Analysis of the level of immersion of 360º video features produced by Spanish media

Abstract

This paper offers the results of a content analysis on the level of immersion in 360º video features produced by Spanish media. Unlike other conventional ways of storytelling, this new modality provides the viewer with a sensation of being really immerse in a reality that is only being represented, which favors a deeper and more meaningful understanding of it. Our study is divided in three sections. Firstly, we develop a brief theoretical framework that includes the definition and foundations on which immersive feature is based. From this theoretical foundation, we draw a scale to measure the immersion level of these pieces and we confront our proposal to the qualified assessment of 10 experts. Finally we apply this scale on a sample of 148 360º video features produced by Spanish media between January 2015 and December 2017. The aim is to analyze its use and also to infer some good practices that can be useful not only for scholars researching on this new format but also for practitioners producing it.