At this year’s SXSW Conference, the future of virtual reality and virtual cinema is on full display in “Beethoven’s Fifth.”
All images via Beethoven’s Fifth.
In 1977, the Voyager spacecraft departed for the deepest reaches of outer space, carrying two golden records that contained sounds and images representing the diversity of humanity’s greatest achievements. Now, 40 years later, we chat with Jessica Brillhart about her ambitious Virtual Cinema VR project, which combines the experience of Voyager’s journey with a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 as part of a collaboration between Google Daydream, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, NASA, and NASA JPL.
For those curious about the bold new frontiers of virtual reality (and virtual cinema), Brillhart shares how they’ve worked to push their VR project to new limits.
Finding the Right Rig
Brillhart and her team used the GoPro Odyssey, which is part of the Google Jump ecosystem. Brillhart is a certified expert with the Jump, as she helped develop the system with Google. She is quick to note that “nothing is necessarily perfect though.” She’s found the most success when she can recognize limitations and then find creative workarounds for live-action VR rigs and headsets.
Tilting the Rig
In the case of Beethoven’s Fifth, Brillhart had their rig set at an angle to get a good eye-line between the standing conductor and the seated orchestra member. “When you turn in the direction of the player,” Brillhart explains, “it’s as if you’re the conductor looking down. When you turn in the opposite direction to look at the conductor, it’s as if you are the player looking up.”
Focus on the “How” Not the “What”
To stand out in a crowded (and very inspiring) SXSW Virtual Cinema lineup, projects like Brillhart’s need to bring something both experimental and experiential to the table. Beethoven’s Fifth, among many other things, also experimented with something Brillhart calls “movement parsing,” which is “a way that deaf people see the world, as the brain tends to reshape itself when one perceptual ability is lost.”
Aim for an Immersive Experience
“Immersive,” is another word often thrown around in the VR world. The Beethoven’s Fifth experience benefits from Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which Brillhart chose as the best way to combat the huge amount of room and crowd noise in a busy SXSW Conference lobby.
Think Outside the Headset
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Beethoven’s Fifth is their cylinder projection system, designed by Igloo Vision to provide a different kind of flow for an audience. The outside was designed to be a “contextual layer with images and writings about the Golden Record,” while the inside is a “staring state that provides context for the experience.”
VR Is for Everyone
Beethoven’s Fifth really took a lot of inspiration from what its composer was going through, so Brillhart asked, “what could a VR experience do for Beethoven or those with similar afflictions?” The project is meant to transcend understanding and connect experiencers with something deeper, which is at the heart of virtual reality.
Bring Content and Hardware Together
When talking about her project, Brillhart often mentions the many “layers” to the experience. It’s complicated to explain in an early phone interview; it’s just something that has to be experienced. Much like Voyager’s journey, or Beethoven’s masterpiece, true art is built to last and transcend, and for anyone working in the space, Beethoven’s Fifth is a great example of not only what that journey actually looks and sounds like but, more importantly, what it feels like.
For SXSW coverage, check out some of these articles:
- SXSW Discussions: 7 Tips on How to Develop a Digital Docuseries
- Tips from SXSW: Filming with Your Camera in Motion