The Evolution of Immersive Filmmaking
Is Apple's new film Submerged set to revolutionize, reinvent, or even register as relevant in the world of film making and storytelling?
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“Is this the future of filmmaking?”
That’s what Director Edward Berger says after making Apple’s newly released short film Submerged (which is only available on Vision Pro).
Immersive film has been “attempted” for a long time. The first screening of a 3D “immersive” movie was The Power of Love, which premiered on September 27, 1922. It was a silent film that used red-and-green anaglyph glasses and dual strip projection to get the 3D effect. And we can’t forget about Smell-O-Vision which was used as part of the 1960 film Scent of Mystery and included 30 different odors that were released into the air and the seats of a cinema at precise moments.
These may have been crude attempts, but they weren’t the last attempts. 3D technology has come a long way, and many famous films, including Avatar, Gravity, and Toy Story 3, have been made using this technology. But despite all the advances, the truth is that 3D films still feel like a bit of a gimmick. Sure, people might go see one on IMAX for the 'experience,' but the technology has never succeeded in transforming the experience or elevating storytelling in any meaningful way.
So with Apple releasing Submerged as the first scripted film made for Apple Vision Pro, you have to ask yourself, is this next evolution of immersive filmmaking going to revolutionize storytelling as we know it, or is this just another gimmick likely to fade into obscurity?
Before trying to answer that, I think it’s important to know a bit more about the film and how it was made. Let's start with the fact that they designed an entirely new camera system specifically for the film.
It’s an 8K camera that delivers a 4K image to each eye. It provides a 180-degree field of vision, which means that viewers can look side to side to see different details. With the sound recorded in Spatial Audio, viewers might need to turn their heads from time to time to see where the sound is coming from.
The sound, mixed with the 180-degree field of view, almost transforms the audience into camera operators. If a sound comes at you from the left, does the camera need to point where the sound is coming from, or can we just let the audience take control and look? These types of options provide the director with entirely new and unexplored techniques to use, and Submerged definitely uses them.
The camera points at the action, but the sound gives you reason to look around. Sometimes, when they need to focus, they push into a close up. My interpretation was that this was the only way to truly control where a person is looking and it is very effective.
In fact the viewing experience is amazing. It doesn’t hurt that the film was written and directed by Edward Berger, the Academy Award winning director of All Quiet on the Western Front (which if you haven’t seen you should). He says in a 5 minute making of video that this story was designed for this type of film making and it’s easy to see his point. A submarine is confined but filled with sounds, making it easy to keep the audience focused while also allowing them to feel like they are in the middle of the set.
The unfortunate thing about this film is that very few people will see it because it is only available for viewing on Apple Vision Pro and sales of the device are far from widespread. You can go to the store and get a demo of the device to watch part of the film, which is what I did. It is pretty amazing and definitely leaves you wanting more
The strategy and commitment to the Vision Pro is amazing though. While one of the biggest challenges of the device was its lack of content, Apple is creating entirely new camera and image capture technology, along with a content library to accompany it. Beyond Submerged this includes:
NBA All-Star Weekend - I haven’t seen this confirmed yet, but it does look like there were immersive cameras at the event. This would make a huge amount of sense as the 180 degree view would provide people with a feeling like they were courtside. And while the Vision Pro is expensive, floorside seats are even more so.
The Weeknd - Apple is partnering with the artist to launch a immersive music experience that supports the launch of the new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow
Concerts for One - This is going to be an intimate concert series, which from the sound of it is strangely reminiscent of both Quarantine Concerts and Jimmy Fallon's mini confined spaces concerts. (See the Green Day example concert here)
Adventure - An immersive episodic show that follows athletes taking on amazing challenges.
The commitment to content and to partnerships with sports and music reflects a commitment to the format that is oversized when considered in relation to the number of headsets sold. But for fans, this will be more than just passive consumption; it's an invitation to engage actively with the content. From exploring the intricate details of a film's setting to uncovering hidden narrative threads, Immersive film opens up a realm of possibilities that could keep audiences coming back for more. The desire to grow the audience through content is likely an hint that cheaper devices are on the way in the not to distant future. But the question is, that be enough to make these must-own devices?
The Pros: New Horizons in Engagement and Exploration
Enhanced Engagement: 180 degree field of view + spatial sound can captivate audiences in ways traditional media cannot. By stimulating multiple senses and offering a more embodied experience, viewers might feel a stronger connection to the story and characters.
Innovative Storytelling Techniques: People love stories where they have to figure something out. Stories that make them think, because that is a deeper level of engagement. Telling stories where the important actions aren’t always right in front of you, but instead might be triggered by sounds designed to get the viewer to turn their head in one direction or another provide new ways to communicate with the audience and make them feel like they are actively discovery the story and not just passively being entertained.
Easter Eggs and Expanded World-Building: With the ability to create more immersive worlds, filmmakers can develop richer, more detailed settings. It will be easy to for them to hide little easters eggs for fans to discover within the film. This is something that fans love and talk about a lot. In fact there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to spotting Easter Eggs in films. The ability to hide things that people need to look for could become an interesting tool to foreshadow while also providing fans with more content to explore and potentially extending the lifespan of a film through even mover interactive experiences.
The Cons: Challenges in Control and Narrative Structure
Loss of Directorial Control: Does the director lose control of what people are looking at, and does that detract from the film? The answer is a great big maybe. In Submerged this is well managed through a combination of sounds and close-ups, but done wrong, it’s easy to see how this could also allow for confusion where people look the wrong way and miss crucial plot points or emotional cues.
Technical Challenges: Producing high-quality content is resource-intensive. This film required a special camera, and new production workflows in order to support the sound requirements. Beyond this, the 180 degree view also impacts how you might set up the shot. Think of all the lighting equipment that is typically required to light a scene. With such wide vision it would all have to be behind the camera or it would be in view. This type of complexity will be a challenge, but maybe that is one that AI masking tools will solve quickly.
Separation: Watching a film on the Vision Pro is amazing and fully immersive, but also isolating. This isn’t how you might choose to watch a film with your kids. And least not in the current form factor.
Limited Access: For now the audience for this type of film remains small as device sales and distribution are still limited.
So is this the future of film-making?
It’s far too early to say that, but Immersive Film in this format definitely gives directors an entirely new vocabulary that they can use in telling their stories. And with Apple’s commitment to the format, I hope to see a continued pipeline of innovation in this space.
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