360 Video Test Using Ambisonics

This test was aimed at developing some ideas for using Ambisonics along with 360 video. That is,if you were really standing beneath Edinburgh Castle, you would hear sound based on the direction you were looking.

So, try this:

1. Put headphones on.
2. Watch the video, orienting yourself to look toward the castle.
3. The first bus that passes should sound as if it moves from your right to your left.
4. Now, replay the video facing AWAY from the castle.
5. This time, the passing bus should sound as if it is behind you.
6. This means you will hear it first in your left ear, moving to your right ear.
7. So, instead of stereo, this is decoding the sound based on where you are looking -- in theory, that's more immersive and similar to our real-world experience.

You might also try this in a headset https://youtu.be/NwcYpf6kQWA - but be sure to use headphones.

360 video test (using LOG format)

VID_20171215_114127_011 from Ted Fisher on Vimeo.


Here is a quick test shooting 360 video in LOG format. This takes more postproduction work, but might give more control over the tonal range of the image.

If you are watching this on a VR headset, you should be able to turn your head to follow the motion of the bike. If you are holding a phone at arm's length, this should also work. If you are just watching in a browser (Firefox works, some browsers might not) then you can probably use the left arrow to follow the bike.

The point of testing this in LOG was to see if high-contrast situations could be controlled. Here, shooting into the sun, the shadow side of the tree presented a challenge. By using LOG and then working with color correction, I was able to hold detail in the bright areas as well as the shadows.

360 Camera Virtual Reality Test Shots

VID_20171212_120910_010_1 from Ted Fisher on Vimeo.

Here are three views of a location, shot in 360-degree virtual reality. You should be able to see this in a VR headset or just by holding your phone at arm's length. If you are seeing this in a browser you should be able to click and drag around, although that's not as much fun.

UPDATES: 1. This works in Firefox. On mobil phones, it doesn't seem to work in Safari. It works in the Vimeo app. It may be best to go straight to Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/246982292

The reason for shooting in this particular spot is that it is a real resolution challenge -- tons of detailed plants, detailed ground, etc. So far, I've seen the detail vary greatly in different platforms. I've tried it in a Google Cardboard with an iPhone in it, and that worked well. A bit immersive. And I've tried it with an iPhone 6 Plus held at arms length. It looked good, but that's a less immersive method. On a laptop, it works (as on this page viewed in Firefox) but if the goal is immersion, then the headset is the real target.

More experiments ahead. 

South Texas Underground Film Festival

My short documentary "Icarus in Fort Worth" will screen at the South Texas Underground Film Festival in January in the festival's "Hecho En Tejas Shorts" program. Go and see it, Texans.