Telling stories in 360º videos is easier now
24th January 2019
The goal is to bridge the existing gap between content creators and the technology required to add dynamic annotations to 360º videos, which is one of the greatest current trends of the digital journalism. This way, the Augmented Video 360 intends to allow journalists and content producers to create immersive 360º news.
“The information professionals will now have more control and, at the same time, more freedom to edit and to add relevant information to the 360º videos”, explains Rui Rodrigues, researcher of INESC TEC’s Centre for Information Systems and Computer Graphics and Professor at FEUP.
The editor of 360º videos allows content creators or editors to not only upload the videos, but also to complete journalistic narratives with warning calls that they consider relevant for the viewer. These annotations incorporated in the video can be dynamic, with focus points directed to the narrative, oriented 3D subtitles or other type of visual effects.
“On the one hand, we would like to give the opportunity, in an interactive way, for journalists to create annotations in a 360º video (texts, images, etc.), associated with different focus points that can be stationary (such as monuments in a square) or movable (such as two individuals moving in a room). On the other hand, we wanted the viewers to always have visible warning calls for the focus points, even if they aren’t directly in their field of vision. The contents are updated according to the orientation of the observer”, mentions the INESC TEC's researcher.
The Augmented Video 360 is one of the six projects of digital journalism that was funded by the Google’s fund in the second round of applications, which had more than 800 applications. In order to test the technology, INESC TEC had the Público newspaper as a media partner.
In addition to the main criteria such as impact, innovation and feasibility of the project, which were established as parameters from the beginning of the Fund, projects that focused on collaboration and that have been highlighted for prioritising collaborative approaches among publishers, academics, designers and entrepreneurs in one country or in Europe have also been sought. The goal has always been the cooperation between countries, newsrooms and specialities as an authentic way of enhancing the European news ecosystem with new ideas and new technologies.
The Augmented Video 360 visualiser can be tested online at: https://av360.inesctec.pt. The editor, which is currently in beta stage, can be tested by contacting the researchers responsible for this technology through the same website.
For more information:
Joana Coelho
Communication Service
INESC TEC
FEUP’s Campus
Rua Dr Roberto Frias
4200-465 Porto
Portugal
T +351 22 209 4297
M +351 919 119 271