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Comment by Animats | Hacker News Reader

It's about time.

VR is hard for most directors to handle. Steven Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) likes pans over detailed backgrounds. His 3D is done with a light touch - nothing ever appears in front of the screen plane. That looks good, which is why "Avatar" launched the 3D boom. Cameron wants higher frame rates so those long pans don't have strobing.

Too many other directors use 3D to pretend they're doing a roller coaster simulator. They put stuff in your face to make people feel they go their money's worth viewing the 3D version. That's just painful.

Next to go down: VR headsets. The technology has been working for years now and there's still no killer app beyond 3D shooters.

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> VR headsets. The technology has been working for years now and there's still no killer app beyond 3D shooters.

I disagree. It's niche, but it makes 3d movies feel like a joke. Most technology pieces have been about the sum of their parts anyways, not a single killer app. Certain things stand out like Zelda or Mario for nintendo, but Sony & Microsoft have done well by having a number of good games to buy. While VR is a set of shorter experiences, more and more keep coming up. A number outside of the shooter space.

James Cameron*. No one since has put in the amount of time into getting the details right, Avatar was an unbelievable experience and it is 8 years old. He really deserved to win best director, he really pushed the boundaries of what is possible in film and it went somewhat overlooked.

Avatar didn't really work for me much. Movement was so glitchy with the technology.

He didn't win best director because he failed to push the boundaries of what is possible in storytelling and basic cinematography. Take away Avatar's "unbelievable experience" and all you're left with is a very subpar, watered-down Science Fiction rip-off of Dances With Wolves, but with worse acting.

I hope I'm not the only one but I really dislike interactive VR. I really don't like being forced to move around to get a full experience. I know it can be fun but I would rather just sit there and use a controller. I would however be fully on board with a 'personal entertainment' headset. If I could put on a headset and play video games, watch movies, etc in privacy that would be pretty awesome.

> His 3D is done with a light touch - nothing ever appears in front of the screen plane.

The first time I saw the Warcraft trailer in front of a 3D movie I got extremely irritated when some stupid Orc stood up in front of the screen and I instinctively tried to lean over to see around him.

It seems like it's a neat effect but, like many things, it should be used only when it adds significant effect or impact (imho never).

There's more than one anecdote from actors talking about directors saying things along the lines of "Guess it's time to do that m'f'ing 'Wooo 3D' shot they're demanding I put in"

  VR headsets. The technology has been working for years now 
  and there's still no killer app beyond 3D shooters.

Have you ever actually used a VR headset? You are being overly dismissive of its potential.

Yes, from the HTC Vibe all the way back to Jaron Lanier's original demo rig with two SGI machines.

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