Jaunt VR hosts Rob Gronkowski’s ProCamp in VR
Metaverse
5 minutes read
Can you explain to those who haven’t heard of it what Rob Gronkowski’s summer camp is?
For the last five years, Rob has hosted a youth football camp in suburban Boston in conjunction with Citi and ProCamps. This year’s installment marked the biggest event ProCamps has ever hosted, with more than 800 kids from all over the country signing up to spend the weekend with Gronk.
Is Gronk a fan of 360 video?
On day two of the camp, we brought a headset and showed Rob some of the footage we captured on day one. He totally freaked out. Not sure what his exposure was to 360/VR prior to our shoot, but it sure seemed like he’s a fan now.
Was anybody hurt during the filming of the ‘Gronk Spike’ in 360??
Our camera almost was, but it turned into the best shot of the piece! It literally feels like you’re mere inches away from one the best players in the NFL.
For those who like to know technical details, what did you use to shoot the piece? (The traveling shot with the kids running downfield was impressive!)
The Jaunt One camera.
Many of the moving shots were captured with the Z Cam (it was actually our first time using that rig, and we were all very impressed with its capabilities). The rest of the footage was captured with our proprietary camera, the Jaunt One.
What was the toughest shot to achieve?
We really worked hard to orchestrate the surprise visit from Gronk at the beginning of the piece. We had a camera inside the house, a camera outside the house, and a camera on the bus with Rob himself. There was a lot of choreography among our entire team, but it all worked out and was a really cool element both to film and be a part of.
How much post-processing was done?
Other than tripod removal, this shoot was relatively clean from a post-production process given how many kids/coaches were always on the field at all times. (That is to say, no one ever looked out of place or like they stood out.) We did comp work on a few specific shots, including the Gronk spike, but beyond that there wasn’t too much heavy lifting.
What advantages do you feel 360 video generally has over traditional 2D video?
For a piece like this, it’s all about the experiential immersion you could never get with 2D footage. The ability to actually feel like you’re on the Gronk Bus, or at the door with him as he surprises our unsuspecting camper, is the distinguishing factor in my opinion. We love to give sports fans access to places (locker rooms, sidelines, etc) that would never be ordinarily available to them. In other words, the ticket they can’t buy.
Do you have any ‘dream subjects’ for 360 – events, people or places you’d love to capture?
Too many to count. The good news is, some of them are in the works as we speak, so stay tuned for the latest sports releases from Jaunt VR!
Jaunt VR is available for free on Viveport.
