Creve Coeur Sailing Association – 3D 360° Video, Application, & Activation (2016)

CASE STUDY

CLIENT:
Creve Coeur Sailing Association

AGENCY:
n/a – direct with client

DELIVERABLES:
• 3D 360° VR video vignette
• Branded 360° video application

TECHNOLOGY:
• Custom-built Stereoscopic 3D 360° video camera rig
• Custom 3D 360° Algorithmic Stitching Correction
• Videostitch
• Kolor
• PTGui Pro
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Unity 3D
• Blender

OBJECTIVE:
Create an immersive video vignette to boost interest and encourage new participants to try sailing in-person, ultimately leading to new memberships for the Creve Coeur Sailing Association. Once complete, host an activation on-site at Creve Coeur Lake to give passersby and CCSA members alike a new perspective of sailing, all contained in a branded VR experience.

SOLUTION:
ShowMeVirtual filmed a 3D 360° VR video vignette using our custom Sherpa camera rig, a Stereoscopic 3D 360° video camera rig that captures 3D depth, along with our Scuba camera rig, a custom waterproof and underwater 360° video camera rig. Filmed in just a single day during one of the Creve Coeur Sailing Association’s monthly races, the VR experience details everything from the origins of Creve Coeur Lake, the history of sailing, and what it means to embody the spirit of sailing as an enthusiast. Sailboats of a few different sizes were filmed both from the shore and on the boats themselves, actually taking the viewer out on the lake with the club. After filming the vignette, we went through a tedious, detailed cleanup process of the footage, including use of our own algorithmic stitching tool in order to remove as many seams as possible in each final 360° video clip. At the time of filming these experiences, it was an industry standard to have visible seams between each camera in the 360° rig, but we were able to eliminate these seams entirely in our final processed footage for this activation.

We then built a custom 360° video player application for the Samsung GearVR headset using Blender and Unity3D. The application housed our completed 360° video all within a branded menu and loading page, maintaining frictionless CCSA branding throughout the entire experience. The 360° video experience was then premiered at the St. Louis Science Center, where several hundred visitors tried the experience on the first night. With great feedback from the crowd, we then brought the activation out to Creve Coeur Lake on another monthly race day, showcasing the VR experience to the club’s sailors along with bringing in people casually walking around the park or watching the sailors race. After the on-site activation, the 3D 360° VR experience continues to promote the Creve Coeur Sailing Association through digital platforms, having amassed nearly 100,000 combined views on Samsung’s MilkVR, Veer.TV, YouTube, and Facebook.