Virtual reality is about to get a little more mainstream, thanks to Google receiving a nomination at this year's Oscar ceremony, for its 360 degree short film, Pearl. It becomes the first virtual reality movie to be given the nod in this manner and joins other award winning VR films like Henry, which won an Emmy in 2016.
Pearl was released as part of Google's Spotlight Story series which saw it debut a number of short, 360 degree experiences. Pearl follows the story of a car and its owners, who span generations and find new ways to connect to one another through the shared experiences that that car gave them.
UploadVR has it that the above film isn't exactly the same as the one that's been nominated. There was a theatrical version which Google also put together and released ahead of films like Big Hero 6 in the cinemas, though it was never released to the public.
Of course anything shown on a big, 2D screen like a movie theatre's, will not have the 360 effect that Pearl was designed with in mind, but either way it's great to see it getting such recognition.
This should help drive more filmmakers towards the 360 degree, VR medium in the future and will raise the profile of VR cinema to the millions of Oscar ceremony viewers.
