The Challenge:

How could we make a Graphic novel readable in Virtual Reality? Would it be engaging enough or simply look like a PDF floating in a void? That would be a waste of the vast screen real-estate that VR and VR headsets provide.

After many iterations, the answer became obvious: It’s Virtual Reality, it’s a virtual world… why not let the audiences ‘enter’ the panels of the Graphic novel itself!

The result: Dirrogate — the first Graphic Novel in VR.

(view in fullscreen HD and use mouse to move)

Virtual Reality is about immersing the audience in an alternate reality. The best way to accomplish that in the Dirrogate graphic novel was to shoot live action real world scenes and composite in CGI.

No trivial matter this! Currently it’s hard enough for AAA studios to do a decent job with VR content in 2D-360. Stereoscopic 360 VR is a whole different beast to tame.

A few months in the making, everything that went into the creating of the VR graphic novel had to be self taught. The resulting knowledge shared on the RealVision Knowledgebase. It is encouraging to see visits from some big name Hollywood studios, lasting a few hours at a time.

Currently, Dirrogate:Memories with Maya vol.1 is trending on VR hosting platform, VRIDEO where viewers can see it in 2D or in stereoscopic 3D with supported VR headsets.

A higher rez offline stereoscopic version along with the screenplay that the graphic novel was based on can be downloaded for $1.50 from GumRoad

Have we hit on a formula for creating compelling experiences in VR through the pages of a graphic novel?

If viewers like what they see, perhaps Google and GoPro take notice and send over a JUMP camera… Maybe Nokia takes notice and an OZO comes our way!

There’s Samsung’s Project Beyond too.

The camera rig used for the graphic novel was a DIY rig that had to be conducive to Guerrilla style VR (that’s how we got the airport shot)

The first gen Ricoh Theta in a stereoscopic config was used. Hence the low resolution. It did not yet shoot video either. A clever morph workflow in Adobe after-effects gave the scene movement.

While higher rez stereo 360 cameras are nice to have, we have years of experience in one area that’s hard to come by — Stereography and Depth sculpting. An important ingredient when it comes to suspending the feeling of disbelief in the brain.

Are there VR investors out there looking to invest in Graphic Novels in VR? Get in touch.