Simon Weaving

The nature of narration in cinematic virtual reality filmmaking

University of Newcastle, UK

This presentation explores the dynamics of narration in cinematic virtual reality filmmaking (CVR), with a focus on the options for the positioning of the viewer, who find themselves in the middle of the story world, with control over their gaze. This shift represents a loss of control for the film director used to narration that focuses on the traditional frame/cut/frame approach, and challenges the screenwriter who can no longer write with a specific gaze in mind. Whilst guidance techniques (Rothe 2019) are possible, these undermine the very nature of the 360° environment and start to reduce the unique features that come with immersion of the senses.

Through the use of a research case study that involved the development of three short CVR film works, the presentation examines ways to conceptualise viewer positioning: either as an invisible and unacknowledged presence; an acknowledged but invisible character; or as an embodied being visible to other characters in the story world.

The presentation argues that once a viewer is acknowledged, they become a character in the world, almost certainly present in every scene, and known or knowable to other characters. This type of presence demands a high level of consideration from the screenwriter, much as any central character in a narrative would receive. With embodiment comes another set of challenges, both technical and ethical, but whatever positioning is chosen, CVR filmmakers need to fully consider the changed nature of narration with the medium in order to make the best use of its immersive properties and ability to generate emotion and empathy.

Dr Simon Weaving is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle, with research interests in screenwriting, film production and movie distribution. A filmmaker, writer and festival director, Simon has made a number of award-winning films and wrote and directed the VR film Entangled in 2019.