’ve all seen this in attraction parks and museums. Later, several cameras were housed together, which made for very large and expensive machines.
- The camera I use is a single camera with two wide-angle lenses, each lens capable of capturing a 180-degree hemispheric view and the camera capturing two video streams at the same time. Sophisticated software using AI is used to combine these two hemispheres into one perfect full 360 spheric view. Of course, on Earth a camera has to be somehow supported to fight gravity. Most commonly, a 360-degree camera is at the end of a stick or a pole. Software enhanced by AI comes into play again, learns where the stick is and what it looks like and makes it “invisible”. The viewer does not see a stick or a pole, just a pure all around 360-degree world.
- If you would like to research a product like the camera I use or purchase one, here is a link: Insta360 camera.
How do you view a 360-degree video?
- The most immersive method of viewing is using a Virtual Reality headset. VR headsets are commercially available and are popular with people who play video games. These devices are great. I don’t play video games but I own a set, just for watching my immersive videos and 360-degree videos that others make. When you put these goggles on, you see all around you. As you move your head to look around, the view changes exactly to where you are looking. Turning your head to see something in the video VR set works exactly the same as turning your head in the real world. In addition, you don’t only see a small view right in front of you, you see with your peripheral vision as well, which makes viewing in the VR set exactly like viewing reality. Touristic destination in the world have arcade-style venues (some of us call these places “Tourist Traps”) where, for a steep price, you can get one of these VR headsets for a few minutes and watch a 360-degree video of something in the area you should be visiting in person.
- You don’t need a VR set to enjoy 360-degree videos. If you own a smartphone (or a tablet) you already have what’s needed to watch 360-degree videos. Turn your device in LANDSCAPE POSITION, start the video directly from YouTube (not in a browser) and your device automatically turns into a sophisticated 360-degree VR viewing machine. Change the position of the phone left-right and up-down and the view in the video will change. You will see all around, even what was filmed behind you or on the ground.
- This sounds better than it is in reality, as it would require you to constantly swivel 360 degrees as you watch and you would look rather odd for someone else seeing you… There is an easy and practical solution, the one I use. Touch the screen with your finger and drag the view wherever you want to see. The image will move all around, even behind, in the sky or on the ground.
- Viewing 360-degree videos on a PC is similar, except that you will use the mouse to drag the view around .
What's the big deal? Isn't this just a novelty? (How many 3-D movies have you watched lately?)
- The “novel” element is really not that “novel”. Some form of “panoramic” or “VR-like” video has been around for at least 20 years. It is a staple of Real Estate “virtual tours”. It is not the “novelty” or amazing technology that is attractive. Here’s what I find worthwhile in 360-degree videos and why I produce them:
- When you see a 360-degree video (whether on you phone, PC or in a VR set), you don’t just see a fixed rectangular surface. A rectangular fixed screen showing you a small portion of reality is like seeing through a keyhole. Think of the movie director looking at potential shots for his next movie, with thumbs together and hands pointing up. This is known in the “biz” as “finger framing” or “director’s hands”. Be the director and try this yourself. Go ahead, try… Now put your hands down to your side and look all around you. Look up, look down. What you are seeing now is the “real world”. It is not framed!
- I love exploring this wonderous world of ours. This is how I want to share my explorations with my viewers, the way I experienced it: surrounding me, in 360-degrees, above, behind and below me. All the sights and the sounds, uninterrupted by narration or synchronized music. Simply the reality of the experience. What is not narrated on the video (background information about the geography, geology or history of the location, what we are seeing or practical information about how to get there, dangers or requirements) is included on blog pages on this website. Also included are still photographs.
- Here’s something else worthwhile to consider. Take a “conventional” documentary-style 10-minute video. Watch it a second time. The second viewing will give you 100% exactly the same information as the first. (In addition, hearing the same commentary again… and again is… repetitive.) Watching a 360-degree immersive 10-minute video several times will give you the opportunity to see something new at each viewing. Maybe the first time you saw it you were looking mostly ahead. At the next viewing, look behind you, or below and you will see something new. Isn’t this very much like how “real life” works?
- The 360-degree videos on this site will make you feel like you are really there. As our slogan says: “Be there before you get there”.