[craftandhustle]

I agree with these thoughts based on the current state of 360VR (or non-interactive, if you will) but I'm optimistic about the future changing this perspective. 360VR for narrative storytelling is in a very early, experimental stage. It's difficult in part because it feels inherently gimmicky. A lot of the traditional elements in the craft & technique of filmmaking are unavailable to the storyteller (or, rather, need to be rethought). Closeups, stylized editing, etc.

VR directors are slowly figuring out the best ways to draw attention / guide the viewer, transition between shots and, most importantly, keep you immersed in the STORY. But, there's a lot of room for improvement in the technology as well. "Simple" things even — such as tracking the viewer's orientation so that the following shot can be focused where the director wants regardless of where the viewer has "travelled" to. Right now, the mass distribution system's for VR (such as YouTube 360, Vrideo, et al which use Cardboard or GearVR tech), don't currently allow for this.

I'd love to see the interactive tools of VR currently used in gaming (like Unity) made available for narrative storytelling. Specifically, it's more of an issue on the distribution side. The explosion in 360VR feels like it was largely due to the ease and accessibility brought on by Google (Cardboard & YouTube 360), now we need these tools to evolve.. and they are, slowly.

tl;dr; 360VR for storytelling is a bit gimmicky currently because it's in a very early stage. I'm optimistic about a new wave of cinematic narratives in VR as the technology evolves allowing for more direction/expression of the craft.