We were asked to create an interactive experience to be used in TECNIS clinics to show the effects of cataracts on patients and caregivers and the solutions that J&J TECNIS offers; specifically, the TECNIS Symfony lens.
We've also been asked to refine the existing creative approach, using the storyboard and creative direction provided by McCann Health to take an already compelling idea to the next level. We settled on VR and 360 video technology to give the user the best immersive experience.
We'll let our viewer toggle between symptoms and 'clear' vision, ultimately creating an interactive experience that's easy to navigate. The viewer will experience symptoms of mild, medium and severe cataracts.
Technical considerations
Transitioning between locations
Traditional editing doesn't work in VR, as the user is 'in' the scene, for them a 'cut' would feel like jarring teleportation. So how do we make transitions between scenes without making people nauseous?
Charcter moving forward
Traditional editing doesn't work in VR, as the user is 'in' the scene, for them a 'cut' would feel like jarring teleportation. So how do we make transitions between scenes without making people nauseous?
Using dissolves
We could use smart techniques, context and/or transitions. We have implanted this in the revised storyboards. After each black dissolve our character finds themselves. in a different location. We use this teleportation trick, until the very last ending of the film.
Tech discussion points
Why does the character not have a body?
-
This could make viewers feel disconnected, since the body may not match their physical appearance
-
The body would not be matching their real-life movements
-
It would make the film more difficult to shoot
Creating effects in Unity or post-production?
It would be recommended to think very carefully about how we create the visual effects in this film. We would recommend for blurriness not be done in post, if this effect would be applied in the actual image, then what would happen when the user moves the head? All in all, we used a variety of different techniques on various software.
*Demo not available online as it was an offline vr experience for eye specialists only.