Launch of 360 movie -The crossing, Will King

Experiences of a local Elder brought to life in a VR film

‘The Crossing’ is a virtual reality film created by Deakin University PhD student Will King, based on the life of Peek Wurrung Elder Uncle Rob Lowe.

The film focuses on several important moments in the early life of Uncle Rob and is set on both the Framlingham Reserve and in the Warrnambool of the 1950s and 1960s. This period in Warrnambool’s history was one characterised by racism, segregation and the oppression and dispossession of Indigenous people. The film highlights these issues to draw more attention to the town’s recent Indigenous history. Uncle Rob and Will King worked together to plan, script and produce the film over a period of 3 years as part of Will King’s PhD study on using virtual reality as a means for truth-telling and reconciliation.

The creation of the film was led by Uncle Rob from its inception and he has played a guiding role in all aspects of the production and filming. A talented local cast and crew played a vital role in making the film a reality. Community volunteers with backgrounds in theatre, web design, photography and make-up all gave their time willingly to contribute to such and important project.

A 360-degree camera was used to film ‘The Crossing’, which is designed to be viewed inside a virtual reality headset. This allows the viewer to become immersed in the recreation of Uncle Rob Lowe’s experiences as they watch them. The film was launched at Deakin University’s Warrnambool Campus on 30th April 2022. It can be access at https://youtu.be/evHqk7Q61Eg . While it is best viewed in a virtual reality headset, but can also be viewed via mobile device or computer.

‘The Crossing’ was created with support from Deakin University and leading IT services and solutions providers, Data#3, in partnership with Lenovo. Research supervisors are Julianne Lynch and Glenn Auld from the School of Education.

Pictured above and below: photos from the Launch on 30th April

Image: Uncle Locky Eccles (left) and Uncle Rob Lowe Snr (right), Glen Watson Photography, Warrnambool, 30 April 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image: Deakin PhD student Will King (centre), with supervisors Juli Lynch and Glenn Auld, Glen Watson Photography, Warrnambool, 30 April, 2021