This week we had a short but enjoyable workshop exploring 360° video production in Unreal Engine using Off World Live. Using environments downloaded from Fab, we learned how to render equirectangular 360° videos directly from Unreal before encoding the output in Adobe Media Encoder. Although the process itself was relatively straightforward, it was interesting to see how quickly immersive content could be produced using real-time workflows. The session also gave me a better understanding of the technical pipeline involved in creating 360° experiences, which I found particularly relevant given my interest in immersive storytelling.
After becoming familiar with the workflow, I spent some time experimenting with different scenes and camera positions. Seeing the results in a 360° format highlighted how different spatial composition becomes when there is no fixed frame. It also reinforced some of the ideas I have been exploring in my thesis regarding directing attention within immersive environments. Despite being a relatively short workshop, it was one of the more enjoyable sessions due to how quickly we were able to move from setup to final output.
Our group also used the opportunity to further discuss our project. By this stage, we had begun settling on the narrative we wanted to communicate and started dividing the production into different stages. This helped us establish a clearer structure for the project and think about how the different screens and visual elements would interact with one another. Having a more defined narrative allowed us to begin planning the screen layout and think more carefully about how the audience would experience the progression of the video.
