Following a year of secret development, we are excited to announce Flying EYE™ – a groundbreaking, 6K, broadcast quality, live streaming VR drone.

Flying EYE Introduction Video

This represents the first broadcast quality live streaming 360 platform in the world, and we are excited to see what people do with it!

For live VR / 360 video, resolution is particularly important. A year ago we went looking for 4K wireless video systems, and were disappointed to find there really weren’t any. In building one ourselves we decided to go beyond 4K to 6K.

The opportunities for streaming live events in VR with a drone are many, and we think this could be a game changer for entertainment, sports, and events.

Please see our Flying EYE product page for more details.

This month’s (November) issue of British Vogue has a great article on VR, and what it might mean for the fashion industry.

Vogue reached out to us a couple of months back to request a photo of our camera on the Oscar’s red carpet earlier this year.

Our camera tech Michael makes a cameo appearance, and while the article itself is not online, you can get it via the British Vogue iPad app. Continue Reading

For several months now we’ve been working with the VR team at AMD to design and build an advanced cinematic VR camera – code-named BB360cc.

Recently this camera captured its first footage, on a VR film entitled “On the Sets of Baahubali”, a behind the scenes look at India’s biggest movie franchise, which returns to cinemas in April 2017 as Baahubali – The Conclusion.

For fans of the movie, which is an epic adventure story on a grand scale, the opportunity to see behind the scenes of their favourite movie was immense. Already more than 1.5 million people have watched the VR experience on YouTube, and for many in India it was their first experience of VR. To help fans get started in VR, the Director of the movie S. S. Rajamouli produced a popular YouTube clip showing how to enjoy the behind the scenes experience. In the final scene in the video, more than 3,000 extras participate, a likely record for a VR film.

The 32 camera, 3D, Blackmagic Micro based rig, was built over two months this summer using rapid prototyping techniques. Featuring 32 genlocked, cinema-grade Blackmagic sensors, the system captures 64 megapixels at 60 fps, with 13 stops of dynamic range, and RAW internal recording, with full manual lens control, and a remote control system for operating all cameras simultaneously. Traditional stitched output resolution is 8k + 8k stereo, and the camera captures fully spherical video, with excellent options for optical flow stitching, and advanced computational stitching.

With the remote control system, a scaled-up version of our patent pending Belafonte Blackmagic Remote Control, the 32 camera system records perfectly synched footage to internal SD cards, with each recorded file having the same number of frames.

Having pre-synched ProRes files made the workflow very manageable and arguably no more complex than a 10 camera GoPro rig.

“We were excited to work with AMD on this project” said Alx Klive, 360 Designs, “AMD understood our original EYE camera vision, and we look forward to seeing how far we can take this incredible technology”.

The nearly 5 minute “On the Sets of Baahubali” gives a glimpse of the capabilities of this prototype camera, and was post-produced in Nuke, with live 360 monitoring using Project Loom – AMD’s live stitching software, which is optimized to run lightning fast on AMD GPU’s.

“When we saw what 360 Designs was doing with their EYE camera, we knew they were an ideal partner to develop the camera we had in mind – one that would match the capabilities of our incredible new GPU’s” said Mikael Bourges-Sevenier, AMD. “This is just the beginning… we plan to show more capabilities over the coming months. “

Transporting the camera from Silicon Valley to Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad was made easier with the system’s modular nature. The entire camera was designed to fit in three Pelican cases, with any component part replaceable. Indeed when the production team on set in India decided they wanted to add 8 more cameras to the original 24 camera design, we simply 3D printed 8 new replacement ‘arms’, to take it to 32 cameras. These were swapped into the rig in less than a day.

two more VR films based on the Baahubali franchise

“We are very excited with BB360cc and the modular nature of the rig designed by 360 Designs, and we plan to use the camera for at least two more VR films based on the Baahubali franchise, said Shobu Yarlagadda, Producer of Baahubali.

Baahubali  – The Conclusion opens in April 2017, and is tipped to surpass all previous box office records for an Indian film. At least two new VR segments are planned, the behind-the-scenes piece mentioned above, and a new groundbreaking VR experience “The Sword of Baahubali” which combines live action and a CGI environment in the Amazon Lumberyard game engine, due for release next year.

For more on our custom 360 and VR cameras, please visit our custom VR camera gallery.

We are excited to announce that v2 of Mini EYE™ is now in stock, and with some surprises.

There’s a heck of a lot of news, with some major announcements, so here’s the highlights:

• Mini EYE™ is back in stock – you can order Mini EYE™ 3 or Mini EYE™ 4 right now
• For the first time you can make-your-own Blackmagic 360 camera rig, using the same lenses used on Mini EYE™, with our new Mini EYE™ Starter Kit
• We’ve added the option to purchase Mini EYE™ without the cameras (for those who already have them)
• We are now offering for sale our Mini EYE™ Monopod
• We are excited to launch StitchBox™ – our powerful, pro-grade live 360 stitching machine, and MixBox™ – a live 360 switching and 4k encoding box. This for the first time allows broadcast-grade, 4k 360 streaming at a realistic price. This follows months of field testing on major live 360 productions.
• We are now offering individual Mini EYE™ parts for sale – such as J-Boxes, rig frames, custom camera cables, genlock kits and more. This is a big change from offering complete camera packages only. If you are just getting started with Mini EYE™, you can begin with our starter kit and add parts as you need. Just follow the ‘Other items to consider’ links at the bottom of each product page, and check out our informative blog post ‘Make your own Mini EYE™ Camera‘
• We are trialling a new program for students, individuals and small companies where you can ‘print your own rig‘ – for those with access to a 3D printer
• We’ve updated our demo reel with new Mini EYE™ footage. See our Dropbox for high quality versions and notes on which camera is used where.

With these new products and offerings we hope to improve access to our cameras and live stitching equipment, lowering the barriers to entry for professional 360, and live 360 video.

In terms of our main product news, Mini EYE™ is now in its second generation, and has a number of improvements over the original. More details on the product pages for Mini EYE™ 3 and Mini EYE™ 4.

With our first limited edition of Mini EYE™, we produced just 20 cameras, which sold out early this summer in under a month. With this our second production run, we will be releasing inventory more steadily – 2 or 3 cameras per week at first. Orders will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis, with cameras shipping 2-3 weeks after order.

We have added a new wire transfer option for payment, for those looking to avoid credit card fees and to assist businesses. We are transitioning to channeling all orders through our website.

We have also added a new shipping option which is pick-up/delivery in L.A. Several overseas customers have flown to LA to pick up their kit, and we are happy to accommodate these requests. For non-overseas customers we provide a local delivery service. We do not have a showroom at this time.

All 360 Designs products are developed from our real world experiences in the field, producing professional 360 video for a range of clients. All 360 Designs products are hand-made in the USA.

We hope you like our new products!

It seems like only yesterday that we were first getting our feet wet with the Blackmagic micro cameras, and working out how to build professional 360 and VR cameras around them.

The past 18 months has been a wild ride, but in that time we’ve learned a lot about these lovely little cameras, and most crucially… just how good they are for shooting professional 360 video.

We’ve built over fifty VR and 360 camera rigs using these cameras in the past year, with up to 42 cameras in a single rig, adding up to more than 300 Blackmagic micro cameras in total. Never once have we had a micro camera fail on us. The thought of using that many GoPro’s gives us shudders.

More than their reliability however, is the color science, picture quality and cinematic-grade product, that is Blackmagic Design, which cannot be beat at close to the cost. Our Blackmagic rigs have been compared favorably to RED rigs, by leading RED cinematographers, are better image quality than Nokia Ozo, and are much smaller, easier to work with, and a fraction of the cost of both.

Having the same modularity which GoPro’s offer, arguably their best feature, is what attracted us to the Blackmagics in the first place. They are basically “pro” GoPro’s, with the crucial additional features you need – genlock, all locking pro-grade connections, designed to run indefinitely in use, 10 bit color, RAW recording capability, lens changing capability… and more…, that take your confidence, capabilities and end product beyond what the other cameras can offer you.

We wanted to bring that capability to a wider audience and provide a lower entry level for those looking to own the most desired 360 camera in the world.

With the instructions below, you can now get started with Mini EYE™… for under $7,000, around half the cost of a full Mini EYE™ package.

Continue Reading

Live stitching of 360 video is a major focus this year at Siggraph.

360 Designs is exhibiting our Mini EYE™ 3 camera on the Blackmagic Design stand, with a focus on live stitching workflow using Vahana, and a range of Blackmagic production kit.

Nvidia is also using Mini EYE™ 3 to demonstrate its brand new, free SDK for live 360 stitching.

Watch this space for more announcements regarding live stitching at Siggraph. This post will be updated during the show.

UPDATED: Oct 1st 2016 – Mini EYE Availability

This summarizes current availability of our professional VR cameras and services. We’ve included pricing info for Production Services for the first time, as we know a number of you are looking to create quotes for clients.

• Mini EYE™ – We are currently sold out of Mini EYE™ cameras, however a limited number of cameras (30) will be available imminently for order (as of Oct 1st) with deliveries starting mid October. If you would like to secure one of these, we will be opening up pre-orders very soon. To avoid hitting refresh, be sure to sign up on our Follow page and you will receive an email alert shortly before before we open up pre-orders. Orders will be taken on a strictly first come first served basis, based on a 50% deposit. Kindly do not enquire by email about availability as the response will be essentially the same as above.
• RENTALS – We currently offer camera plus operator packages starting from $3,000/day, available for bookings anywheres in the world. We occasionally rent 360 cameras and live stitching equipment locally in LA, and very occasionally abroad. Please enquire for details.
• We have a limited number of spaces available on our custom rig building calendar. This is an attractive option for people looking to own a distinctive, high end rig. Custom rigs feature 8 – 42 cameras typically, with 8 being a popular option. A custom 8 camera rig costs around $40k for a Micro Cinema Camera version, and $50-55k for a Micro Studio Camera version (with recorders). This offers up to 10k resolution using larger, cinema type lenses. This is the ‘kitchen’ footage and (to large extent..) the ‘Palace of Fine Arts’ footage on our March 2016 demo reel.
• LIVE 360 VIDEO – We are extremely experienced with live 360 production and our services are in high demand through 2017. Please enquire as early as possible (1-2 months ahead of time) to check crew availability. We recently produced the Barry Gibb Live 360 event for Columbia records and Sony Music. We provide multi-cam, live VR setups, using our Mini EYE™ 3 cameras, along with specialist crew, and sometimes work in partnership with other production companies on a white label or contracted basis. In the past we have provided cameras, crew, and/or live 360 stitching services at the Oscars, SXSW, Coachella and Copa America among others.
• We have reasonable availability more than two weeks out for high end (fine) stitching services.

Our (slightly outdated) rate card for production and post production services including live 360 events can be found here (PDF)

We were recently invited as guests of the Society of Camera Operators to attend a fascinating event at the American Film Institute in Hollywood, where distinguished Camera Operators talked about the movies they’d worked on and discussed the state of the industry. We also learned which version of Star Wars (2D or 3D?) is best, from the man who filmed it!

The event was a collaboration between the SOC, AFI and the Producers Guild of America, and both Producers and Camera Operators were in attendance. A popular topic was the role of the Camera Operator where a Cinematographer chooses to operate the camera themselves. Another was a viewing session where cameramen demonstrated particular shots they’d made, and the technical background to them.

There were plenty of laughs in the process – Stephen Campanelli, a long time camera operator for Clint Eastwood used the phrase “Fraturday” when describing the long hours that film crews typically put in. He also shared another phrase of how not to be a successful camera operator -“Pan, Tilt and Invoice!”

Daryn Okada, the Cinematographer for Mean Girls and Harold and Kumar got a big laugh when discussing the difficulties of working with animals, saying “I don’t know about your Dolphins… but mine never hit their marks!”

The relatively new role of the Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) on set was also discussed. British Production Manager Dan Lupi regaled the crowd with a number of anecdotes, and respected Cinematographer John Toll offered his take on how the industry has developed since the introduction of digital.

In general the challenges of new technology were a popular topic of conversation, although some admitted to having only modest knowledge of the world of 360 video and VR. This is perhaps unsurprising when you consider all are working back-to-back productions, and relatively speaking, at the top of their game.

We met cameraman’s cameraman Colin Anderson, who recently shot Star Wars: The Force Awakens and is shortly to begin filming Episode 8. He explained how Star Wars was shot principally for 2D rather than 3D, and recommended watching it that way if given the choice.

Star Wars Cameraman Colin Anderson with 360 Designs Founder Alx Klive

We are very grateful to the SOC for inviting us along to attend such a fascinating event!

We’re excited to be unveiling our company and product plans for the first time today at Techcrunch Disrupt, in the VR Pavilion in San Francisco. We’re looking forward to getting first feedback from the tech and VR community on what we have planned, and meeting some old faces and new.

If you’re attending SF Disrupt, and have an interest in VR cameras, please pop by and see us!

We’re very excited to (shortly) be announcing details of our first product – a professional virtual reality camera. It’s an exciting time for us, and we’re looking forward to sharing our design with the world.

It’s something we ourselves have wanted for a long time, and frustrated by the lack of options, we went ahead and built it and designed it ourselves. In the process we think we invented something unique.

If you like Virtual Reality, please stick around. We’ll be announcing product details very soon…