Caption: Could VR be the future of cinema?
To keep an industry fresh, it needs to be constantly adapting to the technological environment while also offering something to customers in line with their wants and needs. The cinema industry is a prime example of one which can utilize both to remain relevant. But what does this mean and what new technology needs to be embraced to achieve this? What does the future hold for the reliance on VR in the film industry?
Could Cinema Go VR?
The cinema industry is one in constant flux. This comes from the stars onscreen, the mavericks behind the camera, and the content that we like to consume. Trends, actors, and directors come and go, but the medium was largely unchanged. Until the advent of streaming – which meant cinema, like many other industries, had to adapt to a different kind of flux. With streaming becoming a possible alternative to the traditional cinema – several films have bypassed or will skip the cinema experience and done well – does this mean the industry will move towards the ultimate in streaming: VR cinema.
Going back to Plato’s allegory of a shadow puppet show on a cave wall being the first example of being shown something of another ‘reality’, cinema has been transporting us to new worlds and giving us a front-row seat as it attempts to take us out of our own realities. The next step would surely be seeing the films through a VR lens that not only allows us to voyeuristically view the content but to almost be a part of it.
How are Other Industries Putting Customers First?
The leaning towards VR comes in a bid to appeal to customers more. People can be fickle, so industries – even ones as time-honored as cinema – must do all they can to attract time-poor people away from other digital means of entertainment. Customers have made it clear how they would like to interact with this digital entertainment – through signing up and belonging to online communities, on mobile devices, on a casual basis – it’s down to the industries to implement this within their business plans.
Placing the user experience at the forefront of the product offering is increasingly important and something reflected across digital entertainment. One of the major benefits of VR is that it resembles reality as much as possible while also taking advantage of the non-real setting i.e. VR skydiving has the appearance of skydiving without the danger. This can be seen across a host of industries.
The online casino industry exists to make available on digital platforms what typically exists in real life. So, the entire industry relies on creating as realistic a casino experience as possible while also harnessing the benefits of the customer playing anytime, on the go, or engaging in a way they might prefer. By incorporating technology to center the experience on customers’ wants and needs, online casinos are putting customers first. For instance, 888 live casino allows site visitors to play live versions of games such as poker, roulette, and even a Wheel of Fortune style game where they can see the dealer in front of them in real-time. The live aspects show how streaming has been used to replicate an aspect of the casino experience to add value for customers to center things around their enjoyment.
We can also see this through museum tours. While they may not be considered digital entertainment, many are expanding into this digital world to take advantage of a wider audience base (a potentially global one). For instance, the National History Museum offers virtual tours and 360-degree tours, placing online visitors virtually in the museum itself.
Moreover, as part of the PR for Darren Aronofsky’s One Strange Rock series in 2018, journalists were given a VR experience inside the helmet of an astronaut. The show was promoted by allowing people to see the world the show was aiming to transport them to in a way that only those who have traveled to space have seen it. While the stunt was to create a buzz for the show, it does show us how we can move towards actually creating these immersive worlds.
VR Cinema in Action
It’s clear that tech advancements are wanted by cinemagoers – the 3D experience that was Avatar back in 2009 became the highest-grossing film of all time. And its glasses-free sequels will no doubt be contenders to top that. People wanted to enjoy the cinema in a new, tech-forward way. One of the main issues people have with VR is that there are only a limited number of uses. People typically associate VR with taking audiences to places they could never go such as outer space and deep in the ocean. Yet, existing VR material is showing that this isn’t the case. VR doesn’t need to be used in such an extreme way to create an immersive experience.
The Tinker VR theatre experience doesn’t take you out of this world, but to a workshop with your grandfather. As you watch and interact with the VR experience, you’ll see a live actor who will interact with you and help craft an unscripted narrative. Theatre has always found ways to suck audiences into the story and this takes it to new heights. Again, this is similar to the live casino sector, where a live actor, or dealer, is present, allowing players to interact as they deal hands, as they would in a land-based venue.
Elsewhere, winning the London Film Festival’s immersive prize, To Miss the Ending whisks viewers away to a dystopian version of our world. Your character has uploaded themselves to a system and through a glitch a story is told. The narrative uses the inherently subjective nature of VR as an almost theatrical performance piece. Making audiences feel claustrophobic with VR cinema is one step ahead making audiences feel wary in the dark during a slasher horror movie. 4 Feet High uses VR to put the audience in the shoes of a disabled character in this coming-of-age series that uses modern technology to give a new perspective.
There will likely never be a time when we don’t watch films outside the house. No number of streaming platforms or home video options will replace the tangible experience of a trip to the cinema. But with other forms of entertainment offering us more immersive experiences, cinema must do something to ensure that it is still a viable candidate. Drive-in theaters were unshakeable at one point in time – and should be a lesson to cinema, in general, to ensure it moves with the times.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.