Virtual Reality Video For Warcraft Shows Potential Future Of Movie Marketing

The Comic-Con footage of Warcraft, a Duncan Jones directed adaptation of the video game World of Warcraft, didn't light the world up (the footage they showed didn't seem to get a good reception and it being scheduled between the Warner Bros. and Fox panels meant Duncan Jones tale of Orcs got lost amidst Batman v. Superman and Deadpool shenanigans), but a video (which I've embedded below) that allows a viewer to fly over the city of Azeroth (which I assume is crucial to World of Warcraft lore) has certainly garnered quite a bit of attention, and for good reason. That's because it's a video that makes use of virtual reality by allowing a viewer to have a 360 view of the city and all that surrounds it. Just use the arrows at the top left portion of the video to navigate your way through this sensational video.

I'd heard a lot about virtual reality in recent months, but this was my first exposure to it, and I must say, I'm impressed by the level of detail here. The open world environment of this video also allows for the 360 viewing experience to truly leave an impact on you, as one can really take in all the intricate details of the city floating beneath the viewer. Frankly, I don't think I'd want to watch an entire movie or something in this format, just because it'd be overwhelming to keep track of all the storytelling elements while simultaneously taking in the world around you. Plus, some stories need a more intimate scope in order to heightened tension; for instance, I'm not sure Whiplash would be improved at all if I could look away to another corner of the band room while J.K. Simmons berates Miles Teller.

But that doesn't mean this sort of video doesn't have its own storytelling possibilities to offer. Actually, this type of video could work like gangbusters from a marketing perspective, especially for something like a non-sequel motion picture like Warcraft. These virtual reality videos could allow a way to introduce characters and heretofore unknown worlds in a manner that would be rushed or unsatisfying in a typical 30 second TV spot. Just imagine a 2 minute long video allowing you to walk through a battle between orcs and humans. As this Warcraft video shows, there's real unique promise in virtual reality in the realm of marketing and I'm fascinated to see where it goes in the years to come.