For my final field test for a course in my emerging media platforms class, I recorded the 70th Shinnecock Powwow in both 360 video and traditional video.
I was curious to see if I could create a 360 video, using a relatively inexpensive, standalone 360 camera–I used the 360Fly 4k camera–that would be as compelling as a video shot and edited in a more traditional way.
I have to admit that I went into the study with a bias, with my mind made up that it just wasn’t possible. The 360 video I had seen on the web did not utilize the storytelling techniques I had been taught were necessary to make a compelling video–they didn’t have a traditional beginning, middle and end; they didn’t have conflict and resolution; they didn’t elicit an emotional response.
So I created and produced the two videos and posted them on my website 
and asked friends, fellow students and colleagues through social media to answer a few simple questions about the videos and whether they saw a future
for 360 video in news-gathering and reporting.
Both the experience of producing the videos and gathering the data from my colleagues changed my mind. I was able to see that the recent advances in technology would make pro
ducing 360 videos easier. I also realized that if used correctly–as a medium to stand beside, rather than replace, other storytelling techniques, 360 videos certainly have a place on news websites.
You can view my entire field study report by clicking the link below.