We’ve been hearing for years how VR could be the next big thing for Hollywood, and now one of its biggest stars is finally appearing in a VR movie.
Announced this month, the Speed Kills VR Experience is a new episodic film directed by Travis Cloyd, and produced by Richard Del Castro, Guy Griffithe and Cloyd, in conjunction with TopDogVR. It also happens to star John Travolta. Yes that John Travolta, the one from Pulp Fiction, Face/Off and Grease. Based on the book by Arthur J. Harris, the film follows the life of speedboat racing champion. Interestingly, though, the film has been shot in both standard format and in VR. While a big screen release will take place in 2018, the VR component will be distributed a little different.
While the larger film is produced by Hannibal Pictures, TopDogVR helped produce the VR edition. Over 60 minutes of VR content has been shot, which will, in turn, be divided up into eight segments that will be viewable through a free VR app launching later this year. You’ll be able to boot up a movie-themed environment in VR and then select episodes to watch as your leisure, which is a wise decision given people can find spending extended time with a VR headset on uncomfortable.
Footage was captured with 360 degree cameras fitted to drones, boasts and more. In VR, you’ll be able to look around the environment as if you were really there. Check out a clip of the VR experience in the video above.
It sounds like an ambitious project for sure, but will the VR experience be able to capture the same kind of cinematic quality as the traditional film? Star power is all well and good, but VR storytelling still needs to figure out some of the basics at this early stage.
