The technology to create high-quality videos is constantly evolving and marketers should be able to watch out for all the emerging video technologies that will improve the experiences of consumers. One of these emerging types of video content that provides new ways to entertain and engage audiences is 360 videos.
360 videos are becoming more popular in recent years because they provide new experiences that let audiences immerse themselves and interact in ways that are not possible with traditional videos.
So, what exactly are 360 Videos?
360 videos or 360 degree videos are immersive and spherical video recordings where a view for every possible direction is recorded simultaneously.
These special shots require a collection of cameras or an omnidirectional camera that are set up so that a video can achieve the full 360 view. These 360 videos allow viewers to be immersed in different types of experiences as if they were there themselves.
You can learn more about how we can help you maximise the potential of using 360 videos for your company using Matterport by clicking here.
Navigate to:
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Create 360 Videos
- 1. 360 videos are more engaging than traditional videos
- 2. 360 videos are easy to distribute to viewers
- 3. More 360 camera technology and production tools are becoming available
- 4. You can create immersive experiential campaigns with 360 videos
- 5. 360 videos offer more authentic video content to viewers
- How to Create 360 Videos For Your Business
- 4 Tips to Create Engaging and Immersive 360 Videos
- How to Watch 360 Videos
- How Businesses Can Benefit From 360 Videos
- Best Examples of 360 Videos
5 Reasons Why You Should Create 360 Videos
If you want to learn more about why you should starting making 360 videos, then take a look at these 6 convincing benefits here:
1. 360 videos are more engaging than traditional videos
Since 360 videos are immersive in nature, it allows viewers to explore outside the traditional frame of a video and experience a story in a different way every time they watch it.
This immersive experience encourages viewers to explore and engage with your video’s elements in a way that is not possible with traditional videos.
360 videos can garner more interactions, have increased retention, and can also have a lasting impact on viewers.
2. 360 videos are easy to distribute to viewers
Almost all consumers are able to watch 360 videos on any capable mobile device. While some of these videos can be watched with a virtual reality or VR headset, it is not needed for most.
Users can just simply move around their phones in different directions to fully explore the 360 video content, like it is a gateway to another destination.
This type of video is also easily viewable in laptops and desktop devices because you can click and drag to show a different perspective of the 360 scene.
3. More 360 camera technology and production tools are becoming available
Creating these videos have become more accessible over the years because there are more 360 cameras that have become more affordable and easier to use at the consumer level.
It is now easier for entry level cameras and professional level cameras to shoot and stitch 360 video footage. Also, today’s 360 cameras give creators the ability to live monitor everything that is being shot, similar to traditional video cameras.
Along with camera technology, more production tools from top companies like Adobe, Foundry, and Final Cut are also offering solutions for editing and applying effects to 360 video footage which makes post-production a lot easier for creators.
4. You can create immersive experiential campaigns with 360 videos
You can use these videos as a great way to create experiential campaigns so that your destination marketing efforts can be taken to the next level.
This new type of video content can transport viewers which can give them the next best experience to actually being in a certain tourist destination that is being promoted.
Whether you are looking to book a vacation, or just want to explore exciting tourist destinations from your own home, watching 360 videos can give you that experience.
5. 360 videos offer more authentic video content to viewers
By creating these videos, you are offering the most authentic and transparent type of content to consumers, clients, investors, and other valuable stakeholders of your business.
You can use these to showcase your office and the company culture you are upholding with your teammates or by providing a closer look at an upcoming product’s launch event.
How to Create 360 Videos For Your Business
Now that you know more about the benefits of 360 videos, here is a detailed look at the process of creating these videos for your business:
1. Decide on the content
When you decide on creating a 360 video, you will be asking your viewers to take a larger role in experiencing it. This is why you should select content that can support this.
People can easily fall into the idea of just sticking a 360 camera in the middle of the room and hit record but there should be more thought into making these videos for them to be successful.
You have to make sure the content you will have for your 360 video will provide an immersive experience while still placing the control with the viewer. Give your audience an experience which allows them to simulate the feeling of using your product or service.
2. Use the right camera
When choosing a camera to use for these videos, there are a few things you should consider like your budget and comfort level in operating these.
For those that are beginners with 360 videos, a RICOH camera is worth a look as it is a single unit, has two sensors and it does not require a supplementary rig.
While there are more expensive options that can shoot 360 videos in better quality, what is more important is the content and story of your video.
3. Record your footage
When recording your footage and you are using an omnidirectional camera, it works best if you place it in the middle of your scene. This gives the viewer an opportunity to freely turn their head and look at anything they want in the video.
If you want to shoot action shots, you should keep the camera steady and limit any sudden or quick movements. Viewers may have an unpleasant experience if they watch a video that is bouncing up and down.
4. Stitch all the footage together to make one single video
Once you have all your recorded footage, you will have to stitch everything together. This process requires a lot of power because of the higher resolution of most 360 video files.
The complexity of the stitching process will depend on how many different scenes are included in your final video and what type of content you are filming.
For the editing software that you can use, most camera manufacturers will also have their own software which comes with what camera you are using.
5. Choose where to publish the video
You can now publish your video once you are done with processing all the edited footage. Most of the popular social media and video platforms like Facebook and YouTube can support 360 videos.
These two will be among your top choices for where your video is shared. However, you should also consider other factors like your target audience and where they spend most of their time to help finalize your decision.
4 Tips to Create Engaging and Immersive 360 Videos
With a better understanding of how to create 360 videos, here are 4 tips which should ensure that your videos will come out as well as they can be:
1. Incorporate an engaging storyline
Regardless of the purpose of your 360 video, it is a good idea to incorporate an engaging storyline for it. This does not mean that you have to have a detailed script which covers every action.
However, you should find a way to display your content in a way that your viewers will find meaningful. With 360 videos, viewers will not be able to control movement throughout scenes, so you will have to do it for them.
An example of this is if your video lets viewers explore a destination, they would not just walk in a circle around the area. They would want to get a full view and then get close to search for details on certain objects.
You should be able to create a story around the experience that you are presenting to your viewers through your 360 videos.
2. Be strategic in utilizing point of views
When you film your 360 videos, you have to be strategic with how you will utilize different points of views.
Since it is important for viewers to feel fully immersed in your 360 experience, it is best to record at eye level. This level would create a first-person point of view.
You can achieve this by using a head mount or a chest point for your 360 camera. A neck camera or glasses that have a built-in camera can also work as well.
3. Make use of natural movements in the video
It is important to keep your camera as steady as possible to avoid shakiness in the final output. However, you can also include natural movements that can make your video more realistic.
Adding a bit of a subtle sway when recording walks will make it feel more real and even reaching out to touch or adjust objects in the surroundings adds another level of immersion.
4. Add spontaneous moments
Since a lot of 360 videos are based on walkthroughs or involve going through a journey or destination, adding some spontaneous and surprising moments can make it more lifelike and realistic.
These spontaneous moments work best for videos that go through busy locations like a tourist destination or even just in city streets.
Since viewers would want to check out everything that is happening around them, you can add different moments that would make viewers look around every few seconds.
How to Watch 360 Videos
There are a lot of different ways to watch 360 videos. From Virtual Reality headsets that can offer truly immersive experiences to 360 web players on popular video platforms, you can enjoy these videos whether or not you have access to any VR equipment. Here is how you can watch 360 videos:
Mobile Phone
You can enjoy 360 videos on your mobile phone even without any additional headsets or devices and you can have two options for watching these videos.
The first option you have is by holding your phone up and pointing it in whatever direction you want to look at in the video. The other option is to simply tap your screen and drag on the video to change the perspective of your video.
Web Player
Another way that you can watch 360 videos without any other additional equipment is by watching them through web players that are available in popular video platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
To change the viewing perspective, you can simply click and drag on the video in any direction. While this can be the least immersive way of watching a 360 video, it is a quick and easy way to explore them and have an idea of the experience they are offering.
VR Headset
If you want to experience 360 videos in the most immersive way, you should watch it with a Virtual Reality headset like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.
Although purchasing these headsets can be pricey, they are able to offer you a lifelike and captivating experience that puts you in the middle of the 360 video. With a VR headset, you can just simply turn your head while wearing it to have a look at everything that is happening.
Google Cardboard
For a similar experience in a more affordable price range, Google Cardboard can turn your mobile phone into a VR headset with their simple cardboard viewer.
Even if you will have to hold the viewer in place with your hands when you turn and the cardboard material is not as comfortable as a headset with cushion, this is a similar way of using a VR headset at just a fraction of the cost.
How Businesses Can Benefit From 360 Videos
There can be a lot of different uses for 360 videos in the world of business. Here are a few of the main uses of these types of videos for businesses:
Virtual Events
Using 360 videos for virtual events is an effective way to showcase what your events look like for guests who cannot physically attend.
Companies can invite remote attendees to their event by sending them a 360 video of their event to make them feel like they are experiencing the actual event.
This concept can be used for corporate events, music festivals, sporting events, and more.
Tourism and Hospitality
A few resorts and hotels can let guests do virtual walkthroughs of their properties by watching 360 videos before booking their stay.
These videos can be highly useful for those consumers that are scouting venues for important events like weddings, retreats, company outings, retirement parties, and the like.
Different tourism and hospitality companies are using more 360 videos that can let “tourists” experience the activities that they offer from their own homes. Some examples could be underwater adventures, exploration of tourist spots, and city tours.
eCommerce
Another business sector that benefits from the use of 360 videos is eCommerce. With 360 videos, eCommerce businesses are able to showcase their products in a way that is authentic and engaging which is not possible with the usual photos and videos.
Some eCommerce retailers are now starting to use a mix of 360 videos as well as augmented reality so that they can better present how their products actually look to their customers shopping online.
Marketing
360 videos can take your video marketing efforts to the next level when you know how to create them the right way. These videos amp up the benefits of video marketing to a higher degree because of how it can be more effective in engaging audiences.
By creating 360 videos for your business, you can pull your target audience in and give them a viewing experience which feels more immersive, entertaining, realistic, and engaging.
Sales
For both B2B and B2C businesses, 360 videos have had a major role when it comes to sales. These videos allow viewers to experience a realistic demonstration of a product or a model that is still in development.
Two particular industries that have been creating 360 videos are the automotive and real estate industries. For the automotive industry, 360 videos can help simulate what a buyer can see inside a vehicle before taking it for an actual test drive.
For the real estate industry, potential buyers can watch 360 videos which will tour houses or units without having to travel to these places. That way they can get an idea of the size and look of these areas before seeing them in person.
Best Examples of 360 Videos
Here are some of the best examples of companies maximizing the potential and capabilities of 360 videos:
The New York Times
For a special cover, the New York Times created a 360 video that not just showed the streets of New York but also the process of how their cover is created and placed near the Flatiron Building in New York.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0-89v4Fk-M
GoPro
In line with GoPro’s brand identity of capturing action-packed adventure, it created a 360 video that puts you right in the middle of the action. GoPro gives you a firsthand experience of what it is like to be a part of a skydiving team.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj1E-Gc5RyQ
National Geographic
As part of National Geographic’s “Into Water” 360 video series, this video lets you explore Indonesia’s waters and coral reefs. You are accompanying a marine social ecologist as she goes through living with locals and learning about their fishing methods.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwsDcbCfqZI
Discovery
Discovery’s 360 video lets you experience the sights and sounds of a real gondola ride through the Venice canals. You will get to see the beautiful architecture the way people will actually see it when riding these gondolas.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgV7gRSDKts
NBA
The NBA gives you a behind-the-scenes look of all the activities during their All-Star Weekend event in 2019. You get to watch footage from their photoshoots and also have a front view look at the best moments that happened on the court.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7V_CPZ_77Y
CNN
Unlike the previous examples shown, this 360 video by CNN is an animated video which takes you on a journey across time and space to find out what will be next for humans in space.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz8og_hcpzE
Disney on Broadway
To promote their Aladdin shows, Disney on Broadway allows you to join the cast’s performance of “Friend Like Me” through their 360 video. They didn’t just give viewers a front row seat of the stage and performance, but they also included graphics and fun facts which can be seen when you turn the video.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Q3fkwq7Pw
BBC
BBC’s 360 video puts you at the heart of one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza. In the video you are able to pass through stone blocks that make up the Pyramid’s core.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMzouTzim0o
If you are interested in having 360 videos for your business, then our team at fewStones can help you out by creating them for you.
With fewStones, you will be able to work with a top video production company who is able to provide high quality videos that meet your budget requirements. We can help you create the best 360 videos by providing you with our Matterport services.
You can visit our website to learn more about the different video services that we offer to clients like live action videos, 3D animation videos, 2D animation videos, personalised videos, and live streaming videos. You can also get an instant quote for free by clicking here.
