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A number of earnest concerns emerged around the time when the cinema embraced its 100th anniversary at the end of the 20th century. Among the issues raised was the question of the cinema’s sustainability as a medium. Will the cinema be able to survive in its original form in the next century? A considerable amount of pessimistic predictions surged amongst the fin-de-siecle mood with a few even declaring the ‘death of cinema’. 

 

Such declaration was valid to a certain extent with the actual ‘death of film’ as the world moved into the 21st century. Nevertheless, the cinema rapidly expanded its realm by joining forces with digital technology. 

Computer graphics entered a new territory through superhero movies, while a major revolution occurred in 3D technology as represented through the film Avatar. Resolution in digital films continued to improve, and sound systems such as Dolby Atmos have taken major steps forward. The main issue of A/V culture of the 21st century is ‘expanding the experience of the senses’ which virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) is currently at the forefront as it pushes ahead.

In fact, VR has been a subject discussed for quite some time, especially as a familiar item realized in Sci-fi films from time to time. However, it wasn’t until fairly recently that talks on a VR technology with the intent of popularization began, and in this sense, 2016 can be marked as the year of a ‘full throttle start’ in the field of VR. The most symbolic event was the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) whereby 48 world-renowned companies such as Korea’s Samsung as well as NASA participated. 

The key item displayed at the exhibition hall was the Head Mounted Display (HMD) combined with a 4D chair which added a more realistic dimension. 360-degree cameras and high performance PC and game devices that make VR possible were showcased. 

VR or AR technology is currently evolving by the day. Especially the speed of hardware advancement seems to parallel that of the attention VR is receiving at the moment. The problem though is the content. What will fill all that space created by VR technology that continues to grow at great speed? Here we introduce a few leading Korean companies that focus on paving the way for new fields in VR content. 

 

There are 3-4 companies specializing in VR A/V production such as music videos or short films. Existing production companies have upgraded their equipment to create VR contents. 

Among the group is Verest. Specializing in 360-degree photography, Verest has already showcased dozens of videos through the YouTube channel. Their K-pop girl group Bambino’s Oppa Oppa VR music video generated several millions of hits. Founded in 2015, Verest’s beginning. If most VR-related companies started out from an interest in hardware, Verest maintains its efforts on pursuing contents. 

“Sooner or later the time will come when hardware specificity won’t matter so much, but in the case of content, a particular company can stand out in the competition” states Verest’s President KWON Ki-ho. The strategy and goal in terms of content for Verest is to create good-quality content within a short time frame, or work on a ‘1-day system’. According to the YouTube user breakdown, global users consist 90% of its general user base. Verest is currently gearing up to expand into the international market. 

Mooovr who attended CES with the cinematography solution they developed in 2016 is a company that has been attracting attention in the international VR contents market. The company, founded in 2011 at a time when the VR market was almost nonexistent, is now moving into their 7th year. 

Compared to their short history, the company boasts advanced technological expertise. Through their stitching technology which connects images shot from 5 different cameras for a 360-degree view, they are planning to apply their VR shooting camera rig for covering baseball game broadcasts. Their ‘GiGA VR Mobile Baseball Live TV Broadcast’ will be showcased this April during the three home games the KT Wiz team is scheduled to play during the season opening. 

Mooovr’s President KIM Yoon-jeong expects this to be a “major event that will mark a significant moment in domestic and international media history”. The company is also working on a VR experience program for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. 

Jamong is not just a platform for simple video streaming, but one that strives to use VR video for reactive contents. This is to adopt an interactive method whereby images can be continuously replayed when the VR user fixes their gaze on a specific point, or add an explanatory function through pop-ups, as well as create a bifurcation at a specific point. This is a perfect approach to educational content which Jamong is focusing on. Meanwhile, Jamong is the first Korean company in this field to deal in adult contents.

Last but not least is THE VR whose strengths lie in documentary video database. The company introduced China’s Great Wall through Google Expeditions last year, and released a VR application on Dokdo Island. THE VR which carries extensive expertise in Panoramic VR such as 360-degree aerial photography, aims for developing content and achieving platform automation to promote active VR experience. The company also displays great merit in high-quality VR images through their computer graphic technology.