TSpace

Abstract (summary): Recently, we have seen a resurgence in stereoscopic movies, and an explosion of interest with stories for virtual reality (VR). Though these art forms share many similarities with traditional film, there are numerous differences. Some differences result in aspects that are more challenging to discuss, and are therefore often ignored, frequently resulting in bad decisions. This latest resurgence with stereoscopic cinema has resulted in a better understanding of the artistic challenges and opportunities provided by this form of storytelling. There has been a realization that creating stereoscopic movies does not mean simply adding depth, but rather involves a complex set of considerations to lead the audience through a pleasant viewing experience; one that engages them as consumers of the visual story, rather than using stereopsis as a gimmick that disconnects the viewer from the show. To facilitate these differences, the stereoscopic community encourages directors and producers to think of projects in stereo as early as possible, to make good design decisions. However, there are few early stage design tools to help support this design process. Likewise, with the consumerization of VR through devices such as Oculus Rift, Samsung GearVR, and Google Cardboard, directors have the ability to connect with audiences in new ways, and have started creating stories for virtual reality. However, directors are unsure how to direct a VR movie, or plan for these experiences. Due to factors such as the stereoscopic nature, 360Ë surrounding view, and uncertainty of how to perform transitions, directors have difficulty planning for this environment using traditional means. This work explores different approaches, and feedback to allow artists to sketch on tablets, leveraging existing drawing skills, yet allowing for quick creation of stereoscopic and virtual reality storyboards in real-time. The presented approaches allow artists to create stereoscopic and VR storyboards with minimal pre-planning, and almost no increase to the exerted effort by the artist. These techniques when applied to VR, allow artists to work in more immersive environments, and collaborate more easily. These techniques can help directors and producers plan films more effectively and easily with these new, unexplored stereoscopic and virtual sketched worlds.