directors, including Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley
Scott and Robert Rodriguez, have dabbed
with VR-driven film projects. Doug Liman, who
helmed The Bourne Identity, has spoken of
various challenges of shooting his VR TV series,
Invisible – including having to film from a
distance and segment film sets.
The full article makes for a tantalizing read, but
also acknowledges the significant expense of
buying the necessary equipment and hiring
the right editing staff. In fact, just one finished
minute of VR footage can cost the maker
$10,000. This raises the question of how many
viewers would be willing to pay the high
prices the filmmakers might need to charge
to cover their overheads, although VR films
could naturally become more profitable as VR
headsets become more widespread.
Such films could even be put to educational
purposes, with one particular YouTube video
showing how they could help to bring history to
life. With Avatar 2 set to be released in December
2021, it remains to be seen how Cameron
himself could change the game yet again.
However, perhaps we should end on a positive
note from Abrams, who remarks that, despite
the uncertainty, “there’s probably never
been a better time to be a creative person in
this business, just because of the near-term
demand for programming”. It seems a sound
bet, though, that the question of whether such
content will be streamed or shown in theaters
will become a more urgent and unpredictable
one as time wears on.
by Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan