The BBC has placed its first virtual reality production on the Oculus Store.
The film, We Wait, is a dramatised depiction of migrants making the perilous journey from Turkey to Greece on smugglers’ boats.
Produced by BBC Connected Studio in collaboration with Aardman Digital, We Wait uses animation to bring to life real accounts from migrants gathered by BBC News.
The film begins on the beaches of Turkey, and from there takes viewers on board a vessel as it makes the perilous crossing across the Mediterranean.
Zillah Watson, Executive Producer, BBC R&D, says: “We Wait has enabled us to explore how VR can deepen audiences’ understanding of a topic in a way they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience – a migrant’s perilous journey to Europe. It also offers a distinct way in which to deliver news content, and could be a very interesting tool for telling news stories in the future beyond the confines of traditional reporting”.
By putting the viewer at the heart of the story, We Wait provides a visceral understanding of the suspense and anticipation felt by displaced people journeying to Europe, offering an immersive experience that would be impossible to reproduce through traditional reporting.
The Oculus Rift headset can cost in the region of £600.
