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 The Hive
Program Outline
Overview
Content Types
Pricing & Payments
Required Assets
Best Practices
Examples
About Us
Overview
The Hive is HoneyVR’s partner network of digital artists from around the world. We work with members of the Hive to adapt
their 3D animation content for the amazing new medium of virtual reality, and we distribute the content across multiple VR
device platforms. HoneyVR monetizes the content via global advertising relationships and direct payments, and Hive artists
receive an upfront fee per film plus residual revenue each time their film is viewed.
Content Types
HoneyVR is currently looking for 2 types of content from animation artists as listed below. Also please check our ​
Examples
section for sample works and acceptable categories.
1. Animated Short Films:​
Animated short films can often be adapted with minimal effort for the virtual reality medium.
Only 3D, high-resolution short films work well typically -- 2D or low-poly does not translate well to VR.
2. Animated Short Experiences:​These are ultra-short (~1 - 2 mins) 3D animated sequences which can adapt well to VR,
but aren’t complete short films. Currently we accept 5 categories as described in our Examples section -- Eye
Witness, Environments, Tag Alongs, Thrill Rides, and Abstract. Think simple but immersive 3D animation experiences
such as having the user float through a cool 3D animated landscape, or tag along with a frog in a rainforest, or be in a
dark suspenseful room with monsters. These don’t require a full story / trajectory, and can even be based on a single
scene / environment where the user remains stationary or is guided through.
Pricing & Payments
HoneyVR pays Hive artists $2,000 per animated short film that is adapted for VR, plus a residual of $.01 each time your film is
viewed within the HoneyVR app. For animated short experiences, HoneyVR pays $100 - $500, plus a residual of $.01 per 10
views. All residual payments are made on the second Tuesday of the month for revenue generated the month prior, and the
upfront fee is paid within 7 business days of approval of your VR-ready content.
Payments can be made via wire transfer, ACH, check, or PayPal.
Required Assets
HoneyVR requires a high-resolution, 360° Spherical 3D Stereoscopic MPEG-4 file as our source file from which we transcode
your content to the various VR device platforms. In addition, we require several secondary files such as thumbnails and
preview images.
1. Primary MPEG-4 File
a. Video Track (360° Spherical)
i.
Stereoscopic Rendering
1. Stereoscopic 360° Top (Left Eye) / Bottom (Right Eye)
2. Stereoscopic 360° Left / Right
ii.
Resolution: 2048x2048
1. Native, not upscaled.
2. Progressive, not interlaced.
iii.
Framerate: 30
iv.
Minimum Bitrate: 40,000Kbps
v.
Codec: h.264
vi.
Max Filesize: 20 GB
b. Audio Track
i.
Audio Types
1. 3D Spatial Audio (highly recommended)
a. 6 Channel, 5.1 Surround (Left, Right, Center, LFE, Left Surround, Right Surround)
2. Stereo Audio
a. 2 Channel, Stereo (Left, Right)
ii.
Format: AAC
iii.
Profile: AAC-LC
iv.
Input/Output Buffers Interleaved
v.
16 bit PCM audio buffers
vi.
Sampling Rate: 32, 44.1, or 48 kHz
2. Secondary Files
a. Thumbnail: viewed by users when browsing for videos in the HoneyVR app
i.
960x540
ii.
2D, non-spherical image.
b. Preview Image: viewed by users when selecting your video, prior to playback.
i.
4096x2048
ii.
3D, spherical image.
Best Practices
As a 3D animation artist, you already have the software tools and expertise necessary to create content for Virtual Reality
(VR) even if you don’t know it yet! However, since VR literally puts the viewer inside your animated film, there are some
important considerations when creating virtual reality content to ensure the best possible experience for viewers. The
purpose of this brief guide is to help you make outstanding 3D animated short films for virtual reality by providing some best
practices, example works and technical guidelines.
1. Use a single camera perspective per scene within your work:​
In virtual reality the viewer becomes part of the scene
you have created. As such, changing the camera perspective within the same scene (ie, a “camera cut”) can be
disorienting and confusing to the viewer, and even nauseating.
2. Include thrilling and dynamic elements​
: We have found that generally it is not enough to simply be beautiful and
realistic -- in order to create a truly memorable VR experience for the viewer, we highly recommend using some
elements of surprise and thrill.
3. Use smooth and stable movements​
: Since the user is experiencing the content first person, avoid abrupt, shakey, or
disorienting movements with the virtual camera. All of the examples below have different yet acceptable approaches
to virtual camera movement, ranging from fully static to highly dynamic camera movements but achieved without
disorienting the user.
4. Use 3D sound: ​
3D sound can significantly enhance realism within your VR works versus standard 2D sound. Also,
keep positional awareness in mind with audio design -- for example, sounds should get louder as the viewer
approaches the sound source.
5. Make it feel real​
: Focus on high-resolution 3D graphics which can make the user truly feel transported to another
place, time, and world.
6. Test your work !!!​
You’ll need a VR device to test renderings as part of your design process. You can buy cheap,
cardboard-based VR devices (“Google Cardboard”) for under $10 which work with any Android phone and are good
enough to test with. There are a plethora of other cheap options on the market as well for both iOS and Android.
Testing your VR work is simple -- just run your stereoscopic MPEG-4 file on your phone’s video player and then attach
the Google Cardboard device (or another mobile VR headset). For a premium VR experience we recommend the
Oculus DK2 or Samsung Gear VR, the latter being our top choice at this time.
Examples
Fully Completed VR Works:
Below are 4 examples of fully completed works available for VR devices today, 2 for each of our acceptable Content Types
(Short Films & Experiences). You may be able to find example links online to the 2D files, but please contact us for
information about downloading the full 3D Stereoscopic 360° MPEG-4 file for any work.
1. The Cave ​
and​
The 5th Sleep​
,​
by Innerspace VR (Animated Films)
Both 5th Sleep and The Cave are true masterpieces of VR content developed by Innerspace VR. Both pieces
are animated shorts which give the viewer a dramatic and intense guided tour. In the case of 5th sleep it’s a tour
through the human brain, while The Cave brings the viewer through the history of cave art. When viewed through VR
goggles, both pieces are wildly thrilling rides through different scenes, with phenomenal transitions between the
scenes and a strong storytelling component.
2. The Cryogenian, ​
by ​
Julius Horsthuis
(Animated Experience)
The Cryogenian is a simple yet highly immersive VR experience where the viewer is slowly guided through a
fractal-based 3D model. When viewed through VR goggles it feels like slowly floating through an awe-inspiring alien
world. While we love this piece, we feel it gets too boring after a while. This is a combination of the piece being much
too long and also the experience feeling repetitive after a while. The artist did some things to spice it up, like early on
in the video he has the viewer gently bump into a wall which feels pleasantly jolting when you’re viewing it through
VR goggles. We feel the piece should have included more dynamic moments like that, and should have been shorter.
3. Evolution of Verse​
,​
by VRSE
(Animated Experience)
Evolution of Verse is a beautiful, ultra-realistic VR experience where the viewer finds himself on a serene lake. The
highlight of the piece is when a train in the distance starts heading towards you and makes impact. When viewed
through the VR goggles, this feels quite scarey due to the ultra realistic 3D graphics and sound.
Categories for HoneyVR Experiences:
Below are the currently acceptable categories, including example plots, for the Experiences content type within the HoneyVR
platform. See the ​
Content Types​
section for clarification on acceptable HoneyVR content types.
1. Eye Witness
○ Description:​
The viewer is in a stationary location, witnessing a compelling scene around him.
○ Example Scenes:​
Fight scene, beehive, club scene, ballet, horror scene, WW2 dogfight.
○ Example Plots​
:
i.
Beehive​
: The viewer experiences what it’s like to be inside a beehive with hundreds of realistic bees.
ii.
Sword Demonstration:​
The viewer stands on a wooden platform atop a mountain in ancient Japan as
a samurai performs a sword demonstration in front of him.
iii.
Monster Room:​
The viewer is in a dark, creepy room and hears footsteps slowly approaching. After a
while of building suspense, a monster becomes visible and charges the viewer violently.
2. Environments
○ Description:​
The viewer glides through an ultra-realistic 3D landscape environment.
○ Notes:​
Although the general tone should be relaxing and awe-inspiring, we highly recommend including one
or more dynamic, thrilling moments (a “twist”) to avoid the work being too boring. This can include having the
user collide with another object or have a near-collision as he glides by, including an encounter with a
character / creature / object, or any other interesting twists to break up monotony.
○ Example Environments:​
Underwater, galaxy, rainforest, mountains, caves, fantasy worlds.
○ Example Plots​
:
i.
Underwater World​
: The viewer glides through an underwater world. Stunning sea life can be seen
and some thrilling moments such as colliding with a large school of fish, having a close call with a large
predator, etc.
ii.
Rainforest Storm:​
The viewer slowly glides through a dense, canopied tropical rainforest where
various creatures and insects abound. The weather is clear and sunny, but suddenly a powerful storm
hits.
3. Tag-alongs
○ Description:​
The viewer “tags along” with an ultra-realistic character, creature, or object.
○ Example Tag Alongs:​
Hawk, Frog, Bullet, Fish
○ Example Plots​
:
i.
The Hawk:​
The viewer tags along with a hawk high in the mountains. The hawk soars from high to low,
perches, and ultimately gets attacked by another hawk.
ii.
The Frog:​
The viewer tags along with a frog in the Amazonian rainforest, watching as the frog simply
hops around and eats insects in an extremely lush and beautiful tropical environment.
iii.
The Bullet: ​
The viewer tags along with a bullet as it leaves the barrel of a gun and pierces the heart of
it’s victim.
4. Thrill Rides
○ Description:​
The viewer is given an adrenaline-rushing thrill ride along a trajectory.
○ Notes:​
Like with a real-world roller coaster, ensure to rotate between fast, medium, and slow speeds. Don’t
make it fast the whole time.
○ Example Trajectories:​
Roller coaster, human artery,
○ Example Plots​
:
i.
Galactic Roller Coaster​
: The viewer experiences a roller coaster ride floating in the galaxy..
ii.
Blood Vessel Voyage:​
The viewer experiences a tour of the human body as a blood vessel would,
zooming down arterial channels alongside other cells and vessels.
5. Abstract
○ Description:​
The viewer is immersed in an abstract, “psychadelic” environment.
○ Example Trajectories:​
Magic butterflies, Bubble world, Flower Swirl
○ Example Plots​
:
i.
Magic Butterflies​
: The viewer is immersed in a pack of multi-colored, fantastical butterflies which
leave streaks of color behind as they flutter around, creating a visually stunning experience.
ii.
Bubble World:​
The viewer is immersed in thousands of bubbles of various shapes and types.
iii.
Flower Swirl:​
The viewer is immersed in thousands of fantasy flowers of various shapes and sizes,
swirling around in a visually stunning experience. About Us
HoneyVR is on a mission to build the world’s largest library of ultra-immersive virtual reality content. The company was
founded by Steven Austine in 2015 and is based in Denver, CO. Steven has sat at the crossroads of the media and technology
industries for 20 years, where he has built multiple large companies including GoLive! Mobile, an INC 500 company which was
the world’s leading provider of mobile technology services to brands and agencies. Steven and the HoneyVR team are
extremely passionate about virtual reality as the next big consumer entertainment platform!
Please feel free to connect with Steven directly on ​
LinkedIn​
, or follow the company on ​
Twitter​
!