Virtually There

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in February 2015.

Folklore has it that when "The Great Train Robbery" was shown in 1903, some audience members pulled out their revolvers and shot up the screen. Unfamiliar with the idea of moving pictures, some folks didn't know how to react when an actor pointed a gun at them from the screen. So, just to be safe, they fired.

Hard to imagine what they would think of virtual reality, where people can experience a war zone or a historic event or a fictional world. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Create the VR version of "Avatar." What would the VR user want to experience in the Avatar world?

•Name a movie about a real-life event. What would you like to experience from that movie?

•What are some real-life adventures you would like to experience, but probably won't?

•Will this technology be good or bad for Hollywood? Why?