Is this the next concept in Virtual Tours?

Fred,

You're right.  That is VERY cool!

Very cool!  I wonder how much time it took to put that together.  Something tells me it wasn't a weekend project...

 ILW

Excellent use of a virtual tour to sell.  I wonder how many cameras they used! 

Look here for some of Ikea's low-tech brilliance. This sort of stuff is inspiring. Brilliant people.

http://inventorspot.com/articles/ikea_element_surprise_7332

It's called BULLET TIME.

It is not a practical technology for doing a home because it requires many cameras mounted on a rail and having them expose the scene either simultaneously or in rapid succession - In the Ikea example, the cameras were fired simultaneously.

The clip below shows the technique being implemented in the filming of The Matrix - here you can see all the cameras lined up on the rail. Keanu Reeves is being held up by wires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZh787eKeEw 

I would estimate that each scene in the Ikea probably cost $50,000 at minimum to produce. It takes DAYS to set these shots up, the equipment is expensive - figure even using a Canon 20D and decent lens would cost about $1,500 and you'll need a couple dozen of them. Then add the set design, the lighting, models, stylists, and the rest of the crew and you can see why special effect movies cost $200 million to make. 

If one wanted to do something like this, what would you use to play the images?  I've seen Quicktime and Flash "Object VR" players which allow you to glue a sequence of photos together.  It looks like most of them assume a complete circle (sort of like what IKEA has done) that when you end one sequence it bleeds into the next sequence.  That's an interesting way to run through the rooms.  What's neat about this is the "fun" that they've put into the action that they've caught.  Without the right creative script, I think it could look pretty "gadgety" (i.e., look what I can do) rather than fun and entertaining.  HERE'S A PROBLEM: Many MLSes prohibit the display of people in any virtual tours.  Of course, that's exactly what makes these fun.  Remove the people and how do you get the same fun effect?

In a virtual world where we are dealing with consumers switching between tours it is the load time that is the key element. The quicker the tour loads, the better the chance that your audience will stick around. If I am presented with a loading screen I rarely have the patience to wait, unless it's something that I really want to see. Virtual tours for real estate and commercial business, as well as being quick to load, have to look their best in order to represent the broker/agent but don't need to be too heavy. In and out, as a Broker friend of mine is apt to say. If a consumer likes what they see in a quick and fairly straightforward virtual tour the call will come... For a look at what I consider to be the right tool/tour check this:

www.VirtualTourSample1.com

The load time is minimal, images crisp and clear and the information is in all the right places. It isn't Hollywood, then again it doesn't need to be. Virtual tours have come a long way and have branched off in a gazillion different directions. My suggestion would be to find a solution that serves your clients well, without breaking the bank. Virtual tours are representative of the Broker/Agent, so the choice to use and the solution should not be taken lightly...

Have a GREAT weekend!

Chris 

Fred...awesome find.  Of course the equipement and cost is way beyond what I can do personally...but...what do you think about using actors in a video....I think it was way more compeling to watch the ikea video when there were people (actors) in the shot...that's what caught my eye...and then I started looking around the kitchen...would this translate to video?

Bob Pacieznik

The Matrix  is one of my favorite movies - I fell in love with the  bullet-time effect  the first time that I saw the Gap ad on TV.

Seeing that presentation really got my creative juices flowing. More than the bullet-time effect, what really struck me is the wide-screen format. Why couldn't I give my clients the same full-screen experience?

So, here it is - the next generation of the OnlinePropertyShowcase™

 Click the link to check it out:

OPEN CONCEPT COLONIAL

Jay Groccia, Principal Photographer

OnSite Studios