Assignments

Throughout this course, students will be required to complete assessments via TRACS, post to our 360 Video and Virtual Reality Facebook Group, and complete projects and exercises. Below are descriptions of assignments and requirements:

Facebook Group Posts (5%)

Students will be required to post to our 360 Video to our Facebook Group throughout the semester.

• 360 Video Example Post (5%) – Each student will be assigned a specific day to share an example of a 360 video with the class. Students will be required to post a link to the Facebook Group before the date they are assigned, with a short explanation of why they thought it was effective in storytelling, and why they think the media organization chose to tell that story as a 360º experience, instead of using traditional media. Examples are below, but students must choose their own to share with the class.
  • The Displaced
  • Visit Hamilton Island in 360˚ Virtual Reality
  • 360 Holiday Tour at the White House
  • Mega Coaster: Get Ready for the Drop (360 Video)
  • Great White Sharks 360 Video 4K!! – Close encounter on Amazing Virtual Dive

Projects (30%)

Project 1 – Time Lapse (10%)
Students will be required to create a 1-2 minute time lapse 360 video. Using cameras provided, students will work in groups to plan, film, edit and publish their videos. Filming must occur on campus at Texas State University, and projects must exhibit skills learned in the classroom, including:

Requirements:

• 30 seconds to 1 minute in length
• Time lapse
• Text before and after the video
• Two separate filming locations on campus
• Music (audio) throughout
• Published to Facebook or YouTube

Project 2 (10%) – Virtual Tour
Students will work in groups to create a 2-5 minute virtual tour of some area of campus or San Marcos locale. Using cameras provided, students will work in groups to plan, film, edit and publish their videos.

Requirements:

• Two (2) to five (5) minutes in length
• At least 4 different areas at the specified location
• Must use hand gestures / narration to help story along
• Text in every scene
• Music (audio) somewhere within the piece
• Published to Facebook or YouTube

Project 3 (10%) – Build a VR Environment
Students will work in Unity to build their own virtual environment and deploy it to an Oculus Quest headset. Objects must be interactable and must incorporate teleportation.

Requirements:

• At least one scene
• One skybox (sky)
• At least two interactable objects
• Deployed to Oculus headset

In-Class Exercises (15%)

• VR Demo Environment (5%)
• 360 Photo Story Exercise using Story Spheres (5%)
• Augmented Reality Exercise (5%) – Build your own augmented reality experience with Apple AR Kit

Final Project (30%)

Students will work in groups to plan, film, edit and publish a final 360 video story. Each student will be responsible for their own final project but will work in groups for filming.

Some potential ideas for this are:

• Clouds Over Sidra
• Tour of Google Data Center
• Wild Dolphin PSA

Video Requirements:

• At least 5 minutes in length
• At least 4 different areas at the specified location(s)
• Must include at least one interview with someone not in the group
• Must tell a specific, meaningful story
• Must use on-camera gestures or audio narration with B Roll to help story along
• Text before and after the video
• Music (audio) somewhere within the piece
• Published to Facebook or YouTube