Spotlight Stories: My Favorite VR Films from the Google Lab

Mid-March rolled around with some tragic news: Google announced it would be closing its in-house VR studio Spotlight Stories – a studio that has produced a number of charming short films in virtual reality and 360 degrees over the years. To mark this occasion, I re-watched all of the Spotlight Stories and created a list of my favorites for you; exclusively for this first issue of the new VR Geschichten newsletter.

Documentary Series in 360 Degrees: Chasing the World

Some people just tend to look a little awestruck. As if, in each and every second, they realize anew the insanity and wonder of the world around them. Daniel Bury is exactly that kind of person. And when you get to know him, the first thing you want to do is tell him all about yourself – he’s a great listener. Those might be two of the reasons why he has found himself travelling the world since 2016 – while making the most astonishing encounters, which he captured in his 360-degree documentary series Chasing The World. This approach awarded him his second appearance at the Cannes NEXT this year.

Interactive Film in 360 Degrees

Many fans of VR associate 360-degree film most strongly with one thing: watching instead of participating. Satisfying a role this may be –  the more time I spent in the goggles, the greater the wish becomes to be part of the story. I start catching myself exhibiting little ticks: nodding, tiptoeing around, laughing, speaking, gesticulating into an empty room; only to realize: “Oh right, that doesn’t work here.” Quite frustrating, actually; and I was not the only one to feel this, as they are amongst us: interactive films in 360 degrees, of which I have compiled some particularly striking examples in this article (including my favorite of 2017!).