VR Under Spotlight At Academy Awards

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VR Under Spotlight At Academy Awards

• Its a well-known fact that now is the era of
  Virtual Reality. But, VR will shine so bright in
  the international hall of fame, was not imagined
  by any. All thanks to Google for throwing
  Spotlight on VR. Yes, we are here talking about
  Pearl, the 360-degree Google Spotlight Story.
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• Even after few months of its release, Googles
  short film Pearl remains the best of its
  Spotlight Stories- a series of 360-degree films.
  And, none other than the Academy Awards seem to
  agree. The nominations for the 2017 edition of
  Hollywoods prestigious awards ceremony were
  announced last week. While movies like La La Land
  are stealing the usual headlines for leading the
  pack, in the animated short category, Pearl
  brings a new technical twist to the party the
  Google 360 experience and a small but noticeable
  victory for the VR industry.

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• Pearl, directed by Patrick Osborne is a very
  touching, coming-of-age story that follows a
  daughter, her musician father and the family car
  over a span of years, following the duo as the
  daughter grows from a tiny tot to a young woman
  ready to take her fathers legacy to the next
  level. The story takes place entirely inside the
  family car Pearl, which the viewer experiences
  sitting at passenger side throughout the whole
  story.
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• Commendable is the fact that this is the first
  time a VR-compatible film has been nominated for
  an Oscar, though Oculus Story Studios Henry did
  walk away with an Emmy last year. However, Pearl
  was not only presented as a 360-degree video its
  creators made a theatrical version too, and on
  confirmation with Google, it is this theatrical
  version which has been nominated. But without any
  doubts, the nomination brings enormous attention
  to VR as a medium.

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• To enjoy the experience at its best, download the
  Google Spotlight Stories app and change your
  point of view while watching the short by moving
  your phone around in three-dimensional space. The
  video is also available on Youtube for mobile
  viewing. Pearl is also the first project to
  support a full-fledged VR headset with the HTC
  Vive, allowing viewers to move around in the car
  and even stick their head out of the sunroof. 
• To find out if VR could be in for its first
  Academy Award, we will have to wait for another
  month. Meanwhile, you keep coming back to know
  about whats happening in the VR world. Because
  we are, where VR is!