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The Virtual Reality of Our Dreams
How different is virtual reality from dreaming?
Expanding on yesterday’s blog post (“What Will Be Your Spinning Top?”), a primary rationale for trying virtual reality is escapism. The same goes for movies, TV, music, art, vacationing, etc. Escapism is powerful. Escapism is an amazing thing. In realizing so, virtual reality (VR) can take this universal dreamlike pursuit and characteristic of virtually everybody in the world and capitalize on this frequent need and want to explore and immerse ourselves into all sorts of places, real and imagined. It’s not far-fetched to speculate the world we live in today, on planet Earth day-to-day, could become just the ground level of myriad worlds and realities, customized by the individual.
One of the connections made in “What Will Be Your Spinning Top?” was between VR and the movie Inception. While I am in no way predicting a shot-for-shot vision of the film for the evolving technology of VR, I do believe there is an argument to be made that VR will feel more like an indistinguishable dream than a static experience standing in the middle of a Best Buy aisle.
With a headset, of course.
Take a visual ride into what I’m talking about.
Accomplishing something in five minutes that usually takes an hour? Not such a bad reality.
Or dream-like world?
Or reality…?
What Will Be Your Spinning Top?
(Inception, IFC.com)
The depth to which virtual reality (VR) is integrated into multiple facets of our lives and society in the coming decade or so could very well begin the process of introducing a burgeoning world akin to Christopher Nolan’s 2010 mind-bending cinematic epic Inception.
You ever have those days when real life doesn’t quite seem like real life? Get ready because that feeling may be redefined in ways (or dimensions) we can’t yet imagine.
VR is a technological gold mine that has yet to officially strike, well, gold. In essence, VR has amounted to something closer to fool’s gold. Perhaps that’s not an entirely fair analysis, but the promise of an ever-expansive, seamless virtual world with newfound capabilities (fantastical and realistic) has been in the development phase for many decades. Yes, there are virtual reality headsets and games here and there. However, the technology has yet to be streamlined into our day-to-day lives.
In other words, VR has not been given the Apple-treatment.
By Apple-treatment, that means no individual or company has figured out the long sought-after universal approach to personalize VR like an iPhone or iPod with an overarching, dynamic, connected and reactive infrastructure. And that’s the key to VR becoming a technological gold mine. This streamlined achievement would be the pivot from intriguing accessory to necessity.
When will this happen? Likely in the not-so-distant future. Why? The pieces are here, scattered and evolving as they may appear. Whether used for gazing up at the stars and planets or for gaming or for the growing VR for educational purposes (to name just a few), people continue to crave alternate worlds and realities. Or, at the very least, new and imaginative perspectives. The bottom line is that enough of the necessary pieces are around if someone or some company (new or established) has the ingenuity to envision the most expansive virtual reality ever imagined that will allow us to immerse ourselves in with animated curiosity.
And you thought the movie Inception was confusing with its dream world, subconscious and spinning top…
just wait until Inception is your new reality.
Welcome to Jurassic World (Really)
Randomness is a mysterious, yet powerful force that can yield not much of anything. Or, it can produce something in the neighborhood of accidental brilliance.
Maybe (and hopefully), the following idea will somewhat resemble the latter.
While listening to the first few minutes of the Jurassic Park soundtrack at work on YouTube this morning, the perfectly composed instrumental by the legendary John Williams inspired a thought as crazily insane as a modern-day park on an island filled with dinosaurs brought back to life from 65 million years ago.
What about a new ride at Universal Studios Orlando called Jurassic World that would coincide with the release of the 4th installment of the popular movie franchise that let’s intrigued visitors starting at age 10 or 11 pick 1 of 3 levels to walk (and run!) through while being hunted and pursued by a variety of dinosaurs!?
Cinema Punch! online (http://cinema-punch.com/2011/07/19/midnight-movie-jurassic-park-review/)
Now that I have your attention, I’m sure you’re wondering this question:
How would it work?
Depending on the level of adventure (1=easy going with a surprise or two, 2=ready for an adventure with dramatic surprises and 3= a kitchen-caliber experience), the participant or small group of participants would be briefed on what task they need to accomplish in a 2-minute time period by a distressed character in the park. The technology would be a combination of animatronics and virtual reality, depending on the selected level and the viability of realism and operating such machines on a constantly rotating schedule. However, the environment, movie set surroundings and dramatic music would be perfectly authentic and real.
Contingent upon the level selected, each participant will or will not be equipped with a weapon to defend themselves. Plus, the experiences on each level would change after a certain amount of time as to keep people who come back more than once guessing and in suspense.
Any young children under a predetermined age by Universal officials would need to be accompanied or joined in their adventure by a parents(s)/uncle/aunt/grandparent/older brother or sister, etc.
This is only an initial suggestion that would require countless variables to be considered and worked out (yes, more so than in the movie).
Regardless, would you get in line?
This personal/group thrill ride would take the existing Jurassic Park attraction in Orlando a step further by fully-injecting people inside Jurassic Park/World without the restriction of a car.
Fans would experience the world of Jurassic Park like never before.
Jurassic Park ushered in a new era of special effects for multiple generations of moviegoers and fans, so it seems only fitting that Jurassic World also usher in a new era of special effects for multiple generations of moviegoers and fans.
It would be an experience only John Hammond would/did dream of…
Jurassic World: will you get into it?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 