You've probably already heard the words "360° video" and "virtual reality", but... Have you ever thought about the possibilities they can offer your company? No? Read on.
We are used to the usual videos, the conventional ones, in which only one part is shown, the part that the filmmaker wants. However, for some time now, not only conventional videos have been produced, but also others, what we call spherical videos or "360° videos". A fundamental aspect of the latter is that they allow the viewer to see the scene from all possible angles. This means that they provide a certain interactivity and above all more freedom to the user.
There are many aspects to take into account if you want to create a 360° video. Among them: the resolution. We can offer it up to 16K, which will be very useful for both editing and digital colour grading. Also, when a company creates a 360° video, it obtains several advantages such as:
- The relationship between client and company is strengthened.
- That same customer begins to have more confidence in the company.
- The customer experience improves exponentially.
- The products or services offered by the company are shown in a closer way.
Types of 360° video
Two types of 360° video can be created: monoscopic 360° video and stereoscopic 360° video.
- Monoscopic video: this is the most common, as it is only recorded with one camera and shows a single perspective. This aspect makes recording and editing easier to do because it does not require any complexity. The videos are recorded separately and in post-production is when they are joined together. To achieve this, a process called stitching is used because, in other words, when they are joined together they appear to be sewn together. Examples? You have the famous Google Street View or those used by social networks like Facebook or YouTube. The latter has a channel called "Virtual Reality" with more than three million subscribers where you can find an infinite number of 360° videos.
- Stereoscopic video: this is the closest to virtual reality. When you watch them, you will think you are inside a 3D world. Unlike the previous one, this one shows you more than one perspective. In fact, the images you see will be different because each one will be seen through a different eye, which achieves a sensation of depth. This is achieved with the use of two lenses that are immersed in 3D glasses, such as the famous Oculus.
what are the best examples of 360° video?
Many brands create these types of videos to promote their products or services to attract customers. Here are a few well-known examples:
- Expedia
This online travel agency created a 360° video a few years ago to promote trips to Australia. The video showed you different places such as the mountains, the sea or the beach where you can practice activities. The views reached three and a half million.
- Samsung
This multinational conglomerate also created a 360° video a few years ago to promote the Gear VR -a virtual reality camera-. The video shows snowboarding with the help of some of the professionals of the sport. And the images are spectacular, as they were filmed in the ski resort of Laax -located in Switzerland-. The video has nearly one million views.
- Go Pro
The well-known brand made a 360° video to promote the GoPro VR. In this case the activity was skydiving. The skydiver jumps out of the plane and through the GoPro VR you can see all the landscapes from every possible perspective.
- Thomson Holidays
The tour operator showed through a 360° video the changes of light and the movement of the Northern Lights that the country of Iceland enjoys. You can see the incredible colours of the sky in a video that has almost half a million views and that became famous thanks to the social network Facebook.
- Stranger Things
The famous Netflix series created a 360° video to promote its first season in 2016. In fact, at the end of the year, it was confirmed that this video was one of the most famous 360° videos of 2016. Soon after it was published, it already had millions of views. It now has almost six million.
