FIVARS sits down with director Ao Huang
What lead to the creation of this piece?
Chongqing is my hometown and one of the most populous cities in the world. Its unique topography—and its rapid economic development over the past few decades—has shaped a cityscape unlike any other, drawing visitors from across China and around the globe. As a witness to these dramatic changes, I wanted both to document my city in a special way and to capture Chongqing’s so-called “8D” urban landscape through the immersive medium of 3D VR180.
We’ve long been dedicated to crafting new visual experiences with VR180 video, and Chongqing itself—with its subway trains slicing through skyscrapers, night scenes reminiscent of a Miyazaki film, and its endlessly tiered buildings and bridges—provides the perfect grand stage.
During production, we received tremendous support from our producer, Canon China, both financially and technically. I was especially moved when one of their senior leaders told me at our pre-production meeting, “If our project can make even a small contribution to the industry and inspire people to see something truly amazing, we will give it our all.” I remain deeply grateful to all the colleagues at Canon whose help made this work possible.
What was the production process for you and your team?
The overall production was similar to that of a typical visual promo. But we deconstructed Chongqing’s sights into three thematic experiences—“Passthrough,” “Folding,” and “Transcending”—each corresponding to one of VR180’s distinct modes: static, dynamic, and aerial. However, the biggest challenge in VR180 is preventing viewer discomfort or motion sickness during fast-paced shots and high-speed drone sequences.
Before we began filming, we weren’t sure how it would turn out. To achieve high-speed dynamic footage and FPV aerial shots, our team spent over 100 hours repeatedly testing and building a custom high-speed FPV rig specifically optimized for VR180. We made extensive stability refinements—ultimately producing results we were very pleased with.
How did you become an immersive media content creator and why?
Before specializing in immersive video, I worked in journalism, covering international news. My employers were always eager to explore new storytelling methods. In 2016, I watched the 360° VR film The Fight for Falluja and realized it was a revolutionary way to tell stories: an immersive perspective can convey the horrors of war far more viscerally than any flat medium. I pitched the idea to my leaders and led a team to start producing 360° videos.
In 2022, I left my company to focus exclusively on immersive video. By then, the 8K VR180 ecosystem—especially professional cameras like Canon’s EOS VR system—had matured, making high-quality VR180 production feasible. Compared to 360°, 180° video offers true stereoscopic depth and higher resolution, which I believe is the closest we can get to natural vision. With no footage behind the camera, we can also light and record audio more professionally, making production much easier. I’m confident that before long, we’ll see Hollywood-level VR180 masterpieces.
What is the VR/AR industry like in your region?
In China we have a vibrant community of creators and a large team of engineers. Many XR hardware on the market—from VR headsets and AR glasses to 360° and 180° cameras—originates from China. I often attend meetups with fellow creators and engineers, and I have great admiration for their dedication. Although XR isn’t as heavily funded by venture capital here as AI, semiconductors, or new-energy vehicles, many people work diligently behind the scenes, passionately researching and creating, and they’ve built an incredibly exciting XR world for us.
What do you have planned for the future?
Our biggest plan is to turn Chongqing Hyperdream into a series, using innovative video techniques to film different places across China and ultimately weave together a comprehensive “Hyperdream of China.” We hope that anyone who enjoys our work will join us on this journey.
What would you like to share with fellow content creators and/or the industry?
I have just one message: comrades, hold on a little longer. Dawn is breaking, and the light is almost here.
Do you think VR festivals like FIVARS are important?
I believe FIVARS holds a deeply respected position and influence in our industry. To my knowledge, it is one of the very few festivals worldwide that has focused on high-quality XR content for over a decade. FIVARS has witnessed our industry’s entire arc—from its early germination to its bubble, through the burst, and into its gradual rebirth—serving as a venerable chronicler of XR content. Moreover, FIVARS’s jurors excel at spotting promising works from around the globe; I’ve learned so much from the award-winning projects I’ve encountered there.
Chongqing Hyperdream will screen in-person and online
