Today, the new films that will appear in cinemas have several challenges to meet: winning over a new audience, reinventing narrative codes and adapting to new, unprecedented technical constraints. At this time, many movie players agree that there should be changes in the world of cinema. Focus on the prospects for change in virtual reality.
Towards a new grammar
By immersing viewers in the heart of the film, we can say that virtual reality offers a very different experience from that of a classic film. Indeed, the viewer is permanently at the center of the action and the notion of off-screen disappears. As a result, the scenes will have to be thought out at 360°. Above all, the technique of the cut specific to the cinema will become hardly conceivable. Indeed, to succeed in transporting the viewer from one scene to another without disturbing him too much, virtual reality requires smooth transitions between scenes. We also have another fairly notable constraint which requires avoiding “motion sickness” also called VR sickness. It is a feeling of unease that comes from the dissonance between what the eyes see and what the ear sees. This means that the notion of comfort will soon occupy a significant place in virtual reality. The objective is to offer the most pleasant experience possible to the spectators. which will require a training in Toronto specific for film professionals. Finally, regarding narration, virtual reality will upset conventions. For classical cinema, the spectator was omniscient. With virtual reality, he will be at the center of the action, an invisible observer. It is therefore a whole new grammar that will see the light of day.
What about public adoption?
It must be said that virtual reality was adopted quite naturally in Quebec. However, it must be said that this is a niche market that must prove itself in order to attract a large audience. According to several professionals in the field, it is above all the coherence between the author's vision and the virtual reality technology that matters most. Therefore, most of workshops and seminars focus on this essential aspect. Finally, let's just say that virtual reality is a new way of telling stories. And this principle is very well received by the public.
