Earlier this week, we were delighted to welcome back UCL alumnus Chris Rowe, who is currently a director/producer at virtual reality (VR) production company VRscape. Over the course of his presentation, Chris gave VR first-timers a chance to have a go at experiences such as Chris Milk’s Evolution of Verse as well as the recent Rogue One: A Star Wars Story tie-in from ILMxLab!

Similarly to his presentation back in November 2015, Chris took us on a virtual reality crash course – from how 360 video content is filmed (spoiler alert: lots of GoPros), to how it’s all edited and stitched together in post production. Chris brought up the challenges this new format brings – from differences in acting compared to theatre and film, to how fictional narratives have to be portrayed in a fully immersive space – and talked about the history, as well as the future, of the format – with the increasing creative potential of apps such as Google’s Tiltbrush and revolutionary VR filming solutions like the Lytro Immerge.

Chris also took the opportunity to talk about his work at VRscape, which most recently included post-production for Lexus’s The Life RX 360 video promo starring Jude Law – an ambitious project for Chris, who was tasked with stitching together footage from 80 GoPro cameras following a big launch event in central London last February. VRscape’s other recent work includes multiple live concert shoots as well as music videos, hotel promotions and charity projects.

A big thank you to Chris Rowe for joining us! To see more of VRScape’s work, head to their site at vrscape.tv.

Our upcoming guest workshops before the Reading Week break include acclaimed Radiator director Tom Browne, and BAFTA LA CEO Chantal Rickards. Go to the Events section of our site or our Facebook page for more information!