Crafting Stories for Virtual Reality

Melissa Bosworth is a visual storyteller, immersive media nerd, software developer, reporter and idealist. She’s passionate about using emerging technology to find a new lens on stories. In her work as a reporter, features writer, producer and filmmaker she has covered the environment, technology, immigration and the arts across the Americas and Europe. Her virtual reality work has published through KQED, the New York Times and Fusion Media Group. She has developed coursework and taught 360-degree video production at the Berkeley Advanced Media Institute and guest lectured on immersive storytelling at UC Berkeley. She holds a Master’s degree with an emphasis on new media from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Lakshmi Sarah is an educator and journalist with a focus on immigration, migration, identity and the arts. She has worked with newspapers, radio and magazines from Ahmedabad, India to Los Angeles, California. She has written and produced for Mic, Global Voices, AJ+, KQED, Fusion Media Group and the New York Times. She has advised journalists through Fusion Media Group’s Rise Up: Be Heard fellowship and taught at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She has taught workshops in various parts of the world including Kerala, India and Nairobi, Kenya. She is a graduate of Pitzer College and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and divides her time between Berkeley, Berlin and southern India.

List of Figures. Acknowledgements. Introduction: Evolution of Media: Where Are We Now? SECTION I: Context. 1: Why Tell Immersive Stories? 2: Pivot Point: A Primer on the State of Immersive Storytelling. SECTION II: Immersive Media and Storytelling Styles. 3: Immersive Narratives and News. Clouds Over Sidra. Climbing Giants. We Who Remain. Limbo. The Occupation of Alcatraz that Sparked an American Revolution. Euronews. VRtually There. 4: Walk-Around Virtual Reality. Kiya. After Solitary. Suite Life. Displaced Witness. 5: Immersive Interactives. Discovering Gale Crater. Is the Nasdaq in Another Bubble? Testimony. UTURN. Blackout. 6: Mixed-Media Packages. Stand at the Edge of Geologic Time. Overheard. The Call Center. Capturing Everest. Hell and High Water VR. The Wall. 7: Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. Priya's Shakti. Optimism. Outthink Hidden. New Dimensions in Testimony. Hello, We're from the Internet. Four of the World's Best Olympians, as You've Never Seen Them Before. Terminal 3. 8: Immersive Audio. Hallelujah VR. Reeps One: Does Not Exist. Designing Audio for Games. SECTION III: Bringing It All Together. 9: Storytelling without Close-Ups: The Big Picture. 10: Viewing Mode, Form and Content: Best Practices. 11: Additional Features and Emerging Technology . 12: Immersive Storytelling and the News Media. 13: The State of Platforms and Publishing . 14: Looking Forward . Glossary. Index