About 360° Production Equipment

From a production perspective, 360° media brings up all kinds of new challenges and opportunities — for example, the concept of “behind the camera” no longer exists!

For this Challenge, you will need:

360° Video

If you are creating 360° videos, you will need:

• A 360° camera: These cameras capture videos and photos in 360 degrees. They use two or more lenses to capture the whole scene (up, down, all around) and then stitch the images together into a sphere. Many consumer cameras come with mobile or desktop software that will stitch the images together automatically. Also, many cameras include an internal microphone that will capture ambient sound.

360° Photography

If you are creating 360° photos, you can use a 360° camera or you can capture powerful 360° images using just a smartphone and free 360° image tools. There are a several ways to create a 360° photo:

• A smartphone camera: Use a smartphone camera to take a panorama
  360° apps: Use an app like Street View or Google Camera to capture a 360° photo on your smartphone
  A 360° camera: Take a 360° photo with a 360° camera, such as the Samsung Gear 360 or Ricoh Theta

Optional:

• Editing software: Though it’s possible to create a short 360° video without using editing software, you will likely find it useful for more complex productions. The products are changing all the time in their ability and ease of use for 360° video editing. Don’t assume the video software you already have will edit 360° video — try it out and do a little research into other products.
• A tripod: A tripod is extremely helpful for avoiding unnecessary movements. Your 360° camera will capture everything, so you don’t need to pan or tilt the camera, and there is no “behind the camera” so anyone holding the camera steady will appear in the shot!
• A VR headset: The headset is what you use to watch 360° video and virtual reality in an immersive environment. Some headsets require so much processing power that they must be connected to a computer, but many are relatively cheap because they operate using a smartphone and app.

Equipment workflows will vary depending on which tools you use. In general, you will capture video or photos on the camera, and transfer the files to a computer or phone to view them in the headset (some headsets use a computer and others use a phone to operate). You can edit your files on a computer using editing software, and then export them to view your finished files in a headset. Finally, you can upload your completed media to a video or photo hosting platform online in order to share it.

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