Narrative Characteristics of Virtual Reality Films

ISSN: 2347-7474 International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities

Available Online at: www.ijassh.com

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Qiu Haolun1*, Liu Ziyao2

Sichuan Normal University, Chinese.

*Corresponding Author: Qiu Haolun Abstract: With the continuous improvement of virtual reality technology, a variety of experience products with virtual reality technology are gradually emerging. VR experience museum audience can put on glasses equipment to make themselves immersive, VR gamers can also participate in making choices and deciding the development of the plot, Virtual reality technology creates an unparalleled sense of reality and interactivity. Combining this technology with film can break the traditional mode of film production, film viewing and narrative, and bring a new experience. This paper mainly analyzes the definition of virtual reality film, the narrative characteristics of virtual reality film, the current exploration of the development of virtual reality film and some restrictive factors.

Keywords: Virtual reality film, Narrative characteristics, Exploring and restricting factors.

Article Received: 26 Oct. 2019 Revised: 18 Nov. 2019 Accepted: 26 Nov. 2019

Introduction

Definition of Virtual Reality Film Since the birth of the film in 1895, no matter Sutherland put forward the concept of virtual the sound picture or the storage carrier, it has reality, which promoted the development of experienced countless changes. Andre Bazin computer graphics and image technology, and proposed the "Image ontology "He believes inspired the research of new that the emergence of movie images is a human-computer interaction devices such as reproduction of reality. This view was helmet display, data glove, etc. In 1973, the basically applicable in the 1970s and 1980s.A term "artificial reality" was proposed to films on the screen, the films on the screen express the concept of virtual reality; in 1980, are just simple shooting and editing. The the development of computer technology rapid development of the digital age in recent accelerated the development of virtual reality years, these technological innovations make technology, and the term "virtual reality" was the visual and auditory feelings brought by formally proposed and widely accepted in the film to the audience more real and 1989; in 1990, virtual reality technology shocking. entered a period of rapid development.

Later 3D films further enhanced the visual After entering the 21st century, virtual reality of the two-dimensional screen. In reality technology has gradually matured and recent years, with the development of VR entered many people's lives. This technology technology, it has been widely used in many began to combine with various industries, so fields, and various VR products have been the film industry began to pay attention to launched one after another. For a while, [1] this technology, and gradually put into VR VR has become a trend. The concept of VR film research. came into being in the 1960s. In 1965, Ivan

Qiu Haolun & Liu Ziyao| International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities | 2019 | Vol. 07| Issue 12|01-08

Virtual Reality Film is the Combination movie. VR movies have unique sensory of Film and Virtual Reality Art experience and immersion interactive way that 2D and 3D movies can't achieve. Virtual reality art is to endow the three-dimensional virtual space art features More and more companies and well-known created by virtual reality technology, so that filmmakers are optimistic about this market users can experience it personally. Users can and begin to conduct in-depth research in this not only observe the things in field. Famous director Steven Spielberg three-dimensional space, but also feel the believes that with the injection of virtual beauty of light, shadow and music. reality technology, the future film production mode and interaction mode will change, so as The beauty of light and shadow and the to bring a new experience to the audience, beauty of music correspond to the art of movie bring huge freedom of view to the audience. sound and painting in the virtual reality movie. Combined with the narrative and But it could be "very dangerous" for the film transition techniques in the film, and the industry. At the same time, Spielberg is also cooperation of virtual reality technology, the trying to shoot virtual reality films. He will beauty of various senses is transmitted to the direct a novel adaptation of "player one", audience, so that the audience is always in which is a combination of video games, the movie plot. When the audience is virtual world and scientific fantasy. Gilmore watching VR movies, they will no longer be Del Toro also used virtual reality technology around the audience, but in the plot and to complete a large number of grand scenes characters of the movie, and their feet are no when shooting the Pacific Rim. longer the floor of the cinema, but the scenes depicted in the plot of the movie. At the San Diego diffuse show, Pacific Rim also provided a virtual reality version of the Market Environment Promotes the short film. As long as the audience wore a Development of VR Films display device, they could experience the In 2015, China's film box office exceeded 40 pleasure of operating a 250 foot high robot. billion yuan for the first time, and the film The research and participation of well-known industry has achieved leapfrog development. film producers and companies provide According to the film Market Research and guarantee for the quality of VR films. analysis, the audience of movie is becoming Narrative Characteristics of Virtual younger and younger, so it has a strong Reality Films ability to accept new things. In addition to the strong multi sensory interactive experience Short Video and FAST Rhythm brought by VR movie, it can stimulate the Like traditional movies, attractive stories, audience from three levels of spirit, sense and ups and downs, and a sense of rhythm are all vision. needed for a good VR movie. However, VR film is different from the traditional film, The large-scale 3D movie "Avatar" directed by which leads to different narrative methods. James Cameron set off a "3D boom", 3D Base on a survey, because of the virtual movies emerge in endlessly. Wearing glasses reality technology, a large number of can make a two-dimensional picture operations are needed in lens assembly, so it three-dimensional. Just by changing the is necessary to ensure that the lens assembly visual experience, it is welcomed by the has a good fluency. It is also very important to audience. VR movie can be regarded as the switch the perspective in VR films. It is a advanced version of 3D movie. We can use the change of narrative mode to watch the plot to space and speed of 3D movie development for be narrated from different perspectives. reference to predict the development of VR

However, in the process of watching VR the plot independently, which is the best movies, special devices need to be worn. embodiment of the feature of "interactivity" These heavy devices are also a burden to the [3]. Susan Langer once thought that movies audience for a long time, so the time of are like "Dreams". In terms of their current VR movies is very short. This relationship with image, action, event, plot requires that in a short period of time, we and other factors, we can say that the position need to set a complete plot, set distinctive of the camera is the same as that of the characters and clarify the relationship dreamer, but the great difference between between the characters, and at the same time, movies and dreams is that the dreamer can we need attractive conflicts [2]. participate in the events of dreams, but the camera can't, so from this perspective Film is Take famous VR animation films that won an objective dream. Emmy Awards as an example:"Inception" is the first VR animation work launched by But VR films directly put the audience in the baobab studio in 2016 and has won the best position of "dreamer", trying to pursue the interactive award of the 44th Emmy Award. complete reality of the senses. The author It's less than five minutes long and has three thinks that "dreamer" is not as good as CG characters: rabbit, eagle and alien. The "dreamer" as participating in a dream from story begins in outer space. A spaceship the perspective of a bystander Incarnate as a carrying two extraterrestrials flies to the "dreamer" for self selection and creation. The earth and lands over the ice lake. audience can choose a certain option independently, which can trigger different Two unique aliens attacked eagles and plots. bunnies, and they were defeated by clever bunnies and fled back to outer space. The plot To some extent, the audience becomes a of this short film is relatively complete, "director" and decides the direction of the simple but rich and interesting. Because the next plot. This diversified narrative method film also needs to include the time for the also brings a sense of expectation and audience to look around and be familiar with mystery to the audience who will make the the environment, it needs to successfully choice. In the traditional movie narration, design the multiple roles between the little there are many outstanding suspense rabbit and the eagle, the little rabbit and the techniques. However, some viewers only have alien in a shorter time. the feeling of expectation for this form.

Due to the limited time, the narrative rhythm Virtual reality film can meet the audience's should be relatively bright. So we can see that expectations, and the audience has the right the general characteristics of virtual reality to dominate the plot in this situation and can narrative are relatively fast rhythm and short have close interaction with each character. but connotative plot, and some details will be Interactivity determines the diversification of mentioned below, including the narrative narration and gives the audience a double characteristics of time, space and perspective. feeling of interaction and feedback.

The Change of Narrative Angle: the Extremely Broad Narrative Space Audience Becomes "Director" VR film has a very broad narrative space. VR movies have unique interactivity, which Now the traditional film has giant screen film can interact with the audience. At this time, and ball screen film, which can achieve a the audience will have more choices. In some large narrative space. The ball screen film VR movies, there will be two clues to narrate: can even achieve a 360 degree narrative space. one is to follow the director's thinking, watch However, no matter how vast the space is, it the plot linearly, and the other is to explore is only a two-dimensional screen.

VR film breaks the concept of traditional film some scenes can be seen in the same shot, and narrative space, only need to wear the the use of scheduling actors has become the corresponding equipment; you can enter a 3D main skill. Because of the long shot and the 360 degree panoramic virtual space created narrative space which is not suitable for by VR technology. frequent switching, the montage technology which is used flexibly in traditional films is But the virtual reality film breaks the limited in VR films. boundary of the screen, the audience's eyes are the camera, and the surrounding vision is The switching of shots gradually turns into the image, without the concept of the screen, the switching of scenes and scenes, although the meaning of the traditional film picture is the long shot can only describe the same dispelled, and the composition is impossible. scene. Time and space events, linear narrative, but can highlight the reality of VR The choice of viewing angle and stand is film this feature, can let the audience decided by the audience themselves, and the objectively and truly enjoy what they see. process of viewing is passive. By changing to active exploration, the director's power is The vast and stable narrative space makes it weakened. This virtual space breaks through more difficult to shoot VR films. Traditional the limitation of the traditional film screen. films only need to tell a good story and pay The point of view for the audience to enter the attention to the painting and composition to virtual space is the coordinate origin of this get a satisfactory picture. However, in VR, space. The audience can arbitrarily switch a because the narrative space will not change view point in 360 degree scene to watch. for a certain time, and the audience can see a very broad perspective, the panoramic picture This boundless narrative space greatly of a certain narrative time and space is enriches the perspective and details of required especially high, there is no concept narrative. Because there is no visual limit, it of composition. has an unparalleled sense of reality on the scene. The development and application of VR The development of the plot depends on the technology have also broken the boundary performance and scheduling of the actors. between virtual and reality. It can basically The actors often need to complete all the achieve "absolute reality" to maximize performances in one go with high quality, sensory stimulation and shorten the distance which increases a lot of difficulties for the between dream and reality. rendering and production of the scene and the performance of the actors. Narrative Time and Space are Relatively Stable Because there is no dead angle in 360 degrees, when shooting in a narrative space, you can't VR film brings the audience into a surreal leave anything but the actors and objects three-dimensional virtual world where there being shot, the position of the camera setting, is no boundary to freely choose and switch lighting and other scene layout are very perspectives. However, frequent and difficult. excessive switching of scenes and perspectives may bring dizziness to the The multiple switching of lens and narrative audience, which is also a limitation and time and space will not only increase the unavoidable place for VR film. Therefore, VR difficulty of shooting and scene arrangement, film shooting and production will use a lot of but also bring dizziness to the audience. long lens techniques, and the switching Therefore, the use of long lens and relatively between lens and lens will be reduced as stable narrative time and space are also the much as possible. Fixed narrative space and characteristics of VR film narrative.

Exploration and Constraints on the virtual reality technology in films. Mars Development of Virtual Reality Films rescue in 2015 and Requiem 2 in 2016 have launched virtual reality version short films, In recent years, some famous companies and which are properly applied to the promotion filmmakers have made active attempts to VR of space and terror themes. It is worth films, which have achieved considerable mentioning that since 2014, with the upsurge results in the early stage of development. of virtual reality, many commercial However, there are always new constraints in blockbusters have launched the virtual the process of exploration. reality experience version or trailer, which The following is mainly to analyze some of the has become an important way to combine achievements of exploration and some factors virtual reality and film. that need to be overcome in the development. It can be seen from the above film examples At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, a virtual that a complete virtual reality film cannot be reality documentary called "La hunger" was made at the current stage, and there are born. many constraints. At this stage, virtual The audience wore the equipment to reality is more used for the trailer in the early experience the suffering of the people who stage of the film, to catch the audience's were suffering from hunger, and let the appetite and play a proper role in publicity. audience experience the global problems The following is mainly to analyze some brought by hunger. Only when they are in the problems in the development stage of virtual real situation, can they really experience the reality films. Even though VR film has the idea that the film needs to convey. The unparalleled sense of reality and interactivity documentary itself has authenticity, and the of traditional films, there are many external virtual reality documentary undoubtedly goes factors such as its own technical factors and further in creating a sense of reality. In market, which become the difficulties of VR addition to the emotional resonance of the film development. audience, it can also make the audience immerse themselves in the scene and interact The Difficulty and Cost of Early with the scene. Shooting and Post Production are too Large For example, in the 2017 movie Treehugger Wawona, the audience needs to bring a The production cost of virtual reality film per special vest and a large foam model to make second starts from 10000 yuan.The high cost the audience feel the feeling of hugging and makes many enthusiastic people who are touching the huge redwood tree. This film interested in developing VR film flinch. In the makes the audience not only feel like early stage, multiple panoramic VR cameras touching a tree, but also feel that they are one are needed to shoot simultaneously. Because with the tree, experience the process of the content in the picture can't show the growth and death as a tree, and experience camera or props, it's also troublesome to the impact of environmental change. adjust the position of the machine. Throughout the last century, the way of From the perspective of sound, because the virtual reality film exploration has been in audience is in a 360 degree panoramic space, progress [4]. the sound needs to cover the entire image In 1970, virtual reality technology began to be space, similar to surround sound, which applied to film. Star Wars series films are the undoubtedly increases many difficulties for first application of virtual reality technology the collection of early sound and the in films; Jurassic Park in 1993 marks the production of late sound. Later editing rapid development of the application of

©2013-2019, IJASSH. All Rights Reserved 5 Qiu Haolun & Liu Ziyao| International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities | 2019 | Vol. 07| Issue 12|01-08 methods are also particularly complex, At present, it's hard to popularize in economy. requiring special operations and editing Now you can see all kinds of VR experience software specifically for VR movies. Editing is halls or VR short film experience activities. only one of the difficulties in the later stage, However, due to the small audience and low and there is also a huge difficulty in the huge consumer price, the cost recovery of offline amount of rendering after the end of editing, experience stores has become a problem. because it is a sphere space, for example, the It is Difficult to Impact the Stable and traditional movie is 2K resolution, so the Mature Traditional Film Market calculation amount of the sphere viewing space will increase exponentially, and the Traditional films have experienced a hundred huge workload is the biggest difficulty in the years of development. The shooting and post later stage production. production methods are diverse and mature, and at the same time, they have a stable and Because the VR movie boom is just rising in sound market system. In terms of cost, the past two years, technology and equipment traditional films have more obvious are in the research and development stage, advantages than VR films. generally speaking, this technology is still in the early stage of development, so both early And the audience has more power to consume and later equipment are very expensive. In traditional films. VR film is a boom in the the early stage, the need for fine scenery and past two years. There will be a stage of special algorithm of post production on fanaticism for audiences. After this stage, if multiple VR panoramic cameras and a large VR technology does not develop to a high level, amount of rendering volume represent the it is difficult to attract audiences. In the need for the best quality equipment, and the process of VR film production in the cost of production also soars. development stage, there are many factors such as improper transition, unstable splicing At the same time, the audience needs to wear and so on. All of these will bring vertigo to the necessary viewing equipment to watch VR audience and seriously affect the viewing films. In order to reflect the authenticity and experience. interactivity of VR films, high-quality and high-precision equipment is needed to ensure VR viewing equipment now has a time limit. a good viewing experience of the audience. At present, if you wear the equipment for a For the audience, a good device means that long time, your eyes will suffer from the side the price of watching a VR film will also effects of wearing the equipment for a long increase time. At the same time, the length of VR movie is limited on the side. The Audience is Small and the Market Cannot be Popularized The way of Expression Creation is more like "Drama" There are many VR products on the market. However, the quality of VR cameras and VR British dramatist Martin eisling once said in devices is not uniform, and the experience of drama analysis: "Drama (stage play) is only a the pictures they shoot is poor. The number of form of dramatic expression in the second half VR films with high quality and interesting of the 20th century, and it is a relatively plots is few, and the audience rarely has minor form; and the mechanically recorded access to high-quality VR content. Moreover, plays such as movies, TV plays and radio it seems that the audience will hardly pay a plays, no matter how different in technology, high price to buy a complete high-quality VR are basically still drama, and abide by the device because of watching VR movies. principles It is the basic psychological principle of feeling and understanding

©2013-2019, IJASSH. All Rights Reserved 6 Qiu Haolun & Liu Ziyao| International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities | 2019 | Vol. 07| Issue 12|01-08 produced by all the expression skills of In essence, this is a short picture switching, drama. which is not related to the film art at all. Without complete plots, characters, conflicts, From the perspective of creation, VR film is interactive interaction is even more just a strong evidence of this statement. From impossible. On the other hand, the VR film at the perspective of narrative techniques, due this stage is more like the extension of drama, to the relative stability and long shot of the creation concept and technique are more narrative time and space, many of montage's inclined to drama, the time and space are techniques are limited. The biggest difference imprisoned, the narrative time and space between drama and film is that movie can use have the shadow of the basic principle of montage's techniques to break through the drama "three sameness", and the audience limitation of narrative time and space, and seems to be on the stage of super reality and choose space and time freely. can switch perspectives. Drama can only show the story in a single In the aspect of artistry, it is quite different scene in a fixed time. Therefore, the creation from traditional films. Strictly speaking, VR concept and techniques of VR film are closer films should focus on overcoming the to drama to some extent, and the audience difficulties in creative technology at this stage may feel that they are watching a drama, when the technology is relatively mature, the which is quite different from traditional films, research and development of market so it is difficult for VR film to impact the operation will be started, and the cost of traditional film market at present. creation will also reduce the quality of the Result works. VR film has a strong sense of reality and What attract audiences should not be the immersive interaction that cannot be products that bring new experience, but the replaced by traditional films, but also has perfect combination of excellent products and unique narrative characteristics. However, it film art. There is still a long way to go on the is still in the early stage of development road of VR film exploration. VR film can be research, no matter from the perspective of said to be a new field of film. It is also market, audience, cost, or technology, there is necessary to establish a theoretical system still a lotto be improved. belonging to VR film.

The introduction of virtual reality technology The achievements of traditional film cannot brings film in to a new era, which means be separated from the theoretical research there will be many problems and new and action of several masters at the challenges. Due to the complete subversion of beginning of the film establishment, such as the production mode, the experience of the Lumiere brothers, Eisenstein, Bazin, traditional films after a hundred years cannot George Merrill and other excellent film be directly copied into VR films. At present, directors. The same is true for VR films. A set it seems that the VR films shown on the of professional theoretical system can market are only experimental short films or certainly promote the development of VR early publicity of films. films. From the perspective of market, consumers, creative methods and creative The production of VR long films cannot be ideas, VR films have experienced realized in terms of current technology, development and cannot completely replace equipment and film shooting techniques. the traditional films, but they are the leaders There are also many low-quality VR works in of VR films and traditional films. the domestic VR market, even many "fake VR films" in the name of VR films.

Each has its own characteristics. VR film may will come out, which is also a process of become an independent art category with its summing up experience and discussion. I unique aesthetic characteristics. At present, hope more inspiration and wisdom can be the research on VR film is only a small step, infused to promote the development of this but I believe that more and more VR films new art category. Reference 1. Zhang Ting (2019) the development of of future film under multi framework virtual reality film [J]. New film, (2): [J],contemporary electricity Shadow, 153-157 (9):128-132 2. Ding ni (2019) On the audio visual 4. Zhang Ting (2019) Development and language and interactivity of VR films [J]. analysis of virtual reality film [J]. New Contemporary film, (2): 160-163 film,(2): 153-157 3. Chen Yuehong (2018) research on the form 5. Song Junyi (2019) Analysis of the of virtual reality film and the development development prospect of film based on virtual reality technology [J]. Wireless

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