SCOM Students Explore New Possibilities in Filmmaking

Posted by Michael Walsh on

This spring semester, students in Dr. Andy Opel’s Immersive Media Production class stepped into a new world in the FSU Immersive Media Dome.

Acquired through an interdisciplinary Equipment & Infrastructure Enhancement Grant (EIEG), the FSU Immersive Media Dome is a 360° screening space that allows groups of up to twenty people experience immersive video together without the need of a VR headset.

“VR and immersive dome projections are emerging media formats that are being used in a range of applications, from educational media to documentary to gaming,” Opel said. “These new media forms offer opportunities for students to stand out in an emerging job market that is not as competitive as traditional media because fewer people have the skills to make this media.”

Students took full advantage of the experience, crafting video projects catered to the technology using two 360° cameras, the GoPro Max and the Insta360 RS One.

“A lot of what you are looking at in the dome is above you, so I wanted to capture things that would typically happen above you,” said Digital Media Production senior Ethan Vila, whose project put viewers right in the patient’s seat at the dentist’s office. Other projects included a skydiving ride along and a unique look at Black culture in Tallahassee.

Using this technology came with its own set of challenges, too.

Students watch their projects from the best seats in the house!

“You need to transform your edit to fit the settings of the dome,” explained Integrated Marketing Communication graduate student Raniah Braclet. Students also needed to be extra aware of where they placed their 360° cameras, as they could not stand behind it the way they would with a typical camera.

“I hope students learn the fundamental camera and editing skills required to produce effective immersive media content alongside the visual storytelling that is reinforced by an immersive experience,” Opel said.

Students in the Immersive Media Production class will spend the second half of the semester at the Challenger Learning Center Planetarium, where they will view their work in a theater setting with a professional projectionist.