Virtual reality report

A Virtual Reality Interface for Previsualization
Joshua Ramsbottom
2015

Abstract

Previsualization is a pre-production process in filmmaking that allows directors to plan shots without incurring unnecessary costs. The increasing power of consumer hardware as well as the increasing popularity of free 3D modelling and animation tools are making filmmaking more accessible. Current previsualization software is based on 3D modelling software and usually employs a traditional WIMP paradigm that restricts users to 2D input and output. We present a Virtual Reality (VR) based interface for the task of previsualization with the aim of accessibility and usability using commodity hardware. The system places users in a virtual scene and allows them to manipulate objects to create a timeline of key frames by capturing snapshots of the scene. The system uses a head-mounted display to place the user in a scene as the camera, allowing them to make fine adjustments using head movement. We conducted a small-scale qualitative evaluation and found that while there were multiple issues with our interface, it also shows promise in some aspects of previsualization.

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