Virtual Reality content production has received a boost in the UK after Nokia announced the European launch of the OZO professional VR camera last night.
Also announcing new post-production partnerships to advance the creation of VR experiences, the Nokia kit records film in 360-degree audio and video – all with stereoscopic 3D for playback on VR headsets
The impact could mean big things – with sporting events, concerts and new immersive film experiences all likely to be born out of the tech.
“OZO enables the creation of immersive virtual reality experiences,” said Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies.
“Through OZO we can feel more present in the lives of people we’ve never met, and widen the circle of empathy in ways we could never have imagined before. Technology that moves us this deeply is technology that moves us all forward.”
Nokia is keen to get the tech into the hands of creatively-minded people and said there is uncertainty about available tools for VR content creation.
In response, it announced a partnership with Deluxe to provide post-production services for OZO VR content, including editorial, stitching and colour. The company will also work with more than 3,000 artists to support VR experiences created with OZO.
Additionally, Nokia announced that post-production software tools from London-based The Foundry, including NUKE, will soon support 3D content created with OZO.
To watch the OZO films, users are best off with a high quality VR headset, limiting the tech’s use until such devices go mainstream – but even mobile phones and a Google Cardboard set-up will display the video.
Meanwhile, content creators looking to buy an OZO are looking at a £43,000 price tag.
