Michael Graves
360 VR tour

A virtual, guided 360 experience

We built a virtual tour from 360° camera footage of the residence's interior, with a guided voiceover leading viewers through each space. Publishing on YouTube's 360 player made it broadly accessible to off-site audiences, from educators to the general public.

A four-stage process

Shooting in 360°

One challenge when shooting 360° footage is determining where to place the camera. For this project, we wanted to stay completely out of frame, so we used GoPro's Bluetooth capabilities to connect it to an iPhone, which served as a remote control. This allowed us to trigger shots while staying hidden, just far enough to be out of view, but still within range.

For smooth, immersive transitions, we kept exposure, framing, depth of field, and grain consistent across every 360° output, which proved technically challenging to maintain.

Each room was intentionally designed, with careful attention to both natural and artificial lighting. While this created a rich physical experience, translating that nuance into 360° imagery with a single camera posed a challenge. We captured multiple takes, analyzing each frame and fine-tuning exposure and balance. Adjusting one area often meant recalibrating another to preserve the integrity of the whole.

Organizing the image library

After capturing the on-site footage, I organized 104 folders of interior photographs and 14 folders of exterior shots. Careful file management was essential. Each image involved multiple assets, and maintaining a clear structure ensured smooth processing, editing, and optimization throughout the project.

Stitching the photographs

Each 360° monoscopic image was created by stitching together two fisheye photographs: one capturing the front view, the other the back. I used Fusion Studio to stitch and render the final compositions, ensuring visual continuity across the full scene.

A closer look at the Fusion Studio interface

Mapping the experience

Another key challenge was determining how to guide the user through the home. I sourced the floor plans and collaborated with my team to map a purposeful flow through each room and space, shaping a narrative that felt intuitive and immersive.

Storyboarding

Once the intended flow was mapped, I created an experience storyboard to guide the voiceover script. This revised sequencing allowed us to assemble the 360° photographs and assembling a series of movements. Each frame helped define the narrative pacing and the copy needed for each moment.

We arranged thumbnails in the order we planned to guide viewers through the house.

Editing the photographs

I used Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to edit and optimize the image set, refining color, clarity, and consistency across each frame. Once finalized, I imported the files into Adobe Premiere Pro and arranged them in sequence to match the intended narrative flow.

Drafting, editing and recording the voiceover

With the script finalized, we brought in Dean David Mohney to record the voiceover. I refined the audio in Adobe Audition, then cut it into the main sequence in Premiere Pro.

I synchronized the 360-degree photographs with the narration of the virtual walkthrough.

Publishing the video to YouTube

In the final phase of the project, we published the video to YouTube to broaden accessibility and reach. One key advantage of the platform was its support for closed captioning, which allowed us to make the experience more inclusive. To explore the full VR tour, visit the Michael Graves College YouTube channel at bit.ly/graves360.