Virtual Tour shenags

A brief post about the Virtual Tour group shenanigans!

In my previous post concerning Ghosts of Building 20: The Virtual TourI elaborated on the fact that my main job was mostly initial research and on-the-day photography shoots. I did all of the back-up panoramas using Linh’s trusty iPhone 6 and I did I say shaking? I recognised that my default is a total pivot-less idiot so contorting my body 180 degrees to get the full shot was a bit harassing. In any case, what I really found enjoyable and a learning experience is finding the best spot to do the panorama of large rooms (courtroom, in this project), an L-shaped courtyard that was ridiculously awkward at first try, and dark interiors. Did someone say post-production?

I’m keen on the final product and how everything’ll turn out.

Ghosts of Building 20: Virtual Tour

Title: Ghosts of Building 20

Type: Virtual Tour

Crew:
George Downing, David Spencer, Jake Baldwin, Jackie Matthews, Cassie Chiong (moi), Stephanie Wu and Marcus Pedrigal

PURPOSE
The Ghosts of Building 20: Virtual Tour is a platform for the Ghosts of RMIT‘s students to showcase their individual work for the semester.

ROLE
My role in this project was initial research for free platforms that will host our virtual tour. This included trying out the tours myself online and assessing which one could best represent our works and the building itself. Our group often utilised class time and our Ghosts of RMIT Facebook page to communicate by sharing links, posting and commenting. On the day prescribed for filming, Stephanie, Linh and I went about in taking the photographs and panoramas required for Jake, George and David to install and eventually stitch together in the final form.

Steph and I mapped out the general outline of Building 20 and the paths we would take before going about in taking the photographs. All three, including Linh and I worked really well together, making sure to take turns in capturing images, doing panoramas and making certain that the photographs we took had a sense of continuity about them.

In terms of peer collaboration, the team worked really well. In my part anyway, we communicated very well and we got things done as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Some aspects that would require movement would include proper use of equipment for aforementioned continuity as sometimes we would do guess-work with camera placement. But this is a minor thing.

IN THE MEDIA

The Virtual Tour is such a great way to showcase our individual works. The audience and viewers are granted a 360-degree perspective of the building and I think this is the best way to fully appreciate and have a feel of the Old Magistrates’ Court as it is an incredible architecture, grandeur and the very hauntings of the place lies in having the full feel of the place. Though it is still incomplete as of yet, the viewers will be able to walk through empty hallways showcased in mine and my peers’ works, enter courtrooms and courtyards, surveying the area that could not be done by any passer-by. For Building 20 is a fortress of such a huge magnitude from the outside.

Through research, I believe that the industry is making more room for Virtual Tours as most Universities, even RMIT, have employed this platform for marketing, advertising, and giving viewers the immersive feel. Museums, galleries, hotels and restaurants, real estates and even restaurants have also used the Virtual Tour platform.

I believe that, reflecting on the semester, especially when it comes to augmenting place, Virtual Tours are a sure way of giving meanings to spaces. And with our individual works, instead of simply using digital portfolios and simple websites, the interface of a Virtual Tour really does give it the immersive experience, allowing everyone to really have a feel for the spaces and places around them. It also reflects the concepts and themes we have discussed in this studio in this studio very well. Though it takes a lot more work than simply presenting using digital portfolios, the outcome, in my opinion, is a lot more arresting, fluid in its motion and you are swept away in it.

And let’s not forget the teamwork that goes along with it too.