Google took the I/O opportunity to show off its latest Spotlight Story, called Pearl. The film was shown off at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, but now anyone can watch it on YouTube.
So what’s so special about this particular video? It’s not just a static video — not only can you move the screen around to look where you want, but you can also interact with the video. Depending on where you look, you’ll see different things, and the environment will change accordingly. It was also directed by Patrick Osbourne, known for the likes of Wreck It Ralph, Big Hero 6, and Tangled.
Osbourne himself talked about the film at Google I/O, saying that he wanted the audience to be in control more.
“We let the audience sit in the passenger seat, and treat it more like theater than film. I tried to spotlight the action and direct the attention of the audience, but it’s completely okay if they wander, and I made sure the story would read no matter which direction they were looking — even if you’re not looking the ‘right’ way,” said Osbourne.
Sure, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a 360-degree video from Google, but this one certainly has more depth than the others. To check out the video for yourself, all you need to do is open it up on YouTube on Android or in Chrome. If you’re an iOS user, you can even head to the App Store and download the Spotlight Stories app, where you’ll be given full interactivity. Google also uploaded a video showing the making of the film, which you can check out below. And, if you want to see the entire Spotlight selection, head to the Spotlight Stories YouTube channel.
