Introduction and Overview
Researching and elaborating planning guidelines and quality standards for 360° film productions in collaboration with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and the Visual Narrative Research Group at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Design, Film and Art. A research project sponsored by Innosuisse.
The Current Position: 360° Film as a New Medium
Insights gained from pilot films suggest that 360° film should be regarded as a medium in its own right. One of its unique characteristics is the capacity for spatial immersion and experiential exploration, something that is not possible with conventional film. Classic film production techniques are of limited use in the production of 360° films. There are no established production models or workflows readily available for efficient production and post-production processes. Key media-specific functions need to be reconceived or newly developed for 360° films; for example, camera movements, editing processes and production design for highly immersive situations. There are also no obvious narration or engagement strategies that can be used as models in the creation of high quality 360 productions.
«storytelling in 360°Film» – a Research Project in Four Phases
In order to fill the knowledge and competency gaps, Swiss Television and the Visual Narrative Research Group at Hochschule Luzern have investigated the particular conditions that apply in the development and production of 360° films. Specifically, our commercial and research partners have worked together to develop several prototypes for 360° film applications as a way of testing planning principles and exploring a spectrum of creative possibilities. These prototypes were produced and refined over three phases, starting with an open exploration of the problem and culminating in definite statements on, for instance, the specific quality of 360° films (fig. 1).
Fig.1: Overview of project flow in four iterative phases. Findings from each phase are fed into the next, becoming increasingly focused over the course of the project. In this iterative process, each phase is repeated several times in order to achieve comparability and to standardize the path of knowledge production.
Each phase concluded with its own evaluation. The main evaluation component was the analysis of interviews, group meetings and workshops with participating filmmakers and programmers from the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.
Project Aims – Planning Principles and Definition of Quality Characteristics
The research project specifically aims to achieve the following knowledge standards:
planning principles for production (efficient use of production resources)
media-specific description of an efficient workflow (for better, faster, cheaper production processes in 360° film)
toolset for attractive production design (for ongoing improvements to the quality of 360° films produced in Switzerland)
A workflow prototype and technical guidelines on appropriate production resources will be summarized in a design manual. Design guidance for successful 360° productions will be collated in a toolbox and explained with reference to example applications. This will be available to all Swiss 360° film productions from 2019 and will constitute a collection of relevant sources on the production and development of high quality content in 360° films.
Detailed description of the individual project phases
Phase I: Exploration – Discovery and Understanding
With the initial theses in mind, this phase entails the systematic exploration of the specific conditions underlying the development and production of 360° films (actual state).
Phase II: Transformation – Identifying Opportunities
Building on the findings from the first phase, this phase elaborates on opportunities for defining and proposing concepts for the development of quality characteristics (desired state).
Phase III: Implementation – Finding Solutions
The findings from phases I and II are summarized and implemented in subsequent 360° film productions.
Phase IV: Documentation and Publication
Results from the preceding phases are collated into a definitive toolbox of quality standards and explained with reference to example applications, creating both the basis for the structured planning principles formulation and defining a production process for increasing efficiency.