The use of technology and the film-making approach were very impressive. I had found myself thinking I was situated with the people in the film. When detailing the scene with the airplanes earlier in this column, I used language to refer to myself, not just as the viewer of the film, but a viewer who was standing outside the tape, as though I were there.
I question how genuine a connection one could truly have with the people in “The Displaced”—or in any future films The Times produces—when the technology and the necessary devices are so obviously and literally in your face. The aspiration should be for the message and story to trump the medium, but it’s obvious that Marshall McLuhan was right: you cannot separate the two.
“The Displaced” actually exists as a lengthy feature article on their site, supported by numerous photos. I read the article after I had experienced using NYT VR and found that the combination of the two—getting immersed in the refugees’ world both through the app on my phone and by reading the static prose and imagery—provided a more holistic view of the refugees’ world than either accomplished on its own. It certainly will take time—and, honestly, a solid experience design strategy—for virtual reality to blend with other more traditional forms of storytelling to create the best, most immersive experience. Nevertheless, I’m eager to see that future.
See the full story here: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2015/12/new-york-times-virtual-reality-how-innovation-can-simultaneously-connect-and-separate.php