VR Technology Overpowering Cinema

Virtual Reality is a computer-generated world that makes the user feel immersed in their environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real. An electronic device known as a Virtual Reality headset or helmet is used to perceive this world. In order to optimise performance, VR enables us to immerse ourselves in video games as if we were one of the characters, learn how to conduct open-heart surgery or military training. While this might sound incredibly futuristic, it is not as recent as we would believe that its roots are. In fact, many people believe that mid-1960s Sensorama, (a computer with a built-in seat that played 3D movies) was one of the first Virtual Reality devices which gave off odours and created vibrations to make the experience as lively as possible. Over the following years, subsequent technical and software advances brought with them a radical evolution in electronics as well as in interface design.

Without a doubt, the entertainment sector is one benefiting from the virtual reality craze. Many are guided to the theatre to constantly explore new and creative ways appearing in cinema. The entertainment industry will gradually move with it as technology progresses. Theatres will soon keep VR headphones instead of 3D glasses to watch a 3D movie, and will completely immerse the viewers in the action from scene one to the closing credits.

It’s fair to say that Bollywood began adopting virtual reality after Hollywood. The first Indian film to reach virtual reality was Eros International and Viki Rajani’s 2016 film Phobia, starring Radhika Apte and directed by PavanKirpalani. This was the first time a Bollywood movie welcomed their viewers into the house of its main character, in a way that in real-time, they will feel a part of it. The video was shot with a 360-degree camera setup, will guide viewers around the house from Radhika’s POV, experiencing similar unusual stuff she encounters in the film. The scene is spooky enough, but when viewed through the VR device, the terror is magnified. Removing the head-mounted VR device is the only way out.

In 2016, they had a VR lounge at the Mumbai Film Festival and International Film Festival of India, where a short three-minute video of Bahubali 2 was shown. Baahubali has so many VFX and digital assets that it made perfect sense to have the concept of VR. Anand Gandhi, the national award-winning filmmaker of Ship of Theseus, also worked on VR technology. He made India’s first VR documentary, ‘When Land Is Lost, Do We Eat Coal?’, on the Korba mines in Jharkhand, bringing the visceral landscape alive and providing a first-hand experience of the destructive impact of mining on the KanwarAdivasis, who have lost their homes and access to drinking water and electricity.

The drive towards greater, stronger, more practical activity in the film and video game markets gives investors a world of opportunity to work on lavish new entertainment venues. Several theatres have also added facilities such as full bars, expanded snack options and even table-side meal service. It will entertain viewers by incorporating a VR component by adding viewing rooms filled with headsets or even movie seats that rock and slide along with the on-screen action. Staffed VR arcade rooms will give busy parents a break so that while their kids play, they can catch a flick. VR technology has the ability to change the entertainment industry if applied correctly.