It turns out the YouTube of VR is, well, YouTube. Google’s content platform embraced VR a few years back and it’s now one of the most popular spaces to find panoramic content. But YouTube wants to do more, so it’s going to help people make new 360 videos.
To that end, the site this week announced its VR Creator Lab event, consisting of three months worth of work. This will be a part of the pre-existing YouTube Spaces site in Los Angeles. Things will kick off with a workshop running over three days from August 7th – 9th, which will enable creators to make better VR videos by training them and offering cameras and tools to make the best content.
From there, participants will be challenged to make at least four “original and experimental” VR videos as well as a behind the scenes video. The Spaces site will host fortnightly meetings in which creators can gather to get more training, speak with mentors and hear talks from VR leaders. Their first video will need to be published towards the end of September and all videos will need to be in by December 11th. Sometime in December, YouTube will host a screening party.
The Lab will be open to YouTubers that have at least 10,000 subscribers and have already featured at least two 360 videos. Up to three people can work in a team, but they also have to be over 18. Applications are open now and participants will be notified within the first week of July.
Hopefully this means we’ll start seeing some great new 360 content on YouTube early next year.
