Hey, Nicholi
(ft. creative captions), 2020

Synopsis: A tiny planet glimpse into the future of stereo visual entertainment. Caught in a curious loop, our heroes once again blend the lines of virtual and reality. Motion of words speaks emotion of voice for those who hear through seeing.

Challenge: While traditional closed captioning provides helpful audio transcription, reading text while processing abstract storyline and tone is mentally exhausting. Almost all of a program’s emotional message is lost in translation to text, leaving those who rely on transcription to continually guess the context behind the words.

Opportunity: I believe it is time for an upgrade, and virtual reality is the perfect opportunity. Using kinetic typography, each phrase comes alive to communicate both spoken word and emotional context. Providing enhanced storytelling, specially designed to include and honor diverse creative communities.

Creative Process & Storyboards

This is where the magic happens…

Early concept photo mockup

Storyboard: Story Arc

Storyboard: Dialogue

Mono to stereo tiny planet workflow

Beginning with a mockup photo shot on a cellphone, I had a crazy quest to stretch my skills and imagination beyond known limits. Producing the first (that I know of) stereoscopic tiny planet while showing the world what virtual reality feels like, and the future will soon be. Two dimensions of myself collaborating on the most beautiful day of the year.

That was early October. The trees were starting to turn. I knew I had to get all my ducks in a row to capture autumn’s peak sometime in early November. The below sketches are samples of the creative process I went through to test concepts, scout locations, develop a workflow, and ultimately gain the confidence to get exactly what I needed to shoot in 100% natural light on a day I could only predict. Thankfully, Oklahomans are natural-born meteorologists, so I had an edge on anticipating the weather. With luck on my side, I stood in front of the big yellow tree on a dreary fall morning as the sun peaked out from behind a week of rainclouds, opening an afternoon of clear blue sky. The sun would be exactly where I needed it for only two hours. After that, the shadows would move, and the shots would no longer match.

With the wind at my back, I threw as hard as I could, and that little ball flew all the way around the world.

Draft sequence to test composition and timing

Storyboard: Animations

Sample daily critique and solutions

FAQ

Why VR film? VR is headphones for your eyes. Like the creativity that exploded out of stereophonic sound in the 1960’s, VR allows storytellers to provide a significantly deeper immersive experience, captivating its viewers directly into the story itself. Now available in stereo sight and sound.

How long have you been making VR? I’ve been producing and developing in VR exclusively since 2018, and continue growing everyday.

What camera/format did you use? “Hey, Nicholi” used a VR180 camera system that looks like a little box with two eyes. VR180 is short for “virtual reality 180-degrees” and is an immersive video format that lets you look around inside the film. Using two lenses to capture left and right images independently (simulating human eyes), VR180 literally pushes traditional flat video into the next dimension.

What was it like working with VR180? VR180 is extremely challenging, and I love it. After the industry abandoned the format because it wasn’t easy enough for social media, I set out to tame the wild beast as a true artform and filmmaking opportunity. With VR180, many traditional camera shots and composition (ex: dutch angle & forced perspective) are significantly more complicated due to its stereoscopic layout and extremely distorted image. All visual effects had to be meticulously organized, balanced, and synced repeatedly throughout the project using a variety of applications, hacks, and deprecated software. Working around and through all those challenges pushed me to bend traditional rules a bit while discovering fun new solutions only accessible in virtual reality.

What was your budget? How long did this project take to complete? About 1/4 tank of gas from driving back and forth to the park a few times, plus $1 for the beach ball. 220 hours logged during 4 months of pre/post-production, plus twenty years of curious experimentation.

What’s next? More innovation. I’m developing a mixed reality capture system for producing even more immersive content. Stay tuned to NicholiNoah.com for updates and teasers of cutting edge creative.

What is the logo on your shirt? CuriousVR was my online portfolio and personal brand. It’s my way of showcasing innovative virtual and mixed reality tech while telling fun stories and sharing my own growth all at the same time.

If you had to do it again, what would you do differently? For the first time in my life, I am 100% happy with the finished piece and wouldn’t change a thing. That’s a lot to say for an artist, and testament to how much I poured every bit of myself into this sci-fi self-portrait with a smile big enough to prove it.

Where do you see the future of VR/XR filmmaking? Limitless accessibility and collaborative communication. Providing interactive tools for creatives to challenge traditional society, leading a renaissance of artistic exploration through collaboration of humans and tech. Developing solutions otherwise deemed “impossible”, extended reality will draw people together in ways we can’t even imagine yet. Applied as a filmmaking medium, immersive experiences are pioneering a direct, two-way connection between artists and audiences of all abilities.