So what is OverCapture and why are we excited about it?

Every video is a story. It has a setting, action, and its subjects. As a creator, it’s my job to choreograph the viewer’s experience, to guide them to see what I want them to see, hear what I want them to hear, and ultimately make them feel emotionally connected to the story.

Immersive video is the next frontier in storytelling and filmmaking, and GoPro’s Studio team (aka the GoPro Media team), who uses our gear to tell unique stories, is full of excitement and anticipation for Fusion, the forthcoming spherical camera that our World-class product teams have created. We are our own best customers, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it. Our recent sneak preview announcement of Fusion touched on one key feature that we, on the GoPro Studio team, believe changes the game – OverCapture, which unlocks insane potential in our storytelling process.

Any content creator will tell you that there are many components that contribute to telling a compelling story, but one of the most important is making sure you get the shot. Think of a time that the moment was perfect but the camera was pointed in the wrong direction. With Fusion’s ability to capture everything around it, shooters can record the moment in all directions from any single location. This is what we refer to as OverCapture.

OverCapture is more than just the ability to capture content from every angle; it also enhances what you can do with the content after you’ve already captured it. Users have the flexibility in post-production to utilize the entire spherical file to find the perfect shot from which to punch out a full 1080p, traditionally, framed image. This process is referred to as reframing and Fusion’s 5.2K resolution is what enables the full HD-quality punch out. With Fusion, we are no longer limited by a static field of view. Imagine never having to worry about missing the moment ever.

Not only does OverCapture ensure that you always get your shot, it also means you can choose what part of that content is important after you shoot, giving the creator the ultimate freedom in composition.

When our team is out on a shoot with traditional GoPro cameras, we often set up a dozen or more to give us the best chance at capturing the moment. With Fusion, we don’t have to set up as many cameras to capture exactly what we’re hoping for – giving us increased efficiency and the ultimate flexibility in our storytelling. We are no longer limited by our ability to anticipate where the action will happen.

Our team is really excited by the possibilities for both the content we create and the content we’ll start to see from our professional pilot partners and the greater GoPro community when Fusion becomes widely available – these are the folks who will ultimately power the GoPro brand and ecosystem and we can’t wait to see what they create.

Immersive content is just a small part of the promise of Fusion. We’re looking forward to seeing content creation evolve as creators begin to use Fusion and utilize OverCapture and reframing to tell their stories. 

The ecosystem, the lexicon, and even techniques of spherical capture are still being defined. The cool thing is that not only will Fusion make spherical content capture accessible; it will also make capturing and composing traditional fixed-frame content more flexible. So whether you’re shooting for VR headsets or you’re creating a video for standard flat-screens, the possibilities with Fusion are endless and that’s a story I’m stoked to be a part of.

- By Daniel Sherer, Associate Creative Director at GoPro