CoJMC partners with NET on 360 video journalism project

Thursday, June 16, 2016 - 1:15pm

University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Journalism & Mass Communications professor Matt Waite and student Tony Papousek partnered with NET to take viewers in to a Nebraska sale barn. 

Waite and Papousek, a senior journalism major from Clarkson, created a 360 video of the Beatrice 77 sale barn during a live auction. The interactive video gives viewers a look in to the experience from every angle.

For more than a year, the partnership and others, allowed NET and the CoJMC to work on digital journalism projects. 

Waite and Papousek worked with NET’s Harvest Public Media’s Brian Seifferlein and Grant Gerlock on this project.

“The ability to immerse somebody in a story – take them to that place – it’s a whole new way of telling stories,” Waite said. 

The video is an interactive experience, especially when viewed on a mobile device. As the viewer moves the device in different directions the video moves as if the viewer is there looking around the scene. On a desktop, the viewer can use the cursor to scroll around in all directions. 

“A 360 video is a completely different experience than anything else our viewers and followers would experience,” said NET News Director Dennis Kellogg. “This really brought together the strengths of NET and the COJMC, both bringing different things to the table.”

Papousek worked on this project as an independent study with Waite, and it was a long process to get to the end result. They had to first learn the hardware needed to create the video. Then they had to figure out the complex software required to piece the video together to make it work. 

“360 video is a new and exciting field,” Papousek said. “Working with technology can be frustrating at times, but the end results are amazing.”

They used a six-lens camera rig to get the scene from every angle, and then stitched the videos together to create the 360-video experience. 

“We had a lot to learn, and they had a lot to learn,” Waite said.

Waite said he hopes this is the first of many projects the CoJMC and its students work on with NET.

To view the video from a phone – move your device in all directions to take a better look around. On a desktop, use the cursor to scroll around in all directions.

http://netnebraska.org/article/news/1027131/watch-360%C2%B0-video-takes-you-inside-sale-barn-auction-day

NET operates the statewide public service network, which includes NET Television, NET Radio, NET Learning Services and NET Technology Services. To learn more, visit netNebraska.org.

Matt Waite and Tony Papousek work with six-lens camera rig