Transitioning into states of immersion: transition design of mixed reality performances and cinematic virtual reality

Abstract

Cinematic virtual reality (CVR) experiences are increasingly expanding their use of additional media outside the VR headset, including scenography, spatial sound, and live performance, to successfully transition their audience into the experience. As such, they promote a heightened interest in transition design to secure experience continuity. In this paper, the authors argue that returning to the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) concept of trajectories provides a fruitful starting point for considering transition design in CVR installations. However, explicit explorations of transitions and their design in HCI literature are limited. This contrasts with a strong design focus 'in the wild' across immersive genres including performance art, theme parks, video games, and live-action roleplay. Therefore, this paper advances the trajectory framework by returning to existing case studies with a transition design focus in order to discuss two existing design strategies and to mark future directions for research in the context of CVR.

Designing the Exhibition Modus of Virtual Experiences: Virtual Reality Installations at Film Festivals

“…This section will present a selection of the findings from the interviews. While I have previously argued for the function of installations as a transitional element of the experience design [12], this was confirmed in the majority of the interviews. However, several additional design considerations surfaced in the interviews regarding how to design installations for the exhibition context of film festivals and a conceptual and experiential link between physical and virtual elements.…”

Virtual reality exposure therapy for reducing students’ public speaking anxiety: A systematic review

“…The sense of presence and immersion in VR technology represented by avatars imparts extensive opportunities for experiential learning and engagement to occur upon learning (Jaller & Serafin, 2020;Schott & Marshall, 2018) via the simulation of real-life interaction. The interaction with virtual objects or characters incorporates advanced scenography, live performance, and spatial sound to enable its users to transition into heightened real-time and real-life environments (Chien et al, 2020).…”

Adapting, modifying and applying cinematography and editing concepts and techniques to cinematic virtual reality film production

“…Such a claim is predicated on the film industry's increasing turn towards immersive technologies, including virtual reality (VR), to engage audiences in immersive, participatory and interactive ways. This movement towards cinematic virtual reality (CVR) is evident in VR showcases emerging at major international film festivals (Jaller and Serafin, 2020).…”

“…CVR's formal definition continues to develop as new technological advances present opportunities for the area to evolve. The emerging consensus among practitioners and researchers is that the term refers to a form of immersive VR experience where individual users can view synthetic worlds in 360 degrees, complemented by stereoscopic views and spatialised audio, whereby viewers interact with space and narratives (Jaller and Serafin, 2020). When used strategically, these strategies 'reinforce the veracity of the virtual environment' (Mateer, 2017).…”