An NYU film student asked me today what I thought about making movies for VR. I’ve seen a fair number of VR movies, and I’ve made some myself, so I guess I’m qualified to answer.
My opinion, after seeing (and taking part in) the past decade or so of experimentation in this area, is that it’s not a very good idea. Not that I have anything against VR.
In fact, I think VR is awesome, and there is a lot of amazing content out there. But I’ve reached the conclusion that the frame, the proscenium, whatever you want to call it, is essential for good storytelling.
A good filmmaker will make powerful use of that frame, to focus the attention of the audience, to create dramatic tension, and to define the world that contains the action. If you lose that rectangle, you are losing one of the most powerful and effective tools of visual storytelling.
So while I love VR, I don’t think it’s the future of movies. And that’s what I told the student.