• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
A virtual world

A virtual world

February 14, 2017
InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

May 16, 2022
CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

May 16, 2022
US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

May 16, 2022
beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

May 16, 2022
Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

May 16, 2022
Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

May 16, 2022
Best tech practices to deliver a superior streaming experience

Best tech practices to deliver a superior streaming experience

May 16, 2022
Aiming for the stars

Aiming for the stars

May 16, 2022
Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

May 16, 2022
TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

May 15, 2022
Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

May 15, 2022
CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

May 14, 2022
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Monday, May 16, 2022
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Podcasting
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Film partnerships
    • New appointments
    • Production
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • Satellite/Comms
    • AV
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • International News
    • Analyst Reports
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

    InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

    CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

    CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

    US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

    US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

    Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

    Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

    Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

    Aiming for the stars

    Aiming for the stars

    Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

    Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

    TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

    TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

    CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

    CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • Virtual Production Series
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • New Media
    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Exploring the power of AI

    Exploring the power of AI

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    Breaking new ground with the cloud

    Breaking new ground with the cloud

    Scaling up production through the cloud

    Scaling up production through the cloud

    Maximising the potential of AR and VR technology for live sports

    Maximising the potential of AR and VR technology for live sports

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

      Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

      Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

      Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

      Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

      Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

      NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

      NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

      Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

      Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

      KBS MEDIA introduces ‘Funstaurant’

      KBS MEDIA introduces ‘Funstaurant’

    • Opinion
      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Sports brings more subs to platforms

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Saudi Arabia’s makeover

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

      Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

      Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

      Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      The path to digital transformation

      The path to digital transformation

      The show must go on

      The show must go on

      BeIN at the top of its game

      BeIN at the top of its game

      Giving us the full Viu

      Giving us the full Viu

      Picture Perfect

      Picture Perfect

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Driving creativity

      Driving creativity

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • News from Events
      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Podcasting
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Film partnerships
      • New appointments
      • Production
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • Satellite/Comms
      • AV
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • International News
      • Analyst Reports
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

      InterSAT chooses ST Engineering iDirect for tech upgrade in Africa

      CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

      CABSAT 2022 to begin tomorrow

      US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

      US government awards Trojan contract to SES Government Solutions

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

      Irdeto to introduce Server Side Ad Insertion to MENA at cybersecurity workshops

      Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

      Imagine brings Aviator to MENA visitors at CABSAT

      Aiming for the stars

      Aiming for the stars

      Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

      Orion to shine at Interra Systems stand

      TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

      TAG Video Systems offers to take control of media with MCS

      CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

      CastLabs to keep focus on hybrid video solutions at CABSAT

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • Virtual Production Series
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • New Media
      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Exploring the power of AI

      Exploring the power of AI

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      Breaking new ground with the cloud

      Breaking new ground with the cloud

      Scaling up production through the cloud

      Scaling up production through the cloud

      Maximising the potential of AR and VR technology for live sports

      Maximising the potential of AR and VR technology for live sports

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

        Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

        Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

        Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

        Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

        Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

        NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

        NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

        Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

        Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

        KBS MEDIA introduces ‘Funstaurant’

        KBS MEDIA introduces ‘Funstaurant’

      • Opinion
        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Sports brings more subs to platforms

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Saudi Arabia’s makeover

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

        Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

        Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

        Changing production needs in the MENA market

        Changing production needs in the MENA market

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Staying on schedule

        Staying on schedule

        Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

        Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        The path to digital transformation

        The path to digital transformation

        The show must go on

        The show must go on

        BeIN at the top of its game

        BeIN at the top of its game

        Giving us the full Viu

        Giving us the full Viu

        Picture Perfect

        Picture Perfect

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Driving creativity

        Driving creativity

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • Upcoming Events
        • News from Events
        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Interviews

      A virtual world

      Vijaya Cherian by Vijaya Cherian
      February 14, 2017
      in Interviews
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      US-based virtual reality expert, Lewis Smithingham, was in Dubai for DIFF recently, to explore the use of VR technology in the region.

      Lewis Smithingham.

      US-based virtual reality expert, Lewis Smithingham, was in Dubai for DIFF recently, to explore the use of VR technology in the region. In an interview with BroadcastPro ME, Smithingham discusses VR and where it is headed 

      Recognising the growth of Virtual Reality (VR) in the UAE, the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) held a number of sessions on the state of VR and its potential for immersive storytelling. One of the speakers at the event was Lewis Smithingham, CTO of 30ninjas, a pioneer in VR filmmaking who has worked on VR content around the globe for the past four years. He recently completed Invisible, a VR mini-series with Doug Liman, producer and director of films including The Bourne Identity.

      First, can you give us a quick overview of VR?

      VR isn’t new; it’s been around since the 1990s. It’s only in the last few years that it has been consumerised. VR is a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment. The viewer can literally look and go anywhere in the film. There are two key points in VR. First, the viewer has to be wearing an HMD (head-mounted display) to be right in the middle of the action or immersed in the film or content. Second, it is completely different for the video storyteller because you give up some control to the viewer and he or she can look and go anywhere in the story.

      It sounds dangerous for creatives, but actually they can put cookie crumbs or sounds to guide the viewer in the film. It’s not something that is taught in film schools yet, so most VR filmmakers do an awful lot of shooting and experimentation to find out what works and what doesn’t. But when it’s done right, the viewer experience is really thrilling and rewarding.

      For those who didn’t attend DIFF, was there a particular highlight of the event for you?

      One of the highlights for me at DIFF was the Embodied Media Project from Japan. In talking with UAE filmmakers during the event, they were just as enthusiastic because they could see the potential for them and the consumer/viewer of tomorrow. Embodied Media’s goal is to create future media technologies that record, share, enhance and create experiences that entertain, enchant and empower us.

      Is there really a VR scene in Dubai?

      Before I visited Dubai, I thought it might have been in the gestation stage – between conception and birth – and for that, I apologise. Dubai is one of the fastest growing and most progressive cities in the world, and from my brief visit I saw some very progressive studios and marketers who are seriously looking at how they can use the technology to entertain people and promote products.

      I know you were in Amsterdam for IBC and am not certain if you had an opportunity to visit the Virtual Reality Cinema, but I would guess that there are probably creative groups working right now to open facilities soon in Dubai. Knowing how progressive IMAX is and how quickly they are moving to open the next-generation theatres, I’m certain the city is on their roadmap.

      Why cinemas, you might ask? It is because of the richness of the content you participate in. Every time you put on an HMD and enter an immersive story, it is never the same viewing twice. As I alluded to before, you can go right, left, look up, look down and every time the film is different. The viewer controls the story and tries new avenues. It’s amazing.

      I visited Giga Works while I was in Dubai, and they are currently doing some excellent work in the areas of documentaries, travelogues, streaming 360/VR work, and are pushing the technology into marketing consumer and business products/services.

      Pixel Hunters is a Dubai-based animation company that I unfortunately didn’t have the time to visit but have been told are doing some great animated VR segments. Animation was tailor made for VR, because you can immerse a person into a virtual world that only exists in the mind of the creators, so you can let them go into outer space or visit the centre of the earth, interact with non-existent characters, run 100kph, fly unassisted and vanquish monsters or your enemy. It’s not just a cartoon; the viewer is right in the middle of everything and it feels and sounds remarkably realistic.

      There are other firms I heard of that are using VR to design and sell building projects. Once the person puts on the HMD, he or she can look inside, outside of a building – for example – from the top down, inside and out, walking through rooms that your mind says are real. So you know before the ground is broken that you’re going to really like the completed work.

      Are there applications and opportunities for VR in the broadcast industry?

      Talking with DIFF attendees and the people at Giga Works, it is already in the experimental usage phase in Dubai. Broadcast opportunities have been in the testing trial phase through most of last year for us, as well as several partners and broadcasters around the globe.

      For example, one of our European partners produced several livestream soccer matches with our assistance and then we jointly critiqued the results to provide the viewer with the feeling that they were at the match and in the middle of the action. Most of the streaming concerts and sporting events – including the Olympics in Brazil – have been and are being done in 180. It’s good, because it’s an improvement from standard flat image capture/streaming. But from our tests, we know rich 360 coverage is possible.

      The NBA and Golden State Warriors regularly stream 360 coverage of games so you can feel you are right in the middle of the action, not just sitting courtside but able to view a play or shot from every angle.

      We’ve been working with Nokia Ozo on projects for Ozo Live. I feel full 360 capture and streaming is necessary to give the viewer the honest feeling of being at the event, viewing the play and shot from every angle. The same is true of streaming a concert or play, because well planned and executed VR capture, production and streaming gives the viewer a rich, satisfying experience that is hard to explain until you see it and feel it.

      Networks, studios and specific shows have also been doing 360-degree specials that have been enthusiastically reviewed by the specials’ producers and the audience.

      Last year, our firm produced the Conan O’Brien 360 special. We shot the entire show in 360 with multiple camera rigs, with post-production being done behind the scenes to finalise the entire special in record time for delayed broadcast streaming. It is a tremendous effort on the part of the production/post-production team, but the show owners couldn’t believe the outstanding response they received from the audience.

      All of this right now is still in the experience development phase at the present time, but I am completely confident that you’ll see more and more of it over the next two years, and soon it will be standard viewing fare. There have already been sporting events and TV show specials produced here in Dubai, and the volume is only going to increase.

      By 2018, I am confident that every network and studio will have regular 360 specials, including dramas, documentaries, regularly scheduled shows, concerts, plays and sporting events that people throughout the UAE will be putting on their HMDs to enjoy. Once you experience it, it is just too compelling!

      What other uses for VR do you see here in Dubai and elsewhere around the globe?

      They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but VR lets you experience a product, a service and a location. The technology, properly executed, I believe, will be a major marketing tool in the coming years.

      You can experience a travel location. In fact, in a couple of hours, you could visit a dozen exotic places and almost feel as though you had been there. You can do breathtaking, risky adventures like climbing the Himalayas, skydiving, scuba diving in spectacular locations… almost anything you can think of in the privacy of your HMD. You could take off your HMD and be as exhausted as though you did everything in the location in five action-packed days.

      Want to test drive multiple cars but don’t want to waste weeks and months doing it? You can go to a kiosk or stream the content to your home and put them through their paces, so you know exactly which you want before you buy. You can try new furnishings in your home, test out new tools, try new layouts to your house before you remodel and know you’ll be completely satisfied.

      Will VR be mainstream production and viewing this year?

      Let me first be a little cautionary, because too many people have oversold and overhyped VR, saying it is the complete solution for tomorrow’s media and entertainment industry. The cameras are very good today, the HMDs are good and getting better, and the prices are now very reasonable for consumers. The prices will continue to drop and the gear will get better. As I mentioned earlier, I feel by 2018 everything will be feature-rich and ready for everyone to experience and use without even thinking twice about it.

      Over the past four years that I’ve been doing VR, we have tested and used almost every piece of shooting and production gear that has been introduced. The professional cameras available today are very good. People are amazed at how much content we capture when we’re doing a 360 or VR project, and you can easily use 25-50 terabytes of storage a day. It’s an important part of the VR equation and as we shoot in 4K and HDR, it’s only going to increase. High-performance computers and high-throughput, expandable storage are mandatory!

      We are still learning a lot about what works and what doesn’t for the viewer. When we produced Invisible, we shot and reshot hours of content, reviewed it – and some worked and delivered the viewer experience everyone wanted, while some didn’t.

      Production and editing is a labour for every filmmaker, and the key to a great 360/VR film is that we constantly think about the audience. This is completely new and unique, and requires a different approach for the director and the filmmaker.

      The most frustrating part of the 360/VR creative process is stitching [the process by which multiple camera angles are fused together into a spherical video panorama]. While the software is steadily improving, it is still very laborious and expensive – often $10,000-plus per finished minute.

      But once you put on an HMD and immerse yourself in really good content… you’re sold.

      Why am I sure it will succeed? This is one of the few technologies in history that all of the major players – Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, AMD, Samsung, HTC, Adobe, Avid, Google, Facebook, Sony – have weighed in and invested in early. That has had a profound effect on how quickly solid and economic products have become available.

      Tags: diffvirtual realityVRLewis Smithingham

      Related Posts

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      April 25, 2022
      Over 50% of video games market revenue spurred by mobile gaming: Fact MR

      Global online gaming market to reach $151.1bn by 2026: ResearchAndMarkets

      April 18, 2022
      Batelco and Ericsson collaborate on next-gen 5G technologies

      Batelco and Ericsson collaborate on next-gen 5G technologies

      April 18, 2022
      Korean content companies shine at DEAL 2022 show

      Korean content companies shine at DEAL 2022 show

      March 29, 2022
      Game for more

      Game for more

      March 14, 2022
      Mobily joins SEA-ME-WE-6 consortium to build undersea cable system

      Mobily joins SEA-ME-WE-6 consortium to build undersea cable system

      March 9, 2022

      Related News

      Emirati film “Musk” screens at Jagran Film Festival in India

      Emirati film “Musk” screens at Jagran Film Festival in India

      July 21, 2019
      Durban International Film Festival unveils programmers for its 40th edition

      Durban International Film Festival unveils programmers for its 40th edition

      May 6, 2019
      Former DIFF MD and Freej creator partner to offer consultancy to local content makers

      Former DIFF MD and Freej creator partner to offer consultancy to local content makers

      September 24, 2018
      UK actors unite to support British-Iraqi-Emirati filmmaker

      UK actors unite to support British-Iraqi-Emirati filmmaker

      June 8, 2018
      Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja announces new studio

      Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja announces new studio

      May 8, 2018
      No Dubai Film Fest in 2018, next edition to be hosted in 2019

      No Dubai Film Fest in 2018, next edition to be hosted in 2019

      April 18, 2018
      More Related News

      Popular Stories

      • CNN’s ‘Inside the Middle East’ spotlights women in the Egyptian film industry   

        CNN’s ‘Inside the Middle East’ spotlights women in the Egyptian film industry  

        652 shares
        Share 261 Tweet 163
      • Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja teams up with AR Rahman for upcoming film  

        627 shares
        Share 251 Tweet 157
      • Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak to guest star in Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’

        624 shares
        Share 250 Tweet 156
      • Popular Dubai director Gerry Blaksley joins GTV Media Group

        616 shares
        Share 246 Tweet 154
      • Serie A broadcasts first live soccer match in metaverse for MENA viewers

        615 shares
        Share 246 Tweet 154

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com