With some new knowledge under our belts, we set our goal for our own 360 trailer.
The climb vr video problem how to#
One challenge this trailer does highlight is how to tell a clear linear story in a non-linear format without the use of voice over, there are few context clues to bring the viewer into the story and, therefore, to give them a presence in the world the developers have created. The use of binaural audio here is key, as the viewer turns their head around to explore the spaceship scene, the direction of the character’s voice will always tug them back to center.
![the climb vr video problem the climb vr video problem](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jZQ84MrM7co/maxresdefault.jpg)
At a runtime of 93 seconds, this trailer appears to be pre-rendered, and is almost entirely story-based. Last, but not least is the 360 trailer for Psychonauts: The Rhombus of Ruin. The first and most prominent example is the trailer for The Climb.
![the climb vr video problem the climb vr video problem](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HnGGN2230cs/maxresdefault.jpg)
Somewhat surprisingly, there are only a handful of VR games that have chosen the 360 format for their promotional videos. What’s the first thing you do when you’re about to do something for the first time? See what everyone else has already done! There was just one catch for us: we had never made 360 content before. Between the intense underwater environments and use of one-to-one gestural swimming locomotion, it was screaming for a promotional asset that matched its immersive chops: 360 video seemed like a good place to start. We knew right away that FREEDIVER needed more than that. We’ll also share some of the learnings we gained along the way regarding the less-tangible side of 360 content creation, such as non-linear storytelling, viewer engagement, and more.įor VR developers, the problem is a familiar one: how can you accurately convey just how amazingly immersive and interactive your VR game is, when the vast majority of your marketing materials will be experienced on a 2D screen? Most of us stick to what we know, and rely on creative ways to portray a three-dimensional experience through a 2D medium, largely in the form of trailers, screenshots, and GIFs. If you’re wondering if 360 video might be right for your VR game promotions, this post will walk you through the technical steps within Unreal to film, record, and render your in-game content in 360 degrees.
![the climb vr video problem the climb vr video problem](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0bwREaaWbK0/maxresdefault.jpg)
The workflow was amazingly smooth, and we’d love to share it with you.
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Best of all, no fancy third-party tech or expensive program licences were needed: we were able to accomplish all of this using Unreal Engine with only a small team of three developers spending a few hours for setup, plus another day or so for render time.