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Cinematic VR Crash Course - Produce Virtual Reality Films (Udemy.com)

Learn How to Produce 360° (3D) Video Content Like the Pros and Become a Virtual Reality Expert

Created by: Nick Kraakman

Last updated March 2018

Our take

Based on the ratings of 2,599 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in March 2018. No course pays to be reviewed.

Nick Kraakman's course is a short, free walk through the full cinematic VR workflow: picking a 360 camera rig, scripting, shooting, post-production and distribution. It runs about 2.2 hours across 13 lectures, and the biggest block is post-production at roughly an hour. The syllabus shows five sections and four quizzes, running from introduction to distribution. It suits filmmakers and the simply curious who want the lay of the land before spending money on gear.

Reviewers mostly like it. They say the explanations are clear and that it showed them which tools they would need and which bottlenecks to expect. The complaints are consistent too. Many slides are just condensed text, and a few people want live footage of equipment in use. One reviewer hit dead links and dated material, another found the English subtitles badly off, and an early reviewer wanted PC coverage and a real explanation of stitching.

The last update was March 2018, so treat camera and software details as history. Of 2,599 ratings, most are four or five stars, which fits the 4.2 average. Because it costs nothing, it is a low-risk way to find out whether 360 filmmaking appeals to you before you buy a rig. Anyone who needs current gear advice or deep stitching training should look elsewhere.

Best forFilmmakers curious about 360 video who want a free, quick tour of the full shoot-to-distribution workflow.
Skip it ifYou need current camera advice, hands-on stitching training, or interactive VR rather than 360 film.

Pros

  • Covers the whole pipeline in 13 short lectures, from scripting to distribution
  • Reviewers say it clarified the tools needed and the bottlenecks to avoid
  • Free, with about 35,700 students and a 4.2 average from 2,599 ratings
  • Includes example footage, a glossary and a gear resource list

Cons

  • Last updated in 2018, and reviewers report outdated material and dead links
  • Many slides are text only, and reviewers want more live footage of gear in use
  • Stitching goes unexplained, and one reviewer wanted PC coverage, not just Mac
This course really boosted my confidence level with the complete info of what sort of tools I would need, and the bottlenecks I might find, and how to avoid them.
Nadenasaba Kobhinath, a student

Listed for all levels. Best for beginners to VR, though one reviewer with some experience still found a few new tips.

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What you will learn

  • Create your own immersive cinematic VR experiences
  • Pick the 360 camera rig that fits your goals
  • Become an expert in virtual reality filmmaking
  • Get access to additional materials, like example footage, a glossary, and a list of resources
  • Learn all there is to know about cinematic VR in one place, in just a few hours
  • Be one of the virtual reality pioneers

Course content

5 sections · 13 lectures · 2.3 hours of video 4 quizzes

  1. 1Introduction 2 free previews3 lectures · 20 min
  2. 2Pre-Production3 lectures · 18 min
  3. 3Production1 lecture · 11 min
  4. 4Post-Production5 lectures · 1.1 hours
  5. 5Distribution1 lecture · 8 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • People interested in cinematic virtual reality
  • Filmmakers who want to start shooting 360 video experiences
  • 360 filmmakers who want to learn new tricks & techniques

What you need before you start

  • No prior experience with VR or 360 video required
  • If you know what virtual reality is, you're good to go!

How it compares

Against the other 293 rated Udemy courses in Video Editing & Animation on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.2 out of 5higher than 14% of them
  • Reviews2,599#13 of 294 by number of reviews
  • Length2.2 hoursshorter than 70% of them
  • Last updatedMarch 2018earlier than 89% of them

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Course Description

“[VR is] the next major computing platform that will come after mobile." -- Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook

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Are you a filmmaker who wants to learn the secrets of producing immersive video content for virtual reality headsets? Then read on..

People interested in cinematic VR drown in the waterfall of tech news, become demotivated by the utter lack of clear information, and get lost in the jungle of obscure internet fora in search of much needed tips and tricks. This is why many simply give up..

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of problems you need to solve before you can finally start shooting some content? Do you ever feel lost in the technological jargon? Then this course is for you!

The Cinematic VR Crash Course teaches you everything you need to know to start shooting your own mind-bending cinematic VR experiences. From selecting a 360° camera rig and scripting, to the actual shoot and distribution of your content, this course covers it all in 10 high-quality, to-the-point video lectures.

Besides video lectures, this course includes example footage to get a feel for the material, a glossary to explain key terminology, and a list of resources to help you acquire all the gear you need to get started.

Concepts are introduced gradually, so that even a beginner will be able to follow along and become a virtual reality expert in no-time!

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

✔ Understand all aspects of cinematic VR

✔ Film and produce your own cinematic VR experiences

✔ Take on paid assignments with confidence, because you'll know how to deliver

✔ Record and mix ambisonic audio

✔ Select the 360° camera rig that fits you best

✔ Discover the limitations and possibilities of this exciting new medium

✔ Get our 360 file management software for free

✔ Gain knowledge that few possess

✔ Become one of the Virtual Reality pioneers

✔ Plus much more!

So do you want to discover how to produce VR video content like the pros? Then click "Take This Course" to start your Virtual Reality journey today!

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Instructor Details

Nick Kraakman

Nick Kraakman - Virtual Reality Expert

Nick has been running successful businesses since his first year in University, and is currently pioneering the field of cinematic VR with Purple Pill VR, run by Nick and his co-founder Thierry.

Over the past months, Nick and his colleague were one of the first to develop their own 360° 3D camera rig and produce high-quality cinematic VR experiences. It was a bumpy ride, and now Nick wants to share the insights and experience they gained along the way.

✔ Virtual reality expert

✔ Cinematic VR pioneer

✔ Successful online instructor

✔ Serial entrepreneur

✔ Public speaker

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Reviews

4.2

2,599 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Andrew Wilkinson on 11/16/2019

This was a great refresher on cinematic VR. While the majority of the content was not new to me, I did find a few pieces of new information that was interesting and useful. I definitely recommend this as a starter course. I would suggest some additional information concerning interactive VR. Going by the comments there appears to be some confusion between Cinematic VR and Interactive VR.

By Bryce on 11/11/2019

The course has provided a lot of information I have been seeking about Cinematic VR. The only critique I would give is the course needing more visual aid for each topic presented. Too many slides have only words and phrases that are just condensed versions to of what the narrator says. More visual examples will give better clarity to what the narrator refers to and brings up.

By Jeffrey Pruitt on 8/29/2019

I would like to personally thank you that was awesome the course was very informative and I believe it will help as many people who decide to watch and review it over. To create greT vr I knew nothing about vr but want to put a cyclorama in my basement so now im taking an augmented reality course to do mixed reality content for the non profit I will open in future. Thank you sincerely Jeffrey Matthew Pruitt

By Orlando Nelson on 12/20/2018

I personally would have used more examples for the practical use of VR. I stumbled upon this course with the expectation of learning skills and techniques, learning workflows and simplifying steps in the production of VR while in reality I just understood in general how the VR world works. I just wished there was more to this course. Anyways the teacher was professional, the teaching was good, the pictures displayed made sense and it did help me a bit. Good Job and I hope to see you do a more in depth course on VR production with tangible examples.

By AL Gray on 5/22/2018

I have been working in Immersive Video for over two years now. And I have to say this is an excellent in depth view of the process and considerations when producing VR content! However, it IS a developing field, with new techniques and technology being released every day. Keeping this course current is going to be very hard, but I'm sure this will give anyone a torough grounding in this medium. ????????

By Ronnie Rivera on 2/22/2018

Very well explained in very understandable terms. The teacher (Nick) make some concepts that may be difficult to comprehended very understandable. I felt he covered the subject of VR Cinema in a clear way, I had no previous experience with it and yet I was able to grasp the concepts as he taught. Great job Nick! Thank you for sharing you knowledge with us.

By David Birch on 8/17/2017

The course is very well presented and from a novice perspective seems to be very informative. Although I may not have the budget for the 16 GoPro rig described in one section the explanations of technology and the options for production, distribution, etc. were very useful for my understanding of this field without having to invest in many hours of research of my own.

By Angela Dalton on 4/20/2016

I'm really glad I both found and completed this course. I've been looking everywhere for a beginner course in VR that I could build off of my film production experience. Nick's instruction was easy to follow and, at completion, I do feel very confident that I can deliver VR content. I already have a project that I can't wait to get started on!

By Patrick Luce on 12/4/2015

I just wish they covered working in PC as well as Mac. They also fail to explain the most difficult part of the process - stitching.

By Manoli Tsigonakis on 10/5/2015

Nick you did an amazing job on this course! It's obvious that you guys at Purple Pill VR have spent a lot of time creating this, whilst covering as many subjects as possible. Before I started the course I wasn't sure if I would learn anything new, I was so wrong! I now have a far better impression of what I still need to work on before I can start filming my own VR content. Thanks again and im looking forward to your big October reveal! Greetings, Manoli Tsigonakis

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Overall Score : 84 / 100