The Star Wars films are always a visual feast with top-tier visual effects constantly on display. The creative team behind Rogue One found a way to utilize VR while putting the movie together, dropping the director into space so he can find the best shots for the film. They even went the extra mile with VR promotion, a tool many different films have taken advantage of, by crafting a teaser called Recon that served as a prequel to the film’s main events. Rogue One was a branch off from the main Star Wars storyline, tying some loose ends revolving around the Death Star but, now, Nokia and Lucasfilm plan to deliver some behind-the-scenes VR content for the coming film The Last Jedi.
Nokia and Lucasfilm are in a multi-year deal to create VR content for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and more Disney properties. They’re supplying Disney marketers and filmmakers with the OZO 360-degree camera and accompanying software.
“We want nothing more than to share the Star Wars universe with fans around the world and fans tell us they love to have the opportunity to learn more about the process of filmmaking,” says Senior Vice President, Franchise Creative & Strategy at Lucasfilm Brian Miller. “Utilizing the Nokia OZO to capture our behind the scenes material allows viewers to be transported to fantastical locations and virtually visit the incredible sets where their favorite Star Wars scenes were captured.”
A look behind the curtain for Star Wars and other Disney films is certainly a great opportunity for fans. So many paths are being blazed across the VR industry and companies are trying to put their hardware in the best positions to succeed. Having Nokia’s 360-degree camera attached to a media powerhouse such as Disney is going to be a big win for the camera maker, and won’t escape the gaze of content creators already involved in VR or those that will be as the industry grows.
