Chiemela Peter Mgbeahuru is a Producer with focus on narrative and emerging media technologies. He is amongst the few that has pioneered Virtual Reality content creation in Nigeria. He is a LIMCAF Award recipient for Multimedia Artist 2014. His film ’The Pride and Glory of Nigeria’ was awarded Best Document Film 2017 by Lake city International film festival and Abuja International Film Festival. His works have also been showcased at several exhibitions in Nigeria and Abroad. VR/AR is gradually becoming a thriving industry in Nigeria, and we decided to catch up with Chiemela who has been an early player in this field.
During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, you developed the Mitsubishi Nigeria VR Showroom and it amazed a lot of people as they could virtually take a tour of a vehicle in this 3D VR experience. This was the first of its kind in Nigeria, how were you able to achieve this?
I started researching VR/AR technologies in 2016 and in 2020 during the pandemic, I began practically experimenting on VR techniques. The pandemic kept a lot of businesses out of the market, especially the automobile industry. I and the Marketing Manager wanted to create an immersive experience that would allow their customers to stay safe at home but be able to take a tour of the cars in the VR showroom as if they were there. The project was well completed and the platform experienced a large number of virtual visitors. The platform could be accessed via web, mobile, PC and virtual reality headset. As at then, learning resources were limited, most online learning resources only talked about virtual tours for real estates and tourism. Also, VR production tools were limited, so I just had to purchase my first 360VR camera from Amazon and dived in, and I was learning in the process. The Mitsubishi Nigeria VR Showroom was my first VR project and I’m glad they gave me the opportunity.
You have been doing more VR Immersive stories, so what is immersive storytelling?
Immersive storytelling is a technique that uses the new technologies to create a compelling sense of presence. It gives the audience the feeling of “being there.” It’s a unique but impactful way of blending reality with fiction. There are several tools that can be used to create an immersive story, from a 360 VR Camera to AR Apps, Photogrammetry app, game engines such as Unity and Unreal, and several others. Also most immersive content can be accessed on mobile, web or through VR Headsets.
How did you transition from traditional filmmaking to immersive filmmaking?
As a visual artist, I’ve always been interested in new-media art techniques, that was how I was able to transition from design and printing, to film making and then VR storytelling. One of the first VR Film projects I did was “Life In Oworo”, an immersive performance art film on how a group of dancers living in Oworonshoki are using art and dance to fight against social injustice in their Community. The VR film was exhibited at AF Lagos Ikoyi, one of the largest art centres in Nigeria. From there, I went on to produce several VR films such as; Egwu Mmuo, Ogbaukwu Cave, The Warriors of Berrom, etc.
How does this emerging media technology come to play in the Nigerian local news and content productions?
Immessive storytelling is an emerging field, and there’s a lot it could offer in local news and documentary. For example, imagine a 360 VR live stream coverage of an intense street protest, or carnival, or similar environmental activities. This would make the viewers feel as if they are there, and they get to choose what side of the moment they want to experience, while being guided by the narrative. An example of this is my 360 VR documentary on the Nzem Berom Festival 2022, it was a very captivating festival with alot of ceremonial dancing and music, the film placed the viewers at the centre of the entertainment. This is still an emerging experience and gradually we will begin to have more players in this field.
What project are you currently working on, and what’s next for your future career?
I’m currently working on my product called Explovr Africa, it is a platform that allows viewers to access educational and experiential contents via 360 VR. And most importantly using digital media technology to document historical sculptures, tourist centres and immersive art experiences. In recent years, students’ concentration in art and history studies has been depreciating, and such technology can play an important role in solving this problem. But most importantly, I have a plan to set up one of the biggest emerging media tech space and virtual production studios in Lagos, Nigeria. So I am on a learning journey to know more about this technology and how I can utilise it to enhance our production experiences in Africa.
