Facebook introduced its Surround 360 rig for capturing 360-degree videos last month. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has just shared the social network's first virtual reality film that is a 3.5-minute clip of visitors at New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The 14-camera rig is a demonstration of seamless videos that are possible with the VR format.
The new film titled "Here and Now" can be enjoyed with or without a VR headset, according to Engadget. However, it is better to watch the film through a smartphone instead of a PC since it just requires tilting the mobile device to see different views.
The VR film was made by Facebook's creative studio The Factory. It was filmed using Facebook's Surround 360 camera that was unveiled last month at the company's F8 developer conference
Early 360 VR films can be classified in two main categories. At one end are feasts for the eyes including video games. The other main type of VR films put viewers in a different reality that is hard to access and far from people's day-to-day lives.
However, Facebook's experimental film has created a third type of VR clip. The film rolled out on May 17, Tuesday, puts everyday life on a bigger scale, according to Adweek.
This type of film is perfect for Facebook. It is the world's largest social network that allows people to share simple everyday moments.
Facebook's VR film includes eight clips of people talking with friends and family in the main concourse of NYC's Grand Central Terminal.
The film was shot in one take. This required precise choreography and smooth acting.
The Factory creative director Larry Corwin told Adweek that Facebook engineers built the VR camera then asked the in-house studio if it could make content for it. It agreed but The Factory wanted to make an original VR film.
The film shoot included about 20 main actors and 500 extras. Grand Central Terminal only allows filming in the early morning hours of 2.am. to 4 a.m. Meanwhile, Surround 360 does not allow a director to review footage right after it is captured.
Planning and filming the "New York moment" took about five weeks.
Here's a New York Times VR film: