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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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An Investigation of the Conveyed Plot in 360 Degree Video

Author

Term

4. term

Education

Publication year

2021

Submitted on

Pages

44

Abstract

This thesis investigates how audiences understand a fictional story when experienced as passive 360-degree video in a head-mounted display (Cinematic Virtual Reality, CVR) compared to a traditional 2D version viewed on a laptop. While CVR shares features with film, its free head movement and immersive presentation may alter how viewers follow a plot. The study operationalizes two facets of understanding—comprehension (attention and grasp of the storyline) and empathy (emotional engagement with characters). Methodologically, two closely matched versions of the same short film were produced, followed by a pilot study using self-report questionnaires: one group watched the CVR version in an HMD, and another watched the 2D version on a laptop. The thesis details design choices, production steps, and testing procedures, and includes a fictive dataset of 30 participants to illustrate how future analyses could yield meaningful results. Given the small-scale pilot, no definitive conclusions are drawn about which format better conveys the plot; instead, the work offers a comparative framework and highlights the need for larger samples in subsequent research.

Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan publikum forstår en fiktiv historie, når den opleves som passiv 360-graders film i et head-mounted display (Cinematic Virtual Reality, CVR) sammenlignet med en traditionel 2D-version set på en bærbar computer. Udgangspunktet er, at CVR deler træk med film, men ændrer publikums oplevelse gennem frit hoveddrej og omsluttende visning, hvilket kan påvirke plotforståelsen. Undersøgelsen definerer og måler to centrale dimensioner af forståelse: comprehension (opmærksomhed og forståelse af handlingsforløb) og empathy (følelsesmæssig indlevelse i karaktererne). Metodisk produceres to så ens som muligt versioner af den samme kortfilm, hvorefter en pilotafprøvning gennemføres med selvrapporterede spørgeskemaer, hvor én gruppe ser CVR-versionen i HMD og en anden ser 2D-versionen på laptop. Afhandlingen beskriver designovervejelser, produktion og testprocedure samt præsenterer et fiktivt datasæt med 30 deltagere som illustrativt eksempel på, hvordan fremtidige analyser kan gennemføres. Da pilotstudiet havde begrænset omfang, drages ingen endelige konklusioner om, hvilken visningsform bedst formidler plottet; i stedet peger arbejdet på et robust sammenligningsrammeværk og behovet for større stikprøver i fremtidige studier.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]