Welcome to Alex’s Agenda, the new weekly column from the front-lines of the future by The Memo’s Editor in Chief, Alex Wood.
The way things are going, strapping on a virtual reality headset could become as natural as turning on the TV.
Newsmakers like the BBC are throwing their weight behind the new technology, creating immersive experiences that bring the true horrors of the crisis in Syria to life. Even Bjork has joined in the excitement. When Bjork gets involved, you know you’re onto a winner.
And is if often the case, the porn industry is right at the front of the queue, making this new technology mainstream. VR porn is a new premium product that could turn the adult entertainment sector’s fortunes around.
This week I chaired a panel on the future for this exciting new medium at the annual Remix Summit in London, hosted at Google’s offices. Remix is one of those special events that captures people from across different disciplines, from cutting edge technology to world-class museums curators and creatives.
David Attenborough loves VR
Two of the panelists spoke about an exciting new project called First Life with none other than Sir David Attenborough. Attenborough is something of a pioneer when it comes to broadcasting, being one of the first to embrace colour, high definition, 3D and now virtual reality into his work.
Panelists Anthony Geffen, CEO of Atlantic Productions and Emily Smith, Head of Audience Development at the Natural History Museum introduced the partnership which takes museum visitors on an immersive journey to the Great Barrier Reef, with Attenborough as their tour guide.
Something that said by Anthony Geffen, who has numerous BAFTA and RTS awards for his work in 3D under his belt, stuck with me for the rest of the day.
“Forgive my directness” I asked, in the most British of ways. “In my mind 3D TV is a flop, how do we make sure this doesn’t happen with VR?”.
To my surprise, Geffen agreed about the downfall of 3D. “The problem with 3D was the quality of content, most of it wasn’t of a high enough standard to convince people to buy new TVs or go to the trouble of putting the glasses on at home”.
The pioneers of the VR world are determined not to make the same mistakes again. The adage “content is king” is tired and overused (yes, even in the headline of this column) but has never been more true.
Read more: 10 things you need to know about the virtual reality revolution
Justin Bieber took the medium one step closer to mass adoption by broadcasting his performance at the MTV EMA awards in VR to his millions of adoring fans. But as I wrote in September, Bieber’s performance was a letdown as he bopped across the stage with his back to you, leaving viewers feeling more like an awkward fly on the wall than being in the heart of the action
It is about more than just plonking a rig of cameras together and letting people turn their heads. VR is fast becoming a storytelling art in its own right and deserves to become a craft, not simply another an extension of a traditional broadcast.
In First Life, the teams at the Natural History Museum and Atlantic Productions have undertaken an enormous task by painstakingly bringing the very fossils you find on display at the museum to life in glorious colour in the ocean. Without VR, it’s an experience that simply wouldn’t work. And who better to bring it to life than Attenborough, one the greatest storytellers of our time.
VR won’t become a fossil like 3D, but a flourishing new art form. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Read previous editions of Alex’s Agenda where Alex travels North and explains Why Cats hate the Internet of Things.
David Attenborough’s First Life in VR experience is on show at the Natural History Museum until Dec 10.
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