We recently produced a really fantastic immersive video project for Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter. We were first contacted by them through Interactive Ontario and as they were looking for someone that could donate a small VR arcade booth to entertain donors at their annual fund-raising event. We met with them at their facility and we were inspired to instead create an immersive video tour of the shelter and show it to attendees of the event.
For safety and security reasons the Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter address is kept confidential, and as such very few of the attendees at their annual fundraising event are aware what it even looks like. We set the shooting date and they brought in a former client that we interviewed in one of the family apartments at the shelter. She told stories about her time at Ernestine’s and how important it was for her and her family to receive help and support. We then moved room to room and captured static scenes of all the different rooms, common areas and resources that the shelter offers, showing potential donors what their contributions help support.
We had to digitally remove ourselves from every interview scene
As this was a non-profit project, Charles Street Video was able to support us by providing their insta360 pro camera at a discounted rate. Combined with Tribe of Pan’s in house equipment and resources we were able to shoot the video, stitch and edit it.
For the fundraising gala night, Ernestine’s purchased two Oculus GO headsets for showing the video at the event but also for use in their own outreach work and as something clients of the shelter can use. We brought our two Oculus GO headsets as well and set up at the event.
The responses we received from different attendees was incredible. Many were amazed to see the facilities for the first time, others who were former volunteers and clients felt strong nostalgia and affection for what Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter did for them and the community. VR video taking them back there felt incredible, as many of them said.
It was a really amazing project, and we were very happy to contribute our efforts to make the immersive video! It really demonstrated the power that immersive storytelling can bring.
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