In this episode of the Rev VR Podcast, I am joined by actor, YouTuber, and VR enthusiast, Sam Macaroni. We discuss his experiences in producing and directing films using 360 rigs. Sam is aiming to solve some of the common challenges of this new filming method with clever rigging, and strategic post-production.

Rev VR Podcast – Episode 115

You may remember Sam from such titles as Ghostbusters 3, Star Wars VII – Return of the Empire, or one of my personal favorites, Robocop: Mall Security. Then again, you may recognize some of his more recent projects, such as Wookie On Vacation and A Violent Afternoon, both of which are forays into the 360 VR movie scene using camera rigs provided by Jaunt.

Sam has been “in the business” long enough to understand that Hollywood is a fickle town, and content creation needs to constantly evolve to stay relevant and fresh. Everyone is always on the lookout for the next big thing. Sam caught the VR bug after trying the Unreal 4 Showdown demo, which demonstrated the real potential for future cinematic experiences.

Despite what some people say, Sam and I agree that 360 video IS indeed virtual reality. Whether it is mono or stereo, as long as you can look around see that you are somewhere else, then you are experiencing the simplest form of VR. With the advent of consumer level cameras, such as the Ricoh Theta S and the Samsung Gear 360, there will be soon be a huge library of 360 content available on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

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I have to admit that Sam and I had a load of fun recording this podcast and geeking out over VR and some of our favorite movies like Back to the Future. It’s always fun to connect with another enthusiastic personality in the VR community and get a chance to introduce him to you, my loyal listeners. We will catch up with Sam again as his adventure into virtual reality continues.

Check out Sam Macaroni’s YouTube Page and Twitter to stay up to date on his latest projects.

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Reverend Kyle
  • Heimdal

    I’ve really never seen a mono 360 video i’d call VR. Haven’t viewed in a while though but I really feel 3d is needed :/

  • 2d 360 degrees you don’t feel like being there. It’s like seeing a spheric screen from inside. Not inmersive. Video needs to be 3d to feel like been there, that is virtual reality.

  • yag

    Let’s be precise : a 360 video alone is not VR but watching a 360 video with a VR headset is obviously a VR experience.
    2D 360 videos can be great and immersive in VR, if they are well done (good res., good framerate, good scale, no visible stiches…). Stereoscopy is not the most important thing for immersion.