Attention professionals interested in making virtual-reality films: The first camera purpose-built from scratch to do the job may finally be here.

Today, Jaunt VR, a Palo Alto, California-based startup, unveiled what it said is the world’s first pro-grade camera designed from the ground up to shoot cinematic virtual-reality content.

Called the Neo, it is meant to be used in conjunction with Jaunt’s existing hardware and software VR film production system, and supplants the company’s previous-generation camera–which was essentially a heavily modified set of GoPros with a special casing.





Jaunt is hoping to become the platform of choice for the filmmakers, advertisers, entertainers, and others who are increasingly producing videos and movies using 360-degree virtual reality. Among those who have used the company’s technology are musician Paul McCartney, film director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy), and The North Face apparel company.

The Neo comes at a time when cinematic VR is gaining a bigger foothold across a variety of industries–it’s been used to shoot everything from concerts to adventure sports to short narrative stories. After April’s catastrophic earthquake in Nepal, a dramatic VR film shot by the media company RYOT and narrated by Susan Sarandon showcased the medium’s storytelling potential by letting viewers see the impact of the disaster on the Himalayan nation.

The Neo hopes to make VR even more accepted, and is designed with a wide range of pro-level features including a large-format, high-speed image sensor that can shoot in low light, and the ability to shoot in slow motion. These bells and whistles already have some professionals eagerly anticipating the camera.

“I’m excited,” said Christina Heller, the CEO of VR Playhouse, which produces short virtual-reality films. “We will definitely use [the Neo] if it delivers what it’s promising. I feel like if there’s a company that can pull it off, it might be Jaunt, because they have a lot of money, and they’ve been working on this for a long time.”