While Vimeo finally has its visionOS application, the competing platform of YouTube and Dailymotion, it now offers spatial content to be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro. Filmmaker Jake Oleson has released a short film called “currents”, with a unique style. Filmed in 8K (two sensors), at 90 frames per second, it offers a wonderful journey to Asia. If you liked Apple’s immersive videos, just download Vimeo.
Free space content
Jake Oleson in Vietnam
Multidisciplinary artist and director Jake Oleson, known for his award-winning documentaries, commercials and audiovisual shows, has ventured into immersive cinema with the new Vimeo application for Apple Vision Pro. His project, currentsshot entirely in space video using a Canon camera with a lens fisheye double, tells the story of Lynn, a young Vietnamese woman arriving for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City.
The appeal of space video
Spatial video captures stereoscopic perspectives, replicating the way humans perceive the world. Viewed on a device like the Apple Vision Pro, which offers 8K resolution per eye at 90 frames per second, the experience becomes incredibly realistic. Oleson describes this as live a story rather than just watching it, thereby breaking down the barrier between viewer and character.
The challenges of filming in space
Filming in spatial format represented a real challenge for our artist. Camera movements had to be controlled to avoid viewer discomfort, while close-ups and framing required an innovative approach. Oleson emphasizes the importance of directing the viewer’s attention, who can freely explore a 360-degree environment. For example, in currentsa scene where Lynn arrives in Saigon intentionally guides the attention through well-thought-out cutting and framing, allowing key moments to remain in focus while enriching the immersion with peripheral details.
The power of immersion
Unlike traditional cinema, space film directly immerses the viewer in the story’s environment, creating a powerful sense of presence. Oleson likens it to being in the same room as the character, perceiving their aura and emotions in an intimate way. This enhanced empathy opens new perspectives for telling more complex and deeply moving stories.
Tips for Aspiring Filmmakers
Oleson encourages experimenting and paying attention to the emotional impact of scenes. It highlights the importance of a slower pace, allowing the viewer to absorb the rich visual and narrative details of the immersive worlds. More than a film, it is a sensory experience.
The short film is accompanied by a “trailer” video:
The best asset of the Vision Pro
In conclusion, the Apple Vision Pro probably plays its best role as a home cinema as we explained during our test. We understand better why the most profitable films of 2024 are coming in 3D.
You can find “currents” in the Vimeo app on your mixed reality headset.
