Jessica Brillhart shows us what it's like to be an immersive VR director.

Jessica Brillhart comes from a traditional film background, but was frustrated by the restraints it imposed on her. She started doing VR films to unlock her whole potential and has since done several groundbreaking projects, including an AR piece on the importance and history of the LA river.

[@mlombardo9]

I don’t get it. Can’t a story + graphics, for example, bring you into the history of the LA River? Why is VR necessary? How is this anything more than pretty visuals, and kinda empty sentences about the tech, data, the future, and existence? Not trolling. Earnestly seeking insights.

[@ajmccarthy3896]

Have you ever actually used VR? It's like asking what the difference is between looking at a photo of the grand canyon and actually standing on the edge of the canyon and having the ability to look around and actually experience the size and scale of it. VR, while not being the real thing, can immerse you pretty successfully into a different environment and the results are pretty astounding when done correctly. If I'm a kid and I want to learn about the LA river, is it more appealing to look at a flat image and read about it, or is it way more interesting to actually see it for myself and kneel down and see details or rotate my head around and see how far it stretches or how the horizon meets the surroundings?

[@mlombardo9]

@@ajmccarthy3896 I have. Not with the kind of success that you're implying. But that's definitely - education I mean - a compelling use case. The pretentious talk that exists in the space can obscure the simple promises of practical application for me. Thank you for breaking it down.

[@ajmccarthy3896]

@@mlombardo9 I hear you 100%. There's a fine line between execution and self congratulatory hype. But I think when it's done right, it can be pretty amazing and eye opening. Time will tell for sure :)

[@thesdfable]

I guess you didnt watch the video properly.... of course story + graphics can do the same thing, but differently. Some might prefer story and graphics, for another VR might work better to understand stuff. It is not about necessity. No one is saying that VR will place all other mediums. But it has a different effect and it is definitely way more interactive and immersive. And interactivity and immersion means better communication. Only text(story) would also work by it self for some people but for most you would need graphics to support the content. which is the same case for VR. VR can include text, sound, images even touch. The more senses the better communication.