Immersive Video Production PROJECT 2

 

Immersive Video Production 

 21/04/2025 - /2025 | Week 4 - Week 6

Huang jiaqi| 0373820
Immersive Video Production| Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

Project 2 / 360 video experimental production

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Table of Content 

    1. Module Information

    2. Lecture

    3. Project

    4. Feedback 

    5. Reflection 

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Module Information 

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LECTURE

Week 5 / Native thinking in 360 & VR

360 Video Idea Development

Ideation step by step 

Native Characteristics of 360° Video

• Immersion: The feeling of being deeply involved in the environment, especially when using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD).
• Presence: A sensation of “being there,” which is triggered by immersion.

VR

• Embodiment: The sense of having a body or physical presence within the virtual environment. 

Important Questions

• Who: Who are the participants?
• Where: Where will you take them in the video?
• Why: Why should they experience these places?

Storytelling in 360 video

• In 360° video, participants explore and feel the environment, not just watch it.
• I design the content so they feel part of the journey.
• The goal is to create a sense of place that participants can experience actively.
• The story is not in 3 act structure but the viewers summarise the story afterward ( the viewers tell the story through the experience from viewing the 360 video).
• Objective: To create content that leads to an emotional connection for the viewer.

360 Video Visualisation

• In 360, blocking is the new composition.
• Visual cue: Lead the viewer to point of interest (POI) by visual elements. ( action, contrast, distant)
• Sound cue: Lead the viewer to point of interest by spatial sound.
• POI: Viewers are more attentive to distances between 3-5 metre. One POI at a time unless the narrative is at a fast pace. POI in the consecutive scene needs longer cushion time for viewer to adapt.
• Motion sickness: It happens when the brain receives conflicting signals about the movement in the environment.

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PROJECT 2

Title of the work:

《The Swing Won’t Move》

Concept：

This film uses the swing as a central metaphor to express the social isolation, inner conflict and the feeling of being abandoned by the world in a seemingly beautiful environment.

Through a minimalist setting + immersive narrative, I try to invite the audience to experience the three-stage psychological transition of ‘neglected, powerless to struggle, and easily replaced by others’ from the first person.

Although the sun is shining, the swing never swings - a symbol of passivity and incomprehensible loneliness.

Editing Structure and Narrative Flow：

The overall use of single shot 1 minute to complete the three emotional progression, focusing on the sense of space and the audience perspective guide:

[0:00-0:20].

The audience sits on a swing in first person as two people walk in the distance. I try to smile in greeting but am ignored.

In conjunction with footsteps from left to right, spatial soundscape emphasises that ‘others are communicating and I am off-site’.

[0:20-0:40].

First person attempt to swing a swing, the harder you try the more powerless you become.

Hand movements and visual vibrations are added, and the sound changes from breathing to a slight heartbeat, conveying anxiety and loss of control.

0:40-1:00]

The camera pulls away and cuts to third person, and ‘another person’ comes and sits on the swing, swinging easily.

I stand still and the camera rotates around, leaving the viewer alone in the centre of the frame, creating a contrast and a symbol of ‘being abandoned by the world’.

fig 1.1 Source material

fig 1.2 Effect of use

fig 1.3Finished product

The first attempt：

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After watching it, Mr. Martin thought my idea was very good, but the video did not reflect the need for immersion, so I made the second attempt. Mr. Martin sorted out the rhythm and how to shoot for me.

fig 1.4 Source material

I re-filmed the video and edited the final product.

fig 1.5Finished product

Final video display：

4. Feedback

After presenting the first version of The Swing Won’t Move, Mr. Martin commented that the concept and emotional narrative were strong, especially the portrayal of helplessness and social isolation. However, he pointed out that the execution did not fully utilize the immersive qualities of a 360-degree format. Specifically, the camera angles and storytelling approach felt too linear and traditional, lacking the spatial interaction expected in immersive design.

To guide my improvement, Mr. Martin helped me restructure the scene rhythm and provided advice on camera positioning, suggesting I allow the viewer to discover the environment organically rather than controlling the sequence too rigidly. He emphasized that POI (points of interest) must be designed to lead attention naturally, using spatial sound and visual cues to make the viewer feel present in the story rather than watching from outside.

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5. Reflection

This feedback was crucial in helping me recognize the difference between traditional film narration and immersive storytelling. In my first attempt, I focused too much on emotional pacing without fully considering how the audience interacts with the space in VR. I realized that immersion in 360 video is not just about emotion, but also about giving the audience agency to look around, to feel surrounded by the story.

In my second attempt, I re-shot the scenes with careful planning of viewer perspective, ensuring that each emotional beat was tied to an intentional visual or spatial cue. I also used ambient sounds and directional audio to draw attention to subtle narrative details without forcing them. This process taught me how to design story flow within a full sphere, which is fundamentally different from traditional composition. Most importantly, I learned that immersive design requires balancing control and openness, allowing emotion to arise through experience, not just visual delivery.

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