[This short story from CinemaBlend explains, and includes a 2:05 minute video clip of Steven Spielberg explaining, how the director used virtual reality to bring the virtual reality described in the novel Ready Player One to life in his recent film. Here’s a quote from the clip, which explains the screenshot below: “My avatar had a virtual camera and so if I pressed a button I could either start a video recorder and do actual shots by walking through the virtual set or I could do frame grabs.” I agree with the author’s endorsement: A group of us here at Temple University had a fun presence experience when we went to see the film in a local IMAX theater. –Matthew]
Watch Steven Spielberg Direct A Ready Player One Scene Using Virtual Reality
By Sean O’Connell
July 4, 2018
Tackling Ernie Cline’s Ready Player One created all sorts of new obstacles for Steven Spielberg, despite the fact that the legendary director remains on the cutting-edge of most storytelling techniques. It’s one thing to shoot a movie that takes place in an alternate, not-too-distant future where the bulk of our civilization lives in stacked trailers. For most of the movie, Spielberg had to create a digital realm known as the OASIS, where avatars interact and go on adventures, all in the name of solving a pop-culture-infused treasure hunt. How did he do it? An exclusive clip CinemaBlend now has from the Ready Player One DVD and Blu-ray shows that Spielberg created the OASIS using VR. See how [in the original story]
The Ready Player One bonus features take audiences deep into the making-of process on Steven Spielberg’s latest film, from the way that it deftly recreated the 1970s and ’80s touchstones of books, television, music and movies (hello, Stanley Kubrick), to the way that the director reimagined the OASIS, as it was conceived on the pages of Ernie Cline’s book. How does a director DIRECT scenes that take place in a virtual world… since one would assume that he can’t take a look at physical scenes and realize where his cameras should go?
As this clip explains, Spielberg was able to don a VR headset and “see” the scene as he storyboarded it. It allowed him to make visual changes in the moment, and concoct his sequences before they went into the camera — or the computer, so to speak. It’s a new way of directing, and it doesn’t surprise us on the least that it’s Spielberg who is at the forefront of the push of this particular envelope, reinventing how stories like Ready Player One are told.
Released earlier this year, Ready Player One tells the tale of Wade (Tye Sheridan), a lonely gamer who’d obsessed with the game created by his idol, Halliday (Mark Rylance), who will leave his fortune to whomever solves his riddles, Willy Wonka style. The film found its audience, earning $581 million worldwide. That’s good for Spielberg’s sixth-highest grossing film! Watch the trailer, to get a sense of the magic [see original story].
Ready Player One currently is available on digital. It will reach DVD, Blu-ray and 4K on July 24, and can be pre-ordered now by clicking here. It’s one of the best films of 2018, and should be picked up. You will have a blast pausing every frame, combing for pop culture Easter eggs.