The Protectors

Oculus Rift Experience on WithIN

Software
360 VR Film

Company
WithIN

Timing
9 minutes

Narration
From National Geographic Documentary Films, “The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes” chronicles a day in the life of a ranger in Garamba National Park. These rangers are often the last line of defense in a race against extinction at the hands of poachers slaughtering elephants for their ivory tusks. The narration changes as we hear the testimony’s of the different rangers. They speak in their native tongue, which although the user cannot understand, the subtitles can be read.

Subtitles
There are subtitles, which are in the center of the screen but integrated in 3d space a bit (angled a bit with the user perspective and not linked to the user’s point of view). In some scenes, where there is a lot going around visually, the subtitles may be at two different points of view in the case that the viewer prefers to look at another view.

Cinematography
360 film, not interactive. The quality is low res. There is a moment where they show a map which has been edited into the space.

Framing and Point of View
It’s a bit like a nature documentary. You have the ranger’s perspective for most of the trip, as if you were travelling around with them on the hunt for poachers. This includes walking and moving in tall grass which is a bit nauseating. 

Color Palette
Real life film footage

Composition
Varied, some scenes are quite short. It is more of an adapted 360 documentary film, where with different points, we see different footage. It is a bit jarring, due to a lot of footage of movement in space. 

Looking Around
You are in the environment, the cameraman goes on the hunt with the rangers, so you look around quite a bit due to the fact that your point of view is generally where the camera man is looking (in real life). There was no 3D sound.

Storytelling
It was a linear story, no opportunity to fast forward, rewind or change your pace/location in the story. This was ok, I was not bothered by the lack of interaction, but at times when you moved a lot and I felt sick, I wanted to fast forward through that bit.

Sound
Sound was important for the authenticity. The narration is recorded separately from the footage (like a nature documentary) but by the rangers in their own language. This was effective in getting the 1st person narrative straight. There was a soundtrack of music underneath which was important for setting up the atmosphere and linking the whole experience because there were many different scenes and shots.