Pearl Response

This was such a cool experience. I've never viewed a 360 YouTube video, but the ability to move around the scene made this short film so much more meaningful. The storyline is already extremely moving and sentimental and sweet, but feeling like I was sitting in the car myself made me feel connected with the story and made it personal. I love the relationship that this dad has with his daughter and even though there's very little dialogue or explanation throughout the plot is crystal clear. I loved all the small details like how the daughter holds her breath when she drives through tunnels or how you can see that the dad is a starving artist but all his daughter sees is a talented musician. I loved the role that the car played in the daughter's life and in her relationship with her dad. And I loved how the story was a wave of highs and lows but ultimately ended on a happy note (pun intended) that came full circle.

Even though this wasn't truly VR, I think that videos like this and other virtual reality experiences give viewers a deeper insight into the work they're looking at. While I was watching "Pearl," I got to choose which aspect of the video I wanted to focus on. Sometimes I would look out the window of the car to see where I was, acting as a passenger along for the ride with the dad and his daughter. Other times I would focus on the actions of the father and daughter and watch them like I would watch a movie. VR gives viewers the freedom to manipulate their interpretation of a piece in a way that is most meaningful to them. I really enjoyed "Pearl" and I hope to explore more pieces like it in the future.

Lily