If you still don't know what a 360-degree interactive video is, watch the clip above Chrome in the browser. It's quite an interesting experience when you can drag the mouse over the video and look all around you.
How are 360-degree videos filmed?
In order to film such a video, it is necessary to attach several cameras to a special frame so that the viewing angles of these cameras together cover the entire surrounding area in 360×180 degrees. In recent years, GoPro adventure cameras have been used for this purpose. You don't have to look far for the reasons: GoPro cameras have a wide viewing angle, are tiny, have good video quality and are relatively cheap. A special frame for such cameras has been on sale since 2012 - it's called Freedom 360 and it can be seen here.
GoPro as the carrier of 360-degree video creation
GoPro has been closely monitoring what content is produced with its cameras. He has also noted trends in visual media and how Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Oculus are investing heavily in virtual reality projects. Having seen all this, GoPro has decided to start offering a complete solution for virtual 360-degree video content creation.
Seeing all this, GoPro has decided to offer a complete solution for virtual 360-degree video content creation
GoPro took the first public step on this path in the spring of 2015. In April, the French company Kolor was bought out. The latter develops a software program package quite popular among panoramic photographers, which allows you to stitch tens and hundreds of photos together into panoramic photos, create rather complex virtual tours using a graphical user interface and, of course, assemble 360-degree interactive videos.
Now that the cameras exist and the software exists, the only thing left for GoPro to do is create its own extensions for its adventure cameras that would allow the existing cameras to shoot and film content for the software. This is what the Company has started to do.
GoPro's own frame for shooting 360-degree videos
Just yesterday, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman publicly presented the company's business plans. Namely, in the near future it is planned to launch its own frame for recording 360-degree videos. It looks quite similar to the same Freedom360 framework introduced above and which has been on the market for a while:
The future of 360 degree video
Oculus Rift
Google Cardboard
Given GoPro's global reach, in the form of marketing and sales network, GoPro can probably "sell" such a frame to professional and enthusiast GoPro videographers enough to make 360-degree videos popular. Gopro's long-term goal is definitely to make a simpler and more affordable camera so that anyone can shoot 360-degree video. Something like what already exists Ricoh Theta.
There is currently only one big pain point with such 360-degree videos. It is compatible with different devices and web browsers. There aren't many ways for video creators to selectively and seamlessly deliver interactive videos to audiences. YouTube 360 is the most mainstream of them, but for example interactivity does not work with the wrong browser.
A much more immediate experience for watching 360-degree video is, of course, virtual reality headsets. Like Oculus Rift for high-end stuff. Or Google Cardboard project for smartphone use by ordinary people. The same ones you see in the pictures at the top of this chapter.
In fact, this is the application of the future of 360-degree video. Imagine for yourself - there is action happening around you, and by turning your head you can look around inside this action. Wouldn't it be so nice to watch the football championship or the Superstar show? Or take a small tour in the Grand Canyon? Maybe these are the videos of the future...
Some links to learn more:
