Sequoias: The Story of Giants

Director, Editor, & DP

GoPro

Among the first

Sequoias: The Story of Giants in VR is a passion project I was able to produce, direct, and edit while working at GoPro in 2015. It was shot entirely with prototype GoPro (VR) cameras and showcased how that emerging technology could achieve novel perspectives and immersive visuals — making it one of the first VR stories that GoPro released leading up to the launch of GoPro OMNI.

The film demonstrates new storytelling approaches using prototype technology, distributed in partnership with Facebook's Oculus Platform.

Back Story

This 360 video was shot in October 2015. The consumer 360 camera solutions were over a year from being available, but the GoPro media team was eager to test and experiment with the early model prototypes. I got my hands on two and followed my tree biologist friends into Sequoia National Park in the hopes of documenting their research study.

Originally released on Facebook’s newly acquired VR platform Oculus, it was never posted to the official GoPro YouTube channel.

This video was a labor of love and displayed all the early spherical quality limitations: noticeable stitch lines, out-of-sync shutters, and the familiar 360 jitters from footage that couldn’t stabilize properly. Even though it was a deep dive into new technology, I could utilize much of my 3D animation experience to understand certain aspects of the post-production workflow. Nonetheless, It was a massive experiment for me. In the end, I was proud of the final result.

The way I see it, technical limitations invite you to be a better problem solver, and this project became an essential milestone for my future role as an Associate Creative Director with a knack for tackling stories outside the stereotypical GoPro subject matter.

“Deep in the canopy of the Giant Forest, tree biologist Anthony Ambrose heads upward to gather sensors placed earlier in the season to collect water data. Why? It's part of a more extensive study to see how these massive Sequoia trees respond to warmer and dry climates. ”