The world of VR 360 videos are expanding at warp speed. The Verge took on an ambitious project of interviewing the First Lady, Michelle Obama. But how do you make a standard interview and make it 360 immersive? By using the new industry standard for 360 creation and effects,SkyBox 360 VR Tools, SkyBox, SkyBox Studio and SkyBox 360 Post Effects, by Mettle. This is the only comprehensive 360 Suite that empowers and enables 360 VR editors to create spectacular immersive effects in a 360 VR production. Undoubtedly, without the SkyBox Suite it would have been incredibly hard to do this project.
Watch the video after the break to see how The Verge editors used 129 layers in After Effects to mold this interview. Then read on to find out what each of these tool sets are meant to do in VR.
A marvelous use of clean plates and other great video trickery to create the interview. Hats off to the whole team and the equipment, the Jaunt and Total Cinema camera rigs, directors Tom Connors and Miriam Nielson, executive producer Tre Shallowhorn, sound engineer Andrew Marino and artistic director James Bareham. Great job guys.
Let’s go over the tools for those of you who don’t know. I will be doing a hands-on review of each one of these products in the near future.
SkyBox 360 VR Tools, is a plugin for Adobe Premiere. It brings cinematic 360 VR production into Premiere Pro. Currently the software supports the Equirectangular format, mono 2:1 or Stereo 1:1 over-under. You can add text, Logos, and to any footage. And 360 seamless of fax, or, Da noise, below, or sharpened. You can tilt, and enroll your 360 footage all seamlessly. Changer focal point. Correct the horizon to make it appear straight.
SkyBox, Lets you create 360 degree video and after effects. In use is a script slash plug-in solution with two modules, skybox creator and skybox converter. It works with after effects 3D space and with most 3D plug-ins.
SkyBox Studio Is by far the most complete set of tools available for 360 VR production in after effects. It automatically sets up a 360 master comp, and a 360 output comp, to render from so that you can concentrate on content creation. Includes a workflow solution of two scripts and two plug-ins that address the different aspects of 360 VR production. Content can be created entirely with After Effects, or import stitched 360 footage to add text, logo and VFX or to do object removal or motion tracking. It works within After Effect’s 3D space, with most Ae 3D plugins, including mettle ShapeShifter Ae, FreeForm, FreeForm Pro, Trapcode Particular and Form, Element 3D, Plexus and others.
SkyBox 360 Post Effects, As the glitz and glamor to your 360 production. Apply SkyBox Post FX directly on imported 360° footage, or on an Adjustment layer. We currently support Equirectangular format, either mono 2:1 or Stereo 1:1 over-under. De-Noise your footage, and blur sharpen or glow to your 360.
There’s the short and sweet description. Keep watching this space for a more complete hands on review.