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VR cinema ([[virtual reality ]] cinema) is filmmaking adapted to the new media of virtual reality. It has the potential to be the next major innovation in filmmaking following the previous developments in sound, color, and 3D <ref name=”1”> Cuthbertson, A. (2016). Is virtual reality the future of film? Retrieved from europe.newsweek.com/virtual-reality-future-film-461829?rm=eu</ref>. Even though VR was expected to impact mainly videogames, the technology is intriguing and attracting filmmakers all over the world. VR cinema holds the promise of new and betters better ways of experiencing stories, to immerse the user in a story by utilizing interactivity and non-linearity – that are new techniques to cinema -, and to increase the story’s emotional impact. The potential for greater immersion can be achieved by making the user believe to be present in the space the protagonist is in. VR headsets like the [[Oculus Rift ]] or [[Google Cardboard|Google cardboard ]] provide 360° panorama for the user to explore. To increase the story’s emotional impact, the user will be able to experience the journey of the protagonist, while also being able to change perspectives and putting himself in the shoes of another individual <ref name=”2”> Nellen, G. (2015). Lessons learned: a guide to cinema in virtual reality. Retrieved from hackastory.com/lessons-learned-a-guide-to-cinema-in-virtual-reality</ref> <ref name=”3”> VR Reporter. Will cinematic virtual reality disrupt film industry? Retrieved from virtualrealityreporter.com/virtual-reality-cinema</ref>.

The approach to cinema in VR has to be completely new from traditional filmmaking. For example, script writing will have to change when applied to VR cinema due to the different nature of the medium. It has been suggested that the role of the director will change more to one of a designer. Although it is expected that VR cinema will have a great development during the next few years, it doesn’t mean that traditional film on a movie screen will disappear. The different media will co-exist, and film directors will make the choice to experiment with the new tools and skills required for virtual reality, creating a potential niche opportunity for filmmakers and new production companies. Indeed, startups like Jaunt and MindVR are already exploring story telling storytelling in virtual reality <ref name=”2”></ref> <ref name=”3”></ref>.

Filmmaking in VR can be made several ways: live action films, computer -generated (CG) films, animation films, or a combination of live action and CG/animation films. Some of the mentioned ways of filmmaking in VR will be more advantageous. The incorporation of interactive and non-linear elements is easier in CG films than in live action, although it could be that, over time, there will be technical and creative solutions to introduce a high degree of interactivity in live action films <ref name=”2”></ref> <ref name=”4”> Nield, D. (2015). The brave new world of virtual-reality filmmaking. Retrieved from readwrite.com/2015/06/25/virtual-reality-movie-making</ref>. The possibility of the user being able to be someplace else in VR – to be in the film -, instead of traditional a raditional film which is confined to movie theatres, allows for a greater sense of “presence” “[[presence]]” <ref name=”5”> Rasmus, D. (2016). Cinematic VR challenge shows how virtual reality is set to transform film. Retrieved from www.geekwire.com/2016/cinematic-vr-challenge-shows-virtual-reality-poised-transform-film/</ref>. These new characteristics of cinematic VR will possibly lead to a shift in the dynamic between the audience and the director. According to Heather Wright, an executive producer at Aardman Animations, “storytellers of the filmmaking variety traditionally like to lead the viewer on a journey which is predetermined for them. With VR, viewers are essentially being let loose in a story to explore it for themselves. This requires a whole new film grammar which is certainly exciting but does turn the tables on the filmmakers <ref name=”1”></ref>.”

Even though VR cinema is still early in the development some general rules have been suggested by [[Oculus Story Studio’s Studio]]’s creative director Saschka Unseld - that were used for Henry (an animated VR short) – in order to produce a VR film. These are: “make eye contact”, for the user to have a direct connection with the character; “show the viewer around”, adding elements to draw the viewer’s eyes to different places they can look and explore; “pay attention to scale”, since not all objects sizes are in real-world ratios; “get it real but not too real”, in order to transmit through visuals certain points in the story; “don’t overload your rendering machines”, to use techniques that reduce the computational burden, and “focus on movement that matters”, adjusting to the viewer’s perspective when necessary <ref> Watercutter, A. (2015). 6 rules for making movies in the VR age. Retrieved from www.wired.com/2015/08/6-rules-making-movies-vr-age</ref>.

The visual language in film has benefited from more than a century of traditional filmmaking, evolving into a common language that people grow up with, watching films and television. The overall rules are the same and can be used by filmmakers to tell the story and evoke emotions. There are traditional rules for framing, cutting, and editing, and not all of these elements transfer well to VR. From this difficulty comes the need of for a new language for cinematic VR <ref name=”2”></ref>.

In a traditional film, if the viewer faces away from the screen he does not apprehend the vision, story, and focus of attention intended by the director. In VR, since the viewer can look around, it creates a new experience. Eric Neuman, CEO of Sprawly, explained that “storytelling tools of VR have leaped forward our capabilities for communicating visuals, but they are sending us back in time in our ability to communicate story, because we’ve lost all the techniques on how to direct people’s vision, to use auditory cues to get people riled up into certain states <ref name=”5”></ref>.”

VR cinema allows for a subtle shift from viewer to participant, in the sense that he is immersed in a 360 video, being free to look wherever he wants. The viewer may miss something by looking around or see something relevant to the narrative <ref name=”5”></ref>. There is no POV in VR. The viewer is the camera. In regular filmmaking, there are several ways to put a camera but in VR there is only one. In a sense, it can be compared to theatre theater <ref name=”12”> Knight, D. (2016). Is virtual reality going to transform cinema? Retrieved from www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31455/1/is-virtual-reality-going-to-transform-cinema</ref>.

The freedom that VR allows when applied to film raises a question: how much freedom should the viewer be granted? This point is essential and VR filmmakers are trying to develop ways to get the audience to pay attention to what they’re supposed to. One way to achieve this is by using certain sounds that are natural and integrated in into the specific film scene to attract the viewer’s attention <ref name=”3”></ref> <ref name=”11”></ref>.

All of this has to be taken in into consideration when making a cinematic VR film. The film creators have to think about how to make the whole world interesting and balanced in order to achieve an equilibrium between what might be considered distracting and the actual subject of the story <ref name=”5”></ref>. This element of the viewer’s freedom in VR has been criticized by Steven Spielberg who has concerns over cinematic VR. He mentions that it is “dangerous, since it allows the viewer too much freedom to make their own choices about which parts of a story to engage with, instead of a single, fixed narrative path characteristic of today’s movies <ref name=”7”></ref>.

Another factor to consider in VR cinema is the type of headset. Strarbreeze’s [[Strarbreeze]]’s [[StarVR ]] headset has a wider field of view than the [[Oculus Rift]], for example. A regular VR screen would be like holding a phone in front of the face, while sliding it to the side and tilting it back towards the head, so that one end is at the nose and the other is headed towards the ear gives a general idea of what the StarVR is like. This added field of view can be compared to upgrading from a 4:3 to a 16:9 screen. The viewer doesn’t need so much head movement in order to catch what’s going on around him, simulating the way people normally look at things. While this can benefit filmmakers, in how they stage action, it also creates a limitation. If the filmmaker doesn’t know in which headset their content is going to be viewed on, this will limit the staging of scenes, and not take full benefit out of them <ref name=”13”> Road to VR (2015). Unboxing the challenges of VR cinema. Retrieved from roadtovr.com/unboxing-the-challenges-of-vr-cinema</ref>.

A comparison can be made with videogames. They are not linear narratives, but do contain linear narratives within them. VR storytelling is then expected to include and transcends the linear narrative limitations. This could be achieved by giving narrative choices to the viewer, incrementing his agency, or “by layering the worlds in which the story takes place with telling details that suggest greater complexities than what is readable at first glance <ref name=”13”></ref>.”

If there’s nothing to do in the virtual space this could lead to the viewer feeling like a ghost, as mention above, and quickly become bored. This is due to the nature of VR which is active by itself. By inserting the user in virtual worlds, it is expected that he can have some level of agency over them. This is one of the reasons why videogames are very engaging. Of course , the sense of immersion is not exclusive to VR, and a good traditional film can also immerse the viewer <ref name=”12”></ref>.

==Editing, cuts , and filming in VR==

Shooting a live-action VR film can feel more natural to the eyes than a CGI one, but it introduces other complications. VR cameras shoot 360 degrees, making it difficult for crew members to stand without being in the shot. A way to get around this - that has been previously used - is to hide behind crates, or in the shadows. Also, lighting has to be natural, or at least disguised. Besides this, the footage needs to be edited from 16 lenses (in the case of Jaunt’s camera) into one image. The stitching of the several images from different cameras to produce a 360° image is a lengthy process, with each second of footage taking 15 seconds to stitch <ref name=”11”></ref>.

In some aspects narrative VR can be compared to theatre, with the audience being the camera <ref name=”12”></ref> <ref name=”13”></ref>. A theatre theater production can command the attention of the viewer, foregrounding scenes and characters, although it cannot guarantee that the viewer will look at whoever is front and center. It only suggests strongly to the intended point of interest. If the viewer is bored or distracted, he can observe any actor or look at the orchestra pit or the other members of the audience. The action on the stage keeps going but the event is shaped by the combination of the performer’s decisions and the spectator. This dynamic also exist exists in VR films, in which there is a relatively clear focal point intended for the viewer to look at and a periphery that can be explored. Like theatretheater, the viewer decides to focus on the intended focal point or on a character or scene in the background <ref name=”8”></ref>. The creation of dramatic tension is essential in a theatrical piece to engage the viewer. It depends on the skill of the actors, how they play off each other emotionally, and also the skill of the director. In virtual reality , this is also essential in order to grab viewer’s attention and providing a sense of immersion in the narrative <ref name=”13”></ref>.