Topic: marriage market immersive experience in 1.5 min.

VR production

Shooting: The camera is easy to get a hands on, while later on we found out that there is some problem about the ambient sound recording– could be the problem with filming setting (or stitching/editing/rendering). The 2 shootings ended with objections of the marriage market. It was expected, and we managed to get quality footage out of the 2 shootings without permission (technically). As the main person responsible for communication and the only team member who speaks Chinese, I conclude that the communication before shooting may not be necessary, since those people in the marriage market are reluctant to cooperate. A cat and mouse game may be a better choice in this scenario (in China). Also, courage is strongly needed to take out the weird looking camera, set it up in front of the crowd’s eyes and start filming ASAP before people rule us out.

Post-production:

1. We managed to shoot in 2 different places and 2 different point of view (third person and first person). We worked out a narrative based on it: At first, the profile of the viewer is exhibited in the market and scrutinized by passers-by. The viewer can watch the comments from the passers-by. Then, the viewer comes to the market personally, being examined by the buyers. The decision to use this narrative comes in the discussion after viewing the video for several times.
2. The cut of the clips–scaling down from 20min to 1.5min also tortured us. Eventually, we got bored watching it again and again, and the best parts stood out.
3. The part of adding subtitles took me a long time–The disparity of the subtitles should be the same as the video, since the video is 3D. I had to check the anaglyph for the scale of disparity.

Demo experience

During the IMA show, almost everybody who watched the video enjoyed it (or found it disturbing, as our video conveys the upsetting feeling one would feel in the marriage market). It’s important to inform the viewer of the background of the video before putting the headset on their heads, so that they could get to know what happens in such short period of time. Moreover, as the VR headset itself is a selling point, to make the video alone stand out (not relying on the medium to impress people), is quite important. Perhaps, the video could be more intriguing if it’s interactive (although it requires time for user to learn to use the handle).

News of the week summary

Accurate, prophetic, powerful in 5 yrs

1.Apple Is Apparently Working on AR Headphones

To fool the ears of being in the space, spacial audio would be the very first trick to be accomplished. In the article, it describes a “pre-processor” that spits out a virtual, spatial representation of where each caller’s signal would be coming from, and  a “head-tracking controller” that helps to mimic in-person meetings. Having AR Headphones plus glasses would probably be the future for video conferencing (or more), instead of having an actual space to cast hologram and install multiple speakers to mimic the scene. Or at least, the previous solution would be less money-consuming.

2. LookingGlass Factory Releases Monster 3D Display

This is a peek into what the future of hologram would look like. Though it’s just a screen that shows volumetric pics and videos, it fools the eyes into believing the object or human inside the screen is “real”. Maybe the screen is a breakthrough point to an authentic hologram.

3.AR Meditation App Helps Calm Veterans Suffering From Trauma

Although for now the data gathered for the app comes from Apple Watch or a compatible Muse brain-sensing headband that doesn’t reflect much of a person’s mental state, the idea to combine medical treatment with AR and VR is very promising. If household medical devices could do a better job at detecting one’s emotions and brainwaves, conveniently and cheaply, people suffering from mental illness would enjoy a better life (at least better treatments).

Off-track, clueless, and ridiculous in 5 yrs

1. An opera in your own home

The idea of creating an opera through AR is not ridiculous, but it is ridiculous in a way that it compromises the possibility of a more creative story-telling and the use of technology to “mobile phone” and “home”. What the video shows is a special place that furnished like home, and the opera is mapped onto the exact setting of the room. This is more like location-based VR, and is lamer than VR, for the background of the opera would only be one’s home! In 5 yrs time, I think location-based VR would thrive and become a hit in entertainment business. At that time, there’s no need for people to hold their phone to watch some child-like AR opera at home.

2.AR and VR will make spatial journalism the future of reporting

Since the news reporting have developed from static (pics and articles) to video-based, there could be a possibility that AR and VR would take it to the next level. However, what the article envisions is that one may be taken to the actual space of the news’ occurrence (more like VR tourism with a news feature), or be shown some vivid graphics spatially. The former would definitely help one to experience the news better, but given a choice to be in a battlefield or a place that has just struck by flood, I may not choose to experience it, for it could be horrifying or upsetting. For the latter, it’s not necessary at all. To conclude, I think articles are the quickest and the most convenient way to report and view a piece of news. Even if in the future everybody is wearing VR headsets, they will still choose to read news in their headset, just as people would read news articles instead of watch videos in their mobile phones.

3.DOJAGI – the world’s first spinning wheel simulation game for pottery making in virtual reality

I used to play a similar pottery simulation game on iPad a lot. The only manipulation method is to put a finger on the screen to push the mud. How I imagine it would be different in the VR game is that instead of one finger, user can use both of their hands to feel like they are actually touching the mud and squeezing it. However, the experience would not be complete without the haptic sensation. Even if one can feel it and create it virtually, he or she still needs to export the model and 3D print it to actual have a self-made pottery. Therefore, what’s purpose of doing pottery virtually?

Boris FX Mocha (and Continuum):

• “Mega Plate module: Use planar tracking and temporal frame analysis to create extended stitched frames for advanced effects and clean up tasks”
• Area Brush: Dynamic new paint tool with Quick Mask mode to quickly create tracking and masking layers

This is a powerful processing tool that tracking is (close to) ultimately nailed. It’s fascinating to see that no artificial points are needed in order to track something correctly while moving. This show a prospect in AI and can be well implemented in AR production: To remove actual objects in the view, or to augment it, if it could act in real time. For VR, when producing the immersive experience, this tool is also needed for easier manipulation of the scenes and objects shot or drawn.

 Mettle’s Mantra VR

• A unique set of Drag-and-Drop effects to instantly transform your footage into surreal and fantastic animations.
• A comprehensive set of 16 filters to stylize your 360° and Flat footage in After Effects and Premiere Pro.

This is a useful tool in post-production, though the selling point is its “user-friendliness”. Not so sure about what exact effect it could implement with regards to the filters.

 Foundry’s Cara VR (including Nuke compositing)

• Seamless stitching of mono or stereo VR content
• Powerful streamlined VR compositing workflows
• Headset review inside Nuke

Although insta360 is providing the first two functions and we take it as granted, the tool is essential if one wants to customize the camera. But still, it is a basic tool needed for generating 360° videos.

The People’s Park is famous for its marriage market. Click the link to experience. I think we can probably record the marriage market from early morning till late night to see how the scale changes, how people interact, and maybe what are the reactions of passerby to our filming.

I’ve also background checked People’s Park and found out that before 1950, it originally was a racecourse. Then, the 1st mayor of Shanghai changed it into this park. It used to be famous for being an “English corner”. Starting from 2005, the place gradually turns into a grand marriage market (http://www.88621111.com/a/112506.html). The original text with more detail:

1950年9月7日，解放后上海市第一任市长陈毅代表市政府宣布将跑马厅的，南半半部建造为人民广场，北半部改造为人民公园，并亲自为公园题名。打开上海地图，人民公园几乎位于正中心。这里不仅是休闲绿化的场所，早些年以“英语角”著称，近几年则凭借“相亲角”声名远扬。而年轻人更爱公园里的现代，艺术馆和餐馆。

The Technocrat Retrofit of London

This is a project where pieces of architecture or landscape is fragmented and restructured. The author has a deeper consideration: Those buildings are retrofitted to create a sustainable self-sufficient community. This is inspiring that our project could split the landscape we captured to create a place that fits our ideal.