When we launched the 360 Filmmakers Challenge two years ago with Oculus VR for Good, we began with the hypothesis that young people could contribute to testing the boundaries of a new medium: 360° film. Looking back at the dozens of films that students created from 62 schools and youth organizations nationwide, I can confidently say our hypothesis bore fruit.
Today we are thrilled to share with you some of the top films produced in the Fall 2017 Challenge. These stories will make you laugh, think, smile, shiver, cry — just don’t get your tears on your VR headset.
Above all, we hope you see within these stories the value of putting emerging technologies into young people’s hands and helping them develop relevant technical and creative skills to produce their own stories. The evidence speaks not just to their skills, but to the power of learning experiences that are student-driven, purposeful, and supported by skilled educators.
The Tour
Winner of the Make Waves Award for inspiring action for positive change, and the Hack 360 Award for an ingenious solution to achieve a special effect
Utica Center for Science and Industry in Sterling Heights, Michigan
Someone Else’s Shoes
Winner of the Community Matters Award for sharing what makes your community special
Light House Studio in Charlottesville, Virginia
School Has One Syllable
Winner of the Learn & Grow Award for helping people learn something new
People In Education in Detroit, Michigan
Honorable Mentions
Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions, on behalf of Digital Promise Global and Oculus! We’re excited to take the program in a new direction in 2018, so stay with us — we can’t wait to see what young people around the world produce next.
