MIPTV 2017 Preview: Solomon Rogers, Founder & CEO, REWIND

VR is not the death of TV and film. It’s a separate, stand-alone medium that will add more choice and variety for consumers in the world of entertainment. VR is truly transportive and allows the user to really feel like that are in another time, another place. Storytellers are no longer limited to the constraints of film. Stories can come to life in a new, immersive way.

The visceral experiences that VR provides are an exciting development for the film and TV industries. Unlike traditional TV and film, where the composition is usually limited to a scene at a time orchestrated by the director and pulled together by editors, now a director's vision can stretch much further. From a character whose reaction is triggered when you turn to look at them to music that directs your attention and even haptics to further push the level of immersion.

Whether you are a Game of Thrones, Adventure Time, or Strictly Come Dancing fanatic, VR experiences already exist to transport fans into these shows and bring them closer to their TV fantasies. It’s no surprise that studios and broadcasters have already embraced VR - it’s such a powerful tool of engagement - the feelings you get from it are totally unique.

But it must be remembered that VR consumption is fundamentally different from film. VR is so intense it needs to be experienced in bite size chunks, 2-3 hours of high action or drama would be too much in VR. Instead, like games, you’ll revisit the experience again and again.

Directors are also embracing VR. Doug Liman, the director of Hollywood hits such as Swingers and The Bourne Identity, has produced and co-directed a VR series called Invisible for Jaunt, a VR production company, and online store. Jon Favreau, a major Hollywood director (Elf, The Jungle Book) has a created an interactive scene called Gnomes & Goblins. Whilst Steven Spielberg has backed a new venture which aims to take VR to people out and about in shopping malls.

VR in TV and film is not a gimmick. There’s serious investment from the major studios and serious intent. But what does the future hold? And will audiences trained in passive linear narratives - following the storyline scene by scene - appreciate it?

‘Sideshows’ will see large growth as VR takes off. Alternative storylines for individual popular characters or episodes that continue in VR will gain traction and expand and enrich the original story. A good example of this is Mr. Robot VR, a 13-minute narrative experience written by show creator Sam Esmail. It takes viewers on a flashback journey with lead character Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) as he remembers an early encounter with his dealer-turned-love-interest Shayla (Frankie Shaw). With side-plots you already know the characters well and have an established backstory, so time doesn’t have to be wasted on exposition and you can dive into the story immediately.

The ‘Living Room of the Future’ is just around the corner - consumers watching traditional TV and film in a VR environment. VR allows us to create a screen of any size or an environment of any description. Whether that’s sitting on a beach or in the ultimate virtual cinema, the consumer will control their environment to enhance the viewing experience.

By bringing together the great and the good of the industry and putting VR firmly on the agenda, MIPTV is providing an exciting platform to form the future of VR in TV and film. Together, those with an understanding of storytelling, technology, and global audiences will unlock VR’s potential.

However, as usual, consumer demand will play a big part in whether VR is a fad or a legitimate new genre of entertainment. Traditional movies were the popular art form of the 20th century. People began to learn to tell stories using film, and then cinematic techniques, special effects and editing techniques all developed to keep up with the ambitions of the storytellers and the demands of the audiences. VR is the ultimate storytelling tool. Once you’ve experienced it, there’s no going back. It just needs a little bit of time to get the user base that will really propel VR forward.