Novel approaches to production and post-production of immersive VR/360 audio-visual experiences

Key aspirations for VR and 360 Audio-Visual productions are immersion and presence. Yet, these are impossible to achieve without close spatial synchronisation between fields of vision and the soundscape. Audio has been recognised by many VR/360 practitioners as the most difficult aspect to control when included within the user experience. In an attempt to overcome this there is much current research into object-based and scene-based audio paradigms that deploy complex rendering and spatialisation techniques via game-engines such as Unity and proprietary software. There has been some success with these approaches, most notably BBC R&D’s landmark VR experience, The Turning Forest. However, many VR/360 productions may not require such complex workflows in order to render an engaging user experience, particularly if content delivery is linear. Scene-based audio using Ambisonic principles coupled with simple head-tracking technology offers a more manageable workflow that is ideal for short VR/360 experiences in such areas as tourism, and arts and sports promotion. The researcher is currently lead director on a series of one minute 360 sports action films to promote The Glasgow 2018 European Championships. This is a sporting event that will encompass top-level competition in a variety of sports including cycling, aquatics, gymnastics, rowing, golf and triathlon. The promotional videos are being captured with a GoPro Omni camera rig and an audio system comprising of a Soundfield ST-350 microphone and spot microphones. This paper will describe the unique production and post-production workflow that have been deployed to deliver these videos while also considering the efficacy of the final product via a qualitative, questionnaire-based test process based on users’ phenomenological experience of these 360 environments and the associated key tenets of immersion and presence