View-Dependent Effects for 360° Virtual Reality Video

"View-dependent effects'' have parameters that change with the user's view and are rendered dynamically at runtime. They can be used to simulate physical phenomena such as exposure adaptation, as well as for dramatic purposes such as vignettes. We present a technique for adding view-dependent effects to 360 degree video, by interpolating spatial keyframes across an equirectangular video to control effect parameters during playback. An in-headset authoring tool is used to configure effect parameters and set keyframe positions. We evaluate the utility of view-dependent effects with expert 360 degree filmmakers and the perception of the effects with a general audience. Results show that experts find view-dependent effects desirable for their creative purposes and that these effects can evoke novel experiences in an audience.