The Rise & Rise of Virtual Reality
Post by Felicity Whelan, Managing Director – GLUE Content
It’s pretty clear by now that video is the way of the future. Now that it has an established foothold in the media landscape, tech gurus, media mavens and advertising executives are looking for developed ways to enhance the viewing experience, building on the benefits of video to create an even more immersive experience for consumers.
How are they doing that? Virtual reality (VR). The technology uses headsets (which bear a resemblance to snorkel goggles) to generate realistic images, sounds and sensations, essentially creating an artificial reality in front of your eyes.
While the phenomenon has existed for decades, Australia has only relatively recently hopped on the trend, with virtual reality ‘bars’ are popping up all over town and headsets appearing at some of the nation’s most loved landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House.
In contrast, the US has gone full force ahead with the technology, with virtual reality hitting the mainstream. Of particular interest is the increase of VR experiences in public places like malls. The tech gurus behind these systems are hoping that consumers will have positive experiences with the technology, enough so that when it does eventually become mainstream, they’ll be encouraged to buy it.
Just one example of the technology gaining popularity is in Los Angeles, where IMAX has opened an Experience Centre. It hosted over 5,000 visitors within a few months of opening, welcoming one and all to dive into the worlds of Star Wars and Transformers. In San Francisco, virtual reality has even gone mobile, installed in vans that will come to any event or gathering.
Source: VR Scout
So what does that mean for us? In particular for brands and the corporate market.
It shows that the video content phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down. As businesses and consumers come to realize the potential of the medium, the technology will continue to develop and hopefully, continue to revolutionise video marketing as we know it.
Early adopters of the technology will include the building and construction industry. Don’t be surprised if an Architect or Property Developer offers you a virtual walk through of your house before construction has even commenced.
For those buying or renting a home, racing to open for inspections could soon be a thing of the past. VR will create efficiencies for consumers allowing them to look around properties before creating a shortlist of places to physically view.
For the transportation industry, we can expect to see trucks piloted by a driver wearing a VR headset thousands of miles away from the physical location of the vehicle.
For brands, we’ll start to see more immersive experiences that encourage customer engagement. Imagine feeling like an A-list celebrity being invited to your favourite clothing brands fashion show. In a live streaming VR experience, you will feel like you are sitting front row next to the likes of Anna Winter.
Global sporting brands such as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have already embraced the power of VR as a way to give their international fans a court side experience. Fans of the NBA team can now watch the game live through their VR headsets, choosing to view the game from courtside, behind the goals or from the various point around the grandstand. No longer are the Golden State Warriors ticket sales limited by a number of physical seats available in the stadium.
Source: Felicity Whelan – Sports Analytics Conference 2017
Stay tuned Australia, the landscape is about to drastically change!
GLUE Content is a video production, animation and AR/VR agency in Melbourne, Australia. We produce videos, animation, augmented reality and virtual reality experiences for some of Australia’s leading companies, brands, agencies and sporting organisations. We have an extensive group of media professionals at your disposal including animators, editors, camera operators, content writers, producers, app developers, UX designers and multimedia specialists.
Need help telling a story for your next video production in Melbourne? We’ll create the content that will set your brand or company apart. Get in touch today! hello@gluecontent.com.au