LESSON PLAN ā€¢ CREATIVE LAB

The VR/360 Producer

360Ā° media captures the world in every direction at once: up, down, and all around. Viewers stand inside the scene. Students watch SIMA’s 360 films, then plan, shoot, and share a 360Ā° story about an issue in their own community.

Students Will

  • Analyze how immersive media shapes the viewer’s experience
  • Connect a global issue to their own community
  • Plan and carry out a production
  • Learn the basics of 360Ā° media production
  • Collaborate in a production team
  • Present their work

Preparation

Select 3 to 5 films from the SIMA 360/VR collection or the SDG collection. Test the films on your classroom devices before the lesson. Check your school’s policy on filming people, and prepare a media release form.

Equipment

  • To capture: a 360Ā° camera, or a smartphone with a 360Ā° capture app. One device per team is enough.
  • To edit: the camera’s companion app or a video editor that supports 360Ā° footage.
  • To view: a web browser or smartphone (drag or tilt to look around). A VR headset is optional.

AT A GLANCE

FOR

High school and higher education (media, film, communications)

TIME

Four class periods to a full semester, depending on production scope

FORMAT

Production teams of 3 to 5

FILMS

3 to 5 films from SIMA’s 360/VR collection. Suggested films are listed below.

YOU’LL NEED

See “Equipment” below

SUGGESTED DISCERNMENT LENSES

Construction and Perspective

Step 1: 360Ā° media and empathy

Introduce 360Ā° media. Ask students how being “inside” a scene might change how a viewer feels about the people in it.

Before viewing, introduce The Discernment Protocol. For this lesson, we suggest emphasizing the Construction lens: in 360Ā°, the filmmaker can’t frame every shot, so how do they still guide where you look? Students can also use the SIFT Worksheet.

Screen the films. After each one, give students time to discuss their reactions.

Tip: This reflection is where students make an emotional connection to the issue through the storytelling.

Step 2: Find your story

Discuss:

  • How is 360Ā° different from a standard film? What can it do that a standard film can’t, and what can’t it do?
  • What did you like about the story?
  • Read the filmmaker Q&A. Why did the filmmaker choose 360Ā° for this story?
  • How could 360Ā° media help people in other places understand an issue in our community?

Teams turn the discussion into a story idea about an issue in their community:

  • What story do we want to tell?
  • What do we want viewers to understand or do afterward?
  • Where would a viewer need to stand to understand this story?

Step 3: Produce your piece

Pre-production

  • Write a short production plan: the story, the locations, the people involved, and a schedule.
  • Sketch each scene from above, marking where the camera sits and what surrounds it. In 360Ā°, there is no “behind the camera.”
  • Get permission for every location. Get a signed media release from everyone who appears on camera, and from a parent or guardian for anyone under 18. Do not film people who have not agreed to be filmed.

Production

  • Place the camera at eye height, in the middle of the action.
  • Keep the camera still. Movement in 360Ā° can make viewers feel unwell.
  • Crew members step out of view or become part of the scene.

Post-production

  • Edit the scenes together, keeping each shot long enough for viewers to look around.
  • Add narration or text to guide the viewer’s attention.
  • Export in a 360Ā° format and test it on the viewing device.

Step 4: Share the work

Teams present their 360Ā° pieces to the class, explaining why they chose the story and what they learned about production.

Take it further

Teams plan how to share their work with a wider audience: the school, the community, or local organizations. Ask:

  • How can our 360Ā° piece make an impact?
  • Who most needs to see it, and how will we reach them?
  • What is the best way to share 360Ā° media with that audience?
  • How will we know what impact it made?

For higher education: run the production as a semester project, with a written production report and a public screening.

Resources

Suggested films

See the full 360/VR collection. Go behind the scenes with the filmmaker Q&A.

ā€” CHANGEMAKER AWARD

Students, educators, and institutions who take their learning further can apply for the SIMA Changemaker Award.

Learn More + Apply ā†’

Standards Alignment

Global competence: OECD PISA Global Competence; Asia Society Center for Global Education.

Common Core (US):

International Baccalaureate: MYP: Arts; Design; Individuals and Societies. DP: Film; Visual Arts. CP: reflective project.