A Virtual Reality Course: Basics, Types, and Relation to VFX

An introduction to virtual reality for beginners: learn the main concepts and its relation to visual effects

4.6 (ratings 170) | students enrolled 2,993

Vicki Lau

English

19 Lessons

Beginner

Certificate Available

What Will You Learn?

1. The current VR terms used in the visual effects industry
2. Know the different types of software used in the industry for different types of VR
3. Learn from the different real-life use cases of VR in the visual effects industry

Curriculum : 1h 42m

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Description

Virtual reality is something that our ancestors would proclaim as witchcraft. In our times, virtual reality is a concept that almost everyone knows. Some have tried special headsets for traveling to other three-dimensional environments. In this virtual reality course, we will be taking a look at the concept of virtual reality from different perspectives, starting with gamers and ending with the healthcare industry. 

After learning VR basics, people might be inclined to believe that virtual reality is a tool for entertainment, adding another layer of tension to gamers. However, in this virtual reality course, you will learn about the applications of VR outside of the gaming industry. For instance, VR is gaining more and more attention from military and government organizations that apply the VR technologies for training their units for hostile and dangerous situations. 

Introduction to virtual reality 

As I have mentioned, people from different industries see virtual reality from differing points of view. For some, VR is just technology for entertainment. For others, it is a tool to improve doctors’ skills through simulated operations. In my case, I regard virtual reality as a simulated 3D environment, a fully immersive digital application that may or may not be interactive. 

In this introduction to virtual reality, I mention the potential of VR for different industries. Therefore, do not treat VR and its special equipment as a child’s game: this full-fledged technology is not just here to help gamers kill monsters in a more convincing environment. 

VR can provide different types of experiences. VR basics often mention the classic headset VR, which means that you need to wear specific gear to enter the digital environment. 

However, there is also room-scale VR that people can walk around and experience different settings through projections on the walls, ceiling, and ground. Another type is a retinal projection, which might seem more hardcore than other types. It shoots laser beams into your eye through a device resembling glasses. 

Besides the differences in the devices used, this virtual reality course will also introduce you to the types of VR in terms of content and software. More on this in the actual course tho. 

What else will you find in this course? 

Before going any further, I should emphasize that this virtual reality course is not practical, meaning that we won’t be attempting to create our digital environment. However, this VR tutorial will provide you with the types of VR and its different applications in industries. 

After learning the principles of virtual reality, we will talk about the relation between VR and visual effects, such as making sure that the created imagery is seen as near-perfection on the screen. Furthermore, both aim for cost-effective production. One important concept in this virtual reality course is cinematic VR and how it relates both to VR in general and the visual effects. 

We will analyze some case studies to get the idea of how companies were able to integrate virtual reality technologies into their businesses. I was a part of the development of multiple of these companies. Therefore, I will be able to provide some interesting insights and tips in this VR tutorial as well!

Requirements

Basic understanding of film production and the production process

Instructor : Vicki Lau

Multi-Hyphenate Artist, VFX Pro, TEDx & Keynote Speaker

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Vicki started as a humble student of digital media back in the small city of Singapore with a background in visual effects in film and television and computer programming. Without any contacts or connections in the United States, she began her career at the age of 18 from Singapore, working her way up into the Hollywood film industry and landing her first break working on AMC's hit series, The Walking Dead. Since then, she has worked on movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy, War for the Planet of the Apes and the recent Aquaman.

At only 24 years of age, she was one of the youngest speakers and presenters at the SMPTE Annual Technical Conference in its time, where she was a panelist and speaker for virtual reality in motion pictures.

She gave a TEDx talk on visual effects and virtual reality in May 2016 at Napa Valley, CA and in November 2018, was invited to speak as a keynote speaker at Elliott Masie's Learning 2018 conference, along with keynote speakers Former First Lady Laura Bush and Hamilton star Leslie Odom, Jr.