Think of a traditional split-screen in a movie – you can see two different places and actions taking place, they coexist. Mix that into a 360 VR environment and you are now able to watch two different stories happening simultaneously. They both culminate at the same time, and affect one another at the same time. You as the viewer get to decide which one to watch or to look between both.

“The 360 ‘screen’ is so vast we don’t have the means to see it all at once. We physically cannot look everywhere in 360. And yet, to not utilise it all, or to leave areas of interest to chance glances from the viewer, seems a waste of space and effort. Without a reason to look in different directions the power of 360 is missed as it’s not being looked at by the viewer,” says Guy Sclanders, creative director of Global Access’ creative agency.

Concurrent narrative overcomes this ‘waste of space’ by presenting the viewer with multiple perspectives within a single 360 environment. 360 VR has the capacity to hold multiple storylines without infringing one another. The world is split into two zones of 180 degrees. Each zone presents a unique perspective of the same real-time event. The viewer can then choose what they watch – ‘editing’ the narrative point of view as they choose. This puts the viewer in control of their experience of the 360 film and the story told within.

Guy started this project with the vision to explore the technology of 360 VR and give the viewer a chance to see all sides of a story and realise there is more to life than just one perspective. “When we are presented with new technology it is our duty to explore it as a means of telling better stories. If it doesn’t do that, if it hinders, or changes, or reduces our story then it has no place in our creative world. 360 is an awesome ‘new’ technology that presents us as storytellers with a canvas that literally encompasses us. For the first time we can be in the picture, not just looking at it with distractions around us,” Brad Wilson, MD of Global Access says.

“I believe it is our responsibility as a company to do everything in our power to explore this space and task it to do everything that we cannot do both in reality and in traditional media – to take us into a new space far away from home,” Wilson adds. 

You can watch the short film here

For more information, visit globalaccess.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.