With the Vrse virtual reality app, audiences can jump into deep 360-degree cinematic experiences that range from being in a music video with U2 to watching the world change though major events and spectacular visual effects. By using devices like the Google Cardboard and the Samsung Gear VR, another world can be accessed using a smartphone. The virtual reality can only get better with more advanced devices like the Oculus Rift, which will become commercially available next year.
Chris Milk [pictured above, courtesy of Vanity Fair], Founder and Creative Director of the Vrse, gained recognition by creating music videos with artists like U2 and Kanye West, has had his work featured at museums, film festivals, and Barack Obama’s introduction at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He has also done a short but engaging TED Talk about how virtual reality can create a deep sense of empathy.
[a]listdaily spoke to Chris Milk about his work with Vrse, how virtual reality will impact entertainment, and how these experiences bring stir up emotion to those that view it.
What is your approach to reaching a wider audience for VR
We continue to work on projects that excite us, and we hope that excitement transfers over. We re big fans of U2 and Muse, so those VR experiences meant a lot to us. The friends we have at the United Nations and New York Times to help us see the world differently. They ve got their finger on the pulse of the world s most pressing issues. We ve been fortunate in the past to discover that people are looking to experience the kinds of stories we re telling. It s like a young band playing the music they love, only to discover they have fans. It s humbling, sure, but it also drives us to create more.
How is mobile VR technology impacting video entertainment
You re not going to see a huge impact yet, simply because the technology is only starting to get into people s hands. Right now there s a huge push, creatively, to stretch the bounds of traditional narrative storytelling. VR is awakening an excitement that the industry hasn t really experienced for decades. Creators not only have a new canvas, but also a whole new set of brushes and colors with which to paint. The energy we re feeling on the creative side will hopefully catch soon with audiences wanting to try something new.
What kind of response have you seen to mobile VR films, and how do you see it growing
It s overwhelmingly positive. We ve shown our work to thousands of people firsthand, and the reactions we ve seen range from the hilarious to the heartfelt. VR is a really impactful medium. Incredibly personal and immersive. It s essentially sci-fi brought to life, and I think there s always been a huge sense of anticipation for what we can do now. When someone experiences VR and laughs themselves to tears or cries themselves to fits of laughter, I think it s because they re having to recalibrate what they expected was possible in their lifetimes. Our stories and our work certainly take a backseat to the power of the medium. Everything Vrse does is in service to the medium, and I m excited to play whatever small role I can in pushing VR forward.
