360 Video Spotlight: National Geographic and The New York Times and CNN

2. The New York Times has made a serious commitment to virtual reality storytelling and the stories they tell are truly stunning!

The free NYTVR app for iOS and Android allows viewers to immerse themselves in stories–to experience current events first hand, to travel back in history, and to explore dramatic new film making strategies.

Here are the Daily 360 channels:

• The Daily 360: Travel
• The Daily 360: U.S.
• The Daily 360: Culture
• The Daily 360: Science
• The Daily 360: Politics
• The Daily 360: World
• The Daily 360: Sports
• The Daily 360: NY Region

Stories range from two to around 12 minutes and would create true engagement prior to the start of a middle or high school unit.

Check out he haunting and evocative Great Performers in L.A Noir where you will feel like you are tending bar for Don Cheadle.  Nice to share with writing and film studies classes!

NYTVR not only allows us to immerse ourselves in a variety of types of storytelling, it presents for young storytellers some new models to consider whether they are aspiring journalists or screenwriters.

You can follow #NYTVR on Twitter.

3. CNN also offers a library of virtual reality videos.  The site offers advice for viewing the videos in a variety of ways on a variety of screens. The archive allows you to directly immerse yourself in such news (and other) events as:

Women’s March: See the crowds for yourself

Attend Trump’s Inauguration

Visit the holiest Tibetan temple

An ancient city, decimated by war

ISIS blew up this oil field

Heathrow’s hectic runway

Go skydiving with the U.S. Army

Trump’s victory speech

Alone in St. Paul’s Cathedral

One family’s struggle to survive Aleppo

Stand on an aircraft carrier battling ISIS

Search & rescue after a deadly earthquake

Face to face with rescued lions & bears

These men work in a volcano

The Trumps take the stage at the RNC

Protesters clash at the Republican National Convention

Sewage & sand ahead of the Rio Games

Sunset on Rio’s Christ the Redeemer

Explore the New York Stock Exchange

New Yorkers mourn Orlando shooting victims

Inside Big Ben

Refugee: ‘We are not animals’

This Trump campaign rally got violent

Brussels: A city in mourning