Layers Screening

by Ray Roman in , , ,

Last week we held our screening for the mixed martial arts TV-pilot Layers. The show stars UFC top 10 bantamweight fighter in the world, Aljamain Sterling, from Showtime’s Ray Donovan, Dominque Columbus, actress Morgan Harvill, and Instagram star Oscar Miranda.

I worked on the project as a Producer, First-Assistant Director, and Editor.

Find more info on IMDb and stay posted for future updates.

San Diego 360° (Fixed Perspective)

by Ray Roman in , ,

This is the 'Fixed Perspective Version' of San Diego 360°. The original 360-video was created in 2015.

Over the years 360-degree videos have not always been user friendly. Depending on what device, browser or app the viewer was using effected the way in which a 360-video was viewed. For example, if I tweeted out a 360-video uploaded to YouTube, it would playback embedded within YouTube as a equirectangular format or flat view, giving the viewer zero capabilities of looking around a scene. Only if the user viewed the 360-video within the YouTube app (on mobile devices) would they have these capabilities, and on YouTube on the desktop only using the Chrome browser at that time.

Another example was for a time 360-videos uploaded directly to Facebook would not always playback for viewers depending on which device, or browsers they were using. This is just another example of how 360-videos were not supported by some of the main apps at the time on certain devices.

In December of 2015 I submitted San Diego 360° to The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for eligibility to win an Emmy Award. It was the first year they were accepting 'Online Broadcast' material. I was having doubts on any chance of being nominated due to many playback issues, let alone the various categories it could be submitted under with only being able to select one. All 'Online Broadcast' material was to be shared on a particular website, which played the videos in the JW Player which did not have 360-video capabilities. Within my submission I outlined a detailed description on the proper way of viewing the material, which is a hurdle in itself being that whomever was going to be judging it would have to be on the right device, and browser. Being that this was the first time 'Online Broadcasts' were being accepted, I highly doubted the judges would spend the minor but extra attention needed for proper playback. I exchanged several e-mails with 2 NATAS individuals about this, one stating "You might be a little ahead of your time on this one."

Since the start of creating San Diego 360° I wanted to make a fixed perspective version for all the reasons mentioned above. Hopefully, those who come across it will get a glimpse at what's possible as a viewer and that leads them onto having a look around San Diego 360° for their own experience.

Episode 5 of the Ray Roman Podcast: How To Start a Podcast

by Ray Roman in ,

Episode 5 of the Ray Roman Podcast I teach how to start a podcast. It’s as easy as using your mobile device for beginners! For the more advanced you’ll need a sound recorder, video camera and computer system which can run a couple thousand dollars. Below are a list of items mentioned within the podcast that you could purchase to begin your own podcast. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment!

Zoom H6 Sound Recorder

Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A Lavalier

Sony UWPD11/42 Lavalier

Electro-Voice RE20 Microphone

Shure SM7B Microphone

Canon EOS Rebel T7i

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

7 Filmmaking Cameras You Can Get for Under $1,000 (article mentioned within the podcast)

Thanks for listening and don’t forget to ‘Follow’ on SoundCloud if you enjoyed! https://soundcloud.com/rayromanpodcast