A Sneak Peek at Jaunt's Most Advanced Camera Rig So Far

With a $65 million funding round under their belt, Jaunt VR is looking to take the 360 video market by storm. At Oculus Connect, we got to see a sneak preview of the camera that is going to lead the charge: the Jaunt ONE(previously called NEO).

The Jaunt ONE is the latest and greatest 360 video rig from Jaunt, improving on previous models in a number of different ways. First off, it has fully synchronized shutters, making it far easier to set the camera up and start shooting. Previous models relied on GoPros that had to be turned on individually, making it difficult to start filming and even more difficult to stitch together.

Jaunt was able to have fully synchronized cameras only because it built its own cameras from the ground up for 360 video. By designing their own cameras, they were able to optimize them for different environments. The ONE actually comes in two different configurations: the J1-24G for low-light and fast moving objects and the J1-24R for outdoor filming and time lapse photography.

Second, the fully redesigned cameras also have a number of improved features over their previous counterparts. They have improved resolution allowing for true-HD 360 films. They also have an improved color spectrum and handle better in low light environments.

Finally, the camera’s look has been totally redesigned with style in mind. Jaunt’s Director of Hardware Engineering Koji Gardiner explained, “We realized this was an opportunity to come up with an iconic design that represents a brand new form of video capture.” He continued, “We wanted a camera whose look would be familiar to film makers and other creatives, and one that would look great photographed on stage at high-profile events like concerts or sporting events.” With that in mind, they worked with LUNAR Design to ensure that the camera had a sleek, industrial feel that will look right at home with all the other cameras on a stage (or on Hoth searching for those Rebel scum!).

This camera is going to be used by Jaunt to create their own original content and it will be available to partners through Jaunt Studios. One of the most interesting aspects of the camera is the stack of Jaunt Production Tools available with it. Partners will get access to a camera manager that runs on a laptop. All a person needs to do is plug the camera rig into the computer with a standard USB cable and they can check for errors, configure the cameras, and get a live preview with a limited field of view.

The software also allows users to collect and organize video and audio data into recordings, create rough cuts, generate previews, and upload recordings into the Jaunt cloud. Once the recordings are in the cloud, Jaunt can use its cloud rendering software to create a seamless 360 degree stereoscopic video. This video can be distributed through Jaunt’s distribution platform and played back on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR, Google Cardboard, Playstation VR, Avegant Glyph, YouTube360, as well as most mobile devices.

When asked what type of experiences this camera would be used for, Koji replied, “We see this camera being used to film a wide variety of experiences: music, sports, travel, narrative content, and more. The ease of use of the camera coupled with its image quality and versatility make it ideal for any creative who wants to capture premier cinematic VR content.” This camera certainly provides the tools for filmmakers of all types to create a new wave of immersive content. It’s now up to them to show us what that premier cinematic VR content will be.

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