Since the early 20th century, cinema has been a highly popular spectacle worldwide due to the combination of formats. Initially, it was just video, and a couple of decades later, sound was integrated, achieving a union of sensations that stimulated the brain and changed the way we viewed the world and consumed art. Now, there is a much more captivating sensory experience that goes beyond the finite format of the second dimension. We are talking about virtual and augmented reality, a dynamic way of enjoying our favorite series and movies in a more personalized way.

In the last decade, virtual and augmented reality has positioned itself as one of the most striking innovations in the digital world of cinema. It is widely known that the introduction of 3D format marked a giant leap in the audience experience and the development of new technological devices that could support this initial advancement of what would later become virtual and augmented reality.

But what exactly is virtual and augmented reality? It is a format in which the user can enjoy the narrative reality of any series, movie or video through a digital recreation of a world in which they are not only a witness, but can also be a part of it. Virtual and augmented reality envelops the user’s senses and gives them active participation, and that is perhaps one of the most important non-technical characteristics of this new format: the user’s ability to choose what to do and what not to do within the virtual world they find themselves in.

World-renowned series such as Stranger Things have ventured into the creation of content involving virtual and augmented reality, taking advantage of the great dramatic and suspenseful content of their story. To visualize content in this format, it is necessary to use applications that support files of this size and provide all the necessary support for an immersive experience. So much so that Netflix, one of the most famous streaming platforms in the world, has developed its own virtual and augmented reality application called ‘Netflix VR’.

The virtual and augmented reality of this series uses a 360-degree view in which the user can change the perspective of what they see, without being limited to the image shown by previous formats such as 2D. Having a panoramic view of the story makes the interaction between the series and the user more dynamic and offers many possible outcomes of the story, where each user decides which path to take among a series of options.

This interaction between the user and the series is facilitated by virtual and augmented reality glasses that create a sense of enclosure, where the image is presented on two joint screens that, when viewed through the lenses of the glasses, overlap and generate the 360-degree and third-dimensional sensation.

One example of this is the famous Spanish series El Ministerio del Tiempo, which generated an alternate material for the story in an exclusive virtual and augmented reality format, in which each user is the protagonist of the story and experiences the events surrounding the plot, accompanied by the most representative characters of the series in other formats. Other series such as The Simpsons or The Walking Dead have also ventured into creating content in virtual and augmented reality format.

The technology used in the creation of virtual and augmented reality audiovisual content not only allows for entertainment videos, but also for educational or illustrative purposes. For example, this practice is widely used in architecture or engineering because through this format, projects or constructions that previously required a plan or model to exemplify aspects can now be visualized in a video.

XY Studios is one of those companies that create audiovisual content in virtual reality and augmented reality formats, which allows users to see the world under a new and innovative narrative. If you want to learn more about creating cutting-edge audiovisual content, visit www.xystudios.co to see all the possibilities that virtual reality and augmented reality recreation formats have for you and your company.