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For the past three years we’ve been working on a VR documentary film about the Grand Canyon and the many ecological threats posed by commercial overdevelopment. After already taking two trips down the Colorado River by raft and one trip to Grand Canyon National Park to interview the superintendent, we still weren’t satisfied with the shots we got at the confluence where the Little Colorado River (or LCR) meets the Greater Colorado River. So we decided to take an 18 mile round trip trek through a treacherous desert canyon to one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Garmin has recently entered the 360 camera game with their own GPS enabled 5.7k camera with back to back lenses. As a waterproof full 360x180 camera in a very compact package, this intrigued us at 360 Labs. With GoPro Fusion taking a while to become a reality, we jumped at the chance to order the Garmin VIRB 360 and put it through the paces. We’re in dire need of a camera system that is ultra compact and durable to use in the elements.
The GoPro action camera has been the staple of the 360 video industry for years now. Love it or hate it, there’s no other camera system in the world with as many options and versatility in such a small package for an affordable price. It’s not a perfect system by any means, but we’ve all learned how to work around the many pain points. Until now, GoPro has remained pretty uninvolved in the 360 video scene. GoPro Omni was their first official venture into the 360 video market, and we put it through it's paces.
We get a lot of requests from clients for walking tours moving through houses, facilities, offices or buildings. The biggest challenge to do this in 360 video is to hide from your own camera. If you hold the camera, not only are you in your own shot but you are also undoubtedly making things unstable with your own motion. We decided to build our own rover dolly system for smooth motion at walking speeds.
Sometimes the hardest thing to explain about VR is how to get it to the audience. For most, this is where VR aspirations end. Projects can become cost prohibitive. If you truly want to reach a wide audience, there’s simply not one single platform that will do that for you. That’s not to say they aren’t coming, but for now, what can we do to reach the biggest audience?

Watch our Grand Canyon VR Documentary

Drop into the heart of the Grand Canyon, held sacred and protected for millennia, to meet the people fighting a tourism development that would change one of America’s most iconic landscapes forever.

"as it is" - A Grand Canyon VR Documentary

>> Watch "as it is"

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