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Did you watch the 360-degree video promo of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, on Facebook? There are almost 7 million fans who got their first view of the latest edition of the cult series through the video.

And while Facebook experiments with new ways to make the Newsfeed, the ultimate window into the online world, VR video (360-degree virtual reality video) seems to be the next big thing to catch on. Click on this link, for a quick peek.

https://www.facebook.com/StarWars/videos/1030579940326940/

In Facebook’s News Feed, when the video plays, users can choose what angle they want to see it from. Each video allows users a completely spherical—that is, 360-degree—view on both web and mobile devices, creating a more immersive experience. On the web one can do this by dragging around the video with the cursor, and on mobile devices it can be done by dragging with finger — or even just by turning / tilting the device. Users can hold up their phones and the 360 video will follow as they turn.

“Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures” wrote Mark Zuckerberg after Facebook acquired Oculus, the virtual reality company in March 2014. No more imagining – Facebook has already begun incorporating Oculus technology into its 360 Videos. Facebook’s move to launch 360 videos in News Feed, gives users a new visual form to explore. This way, Facebook will stay fresh for consumers by offering the most vivid way to connect with places they can’t go.

Facebook is keen to popularize this 360-degree virtual reality video format as it’s a gateway to a platform that the company thinks is the future of social networks. It is also opening up the format to advertisers, with the first “immersive stories” coming from brands like AT&T, Corona, Nescafe, Ritz Crackers, Samsung, GoPro, Vice and Walt Disney World. It might also partner with camera manufacturers including Theta, Giroptic, and IC Real Tech to create in-app “publish to Facebook” options for their 360-degree kit.

At Digiqom, we are constantly innovating to get our community of film makers to create social media ready content. To learn the best practices of 360-degree videos creation, visit https://360video.fb.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/Facebook360/

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