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Hologram Video: An Exciting New Frontier
In a media landscape where companies of all kinds have video strategies, what can businesses do to make themselves stand out and wow their audiences? Technology may provide an answer. When an organization harnesses innovative tech tools to deliver next-generation video experiences, it’s possible to bring the surprise and excitement back to corporate video.
This is where holograms come in. Projecting real-time hologram transmissions has proven especially popular in recent years, as COVID-related limits on business travel have driven the conversation around hybrid events and multimedia experiences.
If you’re checking in on the hologram space for the first time in a while, you may be surprised at just how far the technology has advanced. While hologram projection may still seem like a science fiction concept, businesses have effectively used it to make a splash at industry gatherings and other live events.
Hologram Video and HoloPresence™ Technology Today
Hologram projection technology has received a few spotlight moments in recent years, including in some mainstream settings beyond the world of corporate communications. For instance, as MarTech notes, ARHT HoloPresence™ tools were used to allow journalists to interview NBA basketball players during 2020 when games were being played in an isolated “bubble.”
Despite being physically separated from the players, the interviewers could appear side-by-side with them via hologram, hearing their answers to questions and carrying on conversations. The same process could be used to project people from the bubble into studio sets elsewhere.
This method of hologram transmission uses specialized camera and studio technology on the transmitting end, but the projectors on the receiving end can be relatively basic. Sending and receiving these full-scale holograms calls for a powerful internet connection, which means the expanding reach of 5G data networks is a promising sign for more widespread use of holograms in the near future.
Use Cases for Hologram Video
While bringing fans inside the NBA bubble is a splashy use case for HoloPresence™ technology, most of the uses of these advanced systems will be more prosaic and businesslike. With that said, a hologram remains an impressive technological achievement, and it is best suited to situations where companies are hoping to wow their audiences.
The Professional Conference Management Association pointed out that the technology has already been used to transmit remote speakers to conferences, allowing them to give speeches to in-person audiences from afar. These engage viewers because they don’t just place a speaker on a screen, filmed on a standard webcam.
ARHT’s Andrew Dorcas told the PCMA that the real difference between a hologram presenter and a video feed comes from the fact that the former is broadcast in full size, with the person’s whole body visible. This hologram has a full range of motion and body language, allowing them to relate to an audience as if they were really there.
Dorcas noted that the connection between viewer and presenter is especially important when attempting a more interactive or intimate type of event, such as a panel, a conversation or a fireside chat. Having live participants appear alongside life-size holograms is more seamless than on-site panelists interacting with display screens.
The Future of Hologram Video and Augmented Reality
Holograms fit a larger trend: augmented reality. The concept behind an augmented or mixed reality event is that some of it will be present in person, while the rest will be beamed in from afar. More ambitious presentations, with multiple hosts transmitting from their own locations, are the natural next step for hologram use.
As the studios needed to transmit holograms become more common, and internet connectivity strengthens overall, an increasing number of companies and venues will become potential users of holograms. While this may mean some of the surprise value of holograms wears off, it will also open a new chapter: one in which hybrid events are normalized on the corporate calendar.
For example, there are several reasons to opt for hologram transmission instead of business travel. Speakers can appear at multiple venues on different continents in rapid succession when they don’t actually have to be present. Fewer flights reduce a business’s carbon footprint and prevent customs delays as the long tail of the pandemic goes on.
Businesses that work with expert video production partners have access to the latest in video technology, including holograms and more cutting-edge offerings. Download our ebook to learn more about next-generation video systems or explore Crews Control blog for our latest insights.
It would be quite cool to be able to use hologram videos for our next event, but the only thing that can make it happen is if we have enough budget for it.