A short film in 180-3D virtual reality.

Put on a headset and step inside the film. Sit next to the characters and share their space.

Unfolding is a new kind of film. You're not watching the characters, you're with them. As they brush their teeth, water their plants, and dismantle their relationship, you sit with them in their home. As you never can, even with your closest friends. 

Written, produced, directed, shot and edited by Wyatt Roy.
Featuring Nia Weeks and Claire Liu.
With thanks to Tala Hadid, Madison Howard, Julia Mattis, Luis Zanforlin, CS50, and Cathy Zoi

What does 180-3D VR mean?

Virtual reality storytelling can mean many different things: interactive branching narratives, games that the audience participates in, linear 360-degree documentaries. 

I've written about the challenges with giving audiences too many affordances here, and created a taxonomy for different storytelling mediums here. 

In a word, VR storytelling is unsolved. But many major creators including Apple and Meta are aligning on 180-3D as the most promising direction. 

In 180-3D:

• You can look around. 180 means you can look anywhere in front of you, but aren't distracted by what is behind you. 

• You can see clearly. The resolution is higher because pixels aren't wasted showing what is irrelevant and behind them. And filmed are shot on actual cameras, so the fidelity is lifelike, unlike anything generated in a computer game.

• You see normally. 3D means that each of your eyes sees a slightly different view -- just like you would in real life. The effect is not like seeing a 3D movie, where things pop out at you. It's subtler in a headset: you just feel like you're with them. 

• You are directed. The 3D effect is most comfortable when you look directly ahead, +/- 45 degrees - which means that the director still controls your perspective, even though the conventional "frame" of cinema fades insvisibly at your periphery. 

• Your story is linear. There are no branching narratives, no choices to make. Just like conventional cinema, you simply dissolve into the narrative.

• You don't interact. Because the story is linear, you can try to pick up objects or talk to characters, but nothing will happen. Just like conventional stories that have been told around campfires for millennia, your only role is to observe.

How to Watch Unfolding

Unfolding will soon be viewable in any VR headset, pending its release. It is currently being judged at international film festivals, so is not available to view publicly. 

Production

The process for creating a VR film is similar to a conventional flat film. The primary differences are the gear used to capture the footage for two eyes simultaneously, and then the post-production workflow to interpret, align, and handle that footage. 

1. Screenwriting

2. Casting

3. Pre-production

4. Production - the camera (pictured below) is a ZCam K1 with no screen or battery (external power pack hanging behind) and it must be offset from the tripod so the tripod's legs don't appear in the 180-degree shot

5. Edit - an extra series of steps combines fish-eye footage from both lenses into one equirectangular prores video file that can be edited in Premiere

6. Distribution - though you can upload 180 videos to youtube and other online players, the effect is completely different when viewing these films on a flat screen versus in a headset.