In the course of the academic year and as part of the project-based learning, Master’s degree students of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations of the Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities study the specifics of VR journalism and create virtual media projects.
For that purpose, an International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality (VR Laboratory) is functioning at our university. It is located in the main SUSU building and has three specialized zones arranged there: chroma key (green screen) studio for shooting; research zone (with dark-grey walls), where equipment and software for conducting research are located; and production studio (white screen) for production and editing of VR content. The laboratory’s VR equipment also includes virtual reality headsets and several cameras: GoPro Fusion 360-degree camera (it was used during the first shooting performed jointly with Yuzhny Ural State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company), as well as two Insta360 One 360-degree action cameras (for spherical 360-degree capture of the space around you in photos or videos).
“Our first results in virtual reality activity were obtained three years ago during the defence of Master’s degree qualifying diploma papers: we saw the first experimental journalism VR projects created by students under the guidance by Anna Krasavina,” shares Head of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations of the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, Doctor of Sciences (Philology) Liudmila Shesterkina. “Among those was a VR project “Chelyabinsk: One City, Two Realities” prepared as part of a theoretical research on “Virtual Reality as a Technological and Conceptual Basis for a VR Documentary Project”; a VR project “Adaptation for International SUSU Students”; and many others. This year, the department’s Master’s degree students have been set a very demanding and ambitious task – to develop a VR project dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of SUSU and bring it to life.”
To solve this task, students were guided by the method of creating teaching VR materials developed by the laboratory’s team. This method implies eight steps for elaboration of a teaching VR material based on a script and a storyboard.
“Master’s degree students from group СГ-216 developed a concept of the project dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of SUSU and created a VR film titled “A Brief VR Insight to SUSU”,” explains Anna Krasavina, Associate Professor of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Deputy Head of the International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality. “This project includes three parts: the past, the present, and the future – these are the stages of our university’s development. Nadezhda Ivanova, Head of the SUSU Museum and Education Complex, shared on the SUSU history and its achievements from the past. Staff members of the Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre, the Research Laboratory for Digital Neutriceuticals Studies and Nutritional Metabolomics, as well as the International Research Laboratory of Virtual Reality talked about modern projects and achievements of our university in the present.”
Master’s degree students of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations also conducted a unique 360-degree shooting of the testing of the Arctic bus (intended for rough terrain conditions of the Far North) developed by a team of scientists from South Ural State University following an order from Automobile Plant URAL. In addition, thanks to the immersion effect, which is key for VR, the audience could see the interior of the passenger compartment of such bus and imagine themselves riding it.
Rector Alexander Wagner shared with master’s degree students on the future of our university, as well as on its contribution to the development of our region and our country.
Master’s degree students from group СГ-216 (Angelina Shliapina, Timur Samkov, Elena Podyablonskaya and Maksim Kulikov) presented this project at the 2024 SUSU Conference and Exhibition of Scientific and Technical Works by School Pupils and Students. The group members were awarded the runner-up certificates.
Also, Master’s degree students worked on creating individual VR projects. Thus, Timur Samkov presented his project on “Exhibition by Viktor Mitroshin at SUSU”, which had been a gift on our university’s 80th Anniversary by this sculptor. Thanks to this immersion work, the audience could become the exhibition visitors and see the artist’s sculptures in the virtual space.
Elena Podyablonskaya presented her project on “Ascending Parnassus Awarding Ceremony”, and she had also been the laureate of this poetry contest. The 360-degree video made the audience part of that event, which had been held under the Spring at SUSU 2024 Student Creativity Festival.
The knowledge and skills in the field of VR technologies help students meet the requirements of our time and obtain competences in state-of-the-art technologies in the field of media already during their studies at the university.