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Google debuts interactive ‘Spotlight Stories’ on YouTube Android app
Just in time for a bit of holiday fun, Google has announced the launch of Spotlight Stories – the company’s 360-degree animated videos designed to change how we tell stories – to YouTube on a range of Android devices (via Engadget).
The first Spotlight Story available via the YouTube app on select Android smartphones is a holiday mini-movie called ‘Special Delivery,’ created by Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame that lets users interact with the story by moving their phone around to follow multiple storylines.
The technology behind Spotlight Stories was originally developed by Motorola Mobility’s Advanced Technology and Products (ATAP) division – Google acquired Motorola Mobility in 2011 and later sold it to Lenovo Group Ltd. but continued to develop the tech under Google ATAP – and allows movie creators to use smartphone sensors like the gyroscope and accelerometer to create an interactive experience with 3D and 2D animations and 360-degree video with multiple storylines.
In ‘Special Delivery,’ users can explore mini-stories within the movie by simply moving their smartphone around to reveal different storylines and outcomes. According to Google, ‘Special Delivery’ contains 10 subplots, three different ways to see the ending and 60-plus moments where the viewer can follow the story in a different way by moving their smartphone.
Since Spotlight Stories in the YouTube Android app is limited to select devices, Google has also created a YouTube 360 version of ‘Special Delivery’ in order for viewers on other Android smartphones, iOS devices and the web to view the mini-movie. Viewers can also use Google Cardboard to watch the movie.
A number of other Spotlight Stories are also available on the dedicated Google Spotlight Stories app for Android and iOS.
Google said it will release more Spotlight Stories on both the Android and iOS YouTube app in 2016.
The addition of Spotlight Stories to Google’s YouTube app follows the introduction of other immersive viewing experiences on YouTube, including the inclusion of VR features in the YouTube Android app and 360-degree video.
Images via Google
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