I never knew about these guys until today but they really seem to be on to something. I used to be a huge Imagineering wannabe. I still am. But now I’m an Occulus Story Studio wannabe!
In their introductory video, they introduce many of the concepts dealing with immersive technologies and storytelling. I am so glad they are working on these problems. It’s not as easy as “jump on to Maya, create a short and toss on an Oculus headset.” The craft of visual story telling needs to be re-invented. Techniques such as the camera cut are no longer valid tools. Creative editing is no longer at the disposal to the crafty film director. New devices and techniques must be generated to not only pull the audience into the story world but provide sufficient reward for exploration that will keep them coming back for more.
Note that these new concepts are not quite fully “Interactive”. The audience has limited control of the camera but nothing else. In my hierarchy of interactivity, groups such as Oculus are crafting the Second and Third perspectives of the interactive storytelling experience. The first perspective still has even more hurdles and barriers to overcome. However, if the the second and third perspectives are mastered then they will provide the platform upon which the first perspective is built.
Really exciting times!
