Apple AR headset could revolutionize movie industry, experts say

[BluBonnet]

What Hollywood Tech Pros Think of Apple’s Big Headset Gamble

Following years of rumors, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the tech giant’s anticipated mixed reality headset June 5 — and Hollywood was abuzz. Slated for an early 2024 release, the Apple Vision Pro was presented as a portable spacial computer “starting at” $3,499. The device is operated with an interface controlled by face, hands and voice. And with such features as 4K, HDR, spacial audio and stereoscopic 3D, Apple made it clear that entertainment was a central part of its mission. Apple TV+ shows Ted Lasso and Foundation were included in the presentation, while the company described the device’s utility to consumers as a “personal movie theater.” And Disney CEO Bob Iger even appeared during the unveiling to announce that Disney+ would be available on the device at launch, deeming it a “revolutionary platform.”

Ben Grossmann
Founder and CEO of content/tech studio Magnopus

Once Hollywood studios wrap their heads around what’s possible, we’ll start to see waves of new experiences getting produced that take advantage of the extended canvas. Content creators have always been sensitive to the audience’s “second screen” experience (the idea that people are watching TV while looking at their iPad or iPhone for contextual information). Apple’s Vision Pro might be described as an “infinite screen” experience.

But at the same time, because the contextual content can be 3D and integrated into your environment, it could feel more like a “zero screen” experience to users. That may be what people have been looking for to handle the cognitive load we face from all the devices in our lives. Over the past year, a lot of filmmakers have expressed an interest in developing their experiences “beyond the screen.” If we’re to be critical about what’s different between Apple’s Vision Pro and other AR or VR headsets, it comes down to the interoperability and unification of other Apple devices.

Certainly the individual components of technology in the device are best in class, but they’re supported by seamless integration with a large range of other devices and capabilities. One subtle but important distinction Apple is making with this launch: By putting “Pro” in the name and releasing that level first, they’re letting people know that this product is targeted toward those who will be building the experiences that consumers will want in the next generation of devices they release. That takes some pressure away from the price and a lot of other expectations. They said it several times in the presentation: “This is just the beginning,” and they’re right.


Michael Cioni
Founder of postproduction company Light Iron, Academy member and tech entrepreneur

Focusing their approach on comfortability and practical interaction, if Apple is successful in bringing XR to the masses with Vision Pro, it’s possible it could unlock the next form of television — creating competition to the large-screen, 4K HDR television experience. But what are the opportunities for creatives? Today, most project deliverables are rectangular iterations of each other mapped to different versions of color.

But could spacial computing perhaps be the ultimate deliverable of our stories? I think it’s a bit early to say we’ll all be wearing $3,500 ski goggles all day, but then again, most of us didn’t think we’d all be wearing fashionable $250 headphones most of the day, either. Apple said they want Vision Pro to create “deeply personal experiences.” This means filmmakers have a new medium in which to enhance their stories. I think that’s an invitation for Hollywood to become an active participant in this technology. In stark contrast with MSG’s Sphere approach to content [the immersive dome under construction in Las Vegas could accommodate as many as 20,000 people], Apple and MSG share completely different philosophies on how people will consume content in an immersive way.

We experienced numerous digital enhancements over the past 20 years: film to digital, 2K to 4K, SDR to HDR, stereo to Atmos, broadcast to streaming. And with Apple Vision Pro, ultra-high quality meets fully immersive. Apple said this won’t be available until early 2024 — which suggests to me they will spend the next nine months building a marketplace full of immersive content. Once that marketplace matures and the technology and cost of ski goggles eventually form into stylish glasses, adoption will hit fever pitch. If anyone’s ever felt concerned that all things digital will reduce our connection to the physical world, perhaps XR will help us be more physically present while in a digital  experience.


Demetri Portelli
3D stereographer/supervisor, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo

I have received many excited texts from artists and the 3D community following Apple’s announcement. The first stereo cameras in an Apple product is huge! We hoped this would happen for years, it’s a big step for stereoscopy. And now we have our 3D with Apple’s 90Hz refresh rate, another step for High Frame Rate, a more comfortable and detailed viewing experience. I’m thrilled that stereo imaging is THE experiential ‘landscape’ inside this headset for all applications, whilst displaying photo & video content at the high level that Hollywood professionals always intended.

This feels like the future has arrived. I have high hopes for a democratization of stereo imaging, enabled through Apple’s user-friendly interface. This accessibility been needed for quite some time. 3D was often too complex for general users and it lacked a platform where beautiful movies could be appreciated after their cinema release. This is a great place where content and stories can be more intimate, and certainly more life-like in this world of ‘spacial video.’ I am also looking forward to some upcoming 3D zoom calls and re-watching the vast and growing catalogue of stereo movies going back 70 years. Other devices may offer a big-screen movie theater inside a headset, but this AR device will likely dominate, since their vision space has more experiential options to design how you lay out your workspace and view your content.

A concern may be to ask how the device integrates seamlessly into daily life (without falling down a staircase). Am I safe to wear the Vision Pro commuting on the New York subway? What are the physiological and social ramifications of the hardware experience? As always, proceed with caution. Don’t get me wrong, I am eager to test the Vision Pro. Someone needs to make a stereo [3D] film soon using this headset as their main camera to illuminate the world through these Apple lenses, so we can all understand the capabilities which are now literally being offered to every person on the planet. Hopefully other digital platforms will follow Apple’s lead taking spacial video and stereo imaging seriously, as this is how we experience our world, with our own two eyes, in bright vibrant detail and motion, everyday. 3D photography has always been a greater “truth mechanism” seeking to represent our world with greater accuracy.


Chuck Parker
CEO of tech developer Sohonet

Apple was late to the streaming device world, but Apple TV ended up killing most of its competitors, though for a long time it was a “hobby.” They were years after the Pebble [smartwatch], but after a few slow years, the Apple Watch redefined the wearable as a category. AirPods are not dissimilar. The AR/VR goggles are probably in a similar place. Apple has been deciding how to make this a game-changer, and while it will be slow for the next two to three years, we will wake up one day in the near future to a new Apple-dominated category.