WWE Steps Into Virtual-Reality Ring With Samsung
WWE’s first VR video features 360-degree highlights from SummerSlam weekend, including the showdown between John Cena and Seth Rollins and the surprise appearance of Jon Stewart as host. The other video recaps the match between Finn Bálor and Kevin Owens at NXT TakeOver, a WWE Network special that took place the night before SummerSlam.
In producing the content, WWE ensured that the VR crew at SummerSlam didn’t interfere with the live crew for the pay-per-view broadcast. “We were able to put (the virtual-reality camera operators) in positions where they were a fly on the wall,” Wilson said. The VR camera rigs Reel FX used were relatively small, she added, and the bulk of the time and expense was in post-production editing.
WWE was an especially good fit for Samsung’s VR content push, Apfel said. Not only do the companies’ target audiences intersect, but WWE’s content provides both “proximity and polish” — it’s shot from ringside vantage points and has high production values.
“For (intellectual property) owners, the strategy is pretty clear: If you think virtual reality is going to take off, you have to have these experiments and experiences to learn and perfect, and then you start to build an audience,” Apfel said.
See the full story here: http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/wwe-virtual-reality-samsung-oculus-vr-1201633182/