Book excerpt: The technical aspects of 360 production

Put most simply, a 360 video is a video shot with an omnidirectional camera — meaning that the view in every direction is recorded at the same time. This gives the viewer the ability to look anywhere and see everything happening in the shot.

There are two main types of cameras used to shoot 360 video. Monoscopic 360 video is the most common, as it is easiest to stitch together and edit. These videos are shot with one camera from one point of view. Stereoscopic 360 videos are basically two videos shot side by side, with a separate recording mapped to each eye. The stitching and production pipeline is much bigger and more cumbersome in stereoscopic, although in some cases the experience is more immersive.

Make sure the location is well lit; lighting in 360 is difficult so work with an expert. Remember that all angles will be captured, so clean up any debris and that any lighting equipment must be erased in the edits, along with the camera. Consider the stitch lines when placing the camera, and try not to have them cut through actors or big pieces of scenery.

When it comes to scripting, make the conversations as normal as possible — but do keep in mind that user prompts need to be short enough for participant to read comfortably on screen. Don’t have them recite a monologue.

Building a prototype first to test everything out is always a good idea. This can be done with a cheap 360 camera and some willing volunteers, and a video editor who knows how to place graphics. Bear in mind a prototype will likely not be ready for primetime but can use useful for learning and testing.

Once you’ve got this far, you’ll want to engage a professional team to help get it to the next stage. A good VR agency can help massage the narrative and the script and bring in the talent you’ll need to make a piece that looks good and functions well.