On the product’s page, Mettle’s Mantra VR is introduced as a set of 16 filters, whose main purpose is to stylize both flat and 360 degree footage. It aims for easy to use concept, that offers user-friendly functions such as drag-and-drop effects or globe preview. It also features keyframe animations from zero to full scale application of the filter. Through the filters, the (perhaps non-professional) user should be able to create surreal worlds, dreamscapes and alternate realities. This set is compatible with Immersive Tools in After Effects & Premiere PRO.
Foundry’s Cara VR is a virtual reality plug-in toolset for Nuke. Among its many amazing features, it promises seamless stitching of both mono and stereo VR content (even on moving footage, which I believe could be useful in our project, as our main video’s highlights consist of us relocating around marriage market). Other features that make this software very attractive for the VR creator are for example the headset viewing directly from Nuke’s viewer, which very much eases the previewing process, or the easier insertion of 3D objects. As Nuke is a software for professional video creation, it is only natural that Cara VR seems to concentrate more on offering precise “brush-up” features that aim to make the VR experience as seamless and natural as possible; such as rig solving, 360 degree tracking and stabilization, etc.
Boris FX Mocha seems like the most high-end software of all three mentioned. It offers amazing award-winning planar tracking that seems to be limited only by the creativity of the user. Among its other features are easy object removal and advanced masking. The planar tracking seems to be extremely useful especially in the gaming environment.
They seem to tell us that there are three different markets of the 360 videos these softwares cater to – the game/ movie industries (professional use) and the average “amateur” user group composed of social media influencers, artists and others. From this, I believe we can assume 360 video is well on its way to become a commonly used feature in everyday life.