谷歌平台的《Google Spotlight Stories》拥有着众多全景交互短片。近日、由奥斯卡奖获得者John Kahrs执导的一部VR短片《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》登陆该平台，并引发了众多好评。接下来，我们就一起来看看《风帆时代》到底是怎样的一部作品。

　　《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》让我感受到了前所未有的体验。正如字面意思那样，当我在这里撰写这篇文章的时候，我感觉自己还在波涛汹涌的海浪中上下起伏。在《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》中，你将和伊恩·麦柯肖恩(Ian McShane)饰演的颓废水手和凯茜·昂(Cathy Ang)饰演的勇敢救援者一同前行。是时候，一起沉浸在虚拟的世界中了。

　　Age of Sail stayed with me in a way that no other VR experience has。 I mean that quite literally; as I sit here typing up my thoughts on Google’s latest Spotlight Story， I can still feel myself bobbing up and down on the rough waves that you brave alongside Ian McShane’s world-weary sailor and Cathy Ang’s defiantly optimistic rescuee。 Now that’s immersion。

　　《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》是由奥斯卡奖获得者John Kahrs执导的一部12分钟VR短片。你可以直接使用移动VR设备进行观看2D版本，但Rift和Vive会给你更出色的视觉体验。《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》是一趟在新世界中找寻自我，改变自我的旅行，细腻的描绘着这两个主题。

　　Directed by Oscar-winner， John Kahrs， Age of Sail is a 12 minute VR short that you can see as a 2D movie or inside a mobile VR headset， but it’s best viewed via a Steam download on Rift and Vive。 It’s a piece about the changing of the guard and finding a place for yourself in the new world， two topics that it explores with an on-the-nose metaphor and a touch of warming affection。

　　我们和麦柯肖恩(McShane)饰演的威廉·艾弗里(William Avery)一起乘坐他那艘朴素的帆船，随着全体船员一起对着一座旧的海上棚屋放声高歌。一艘小汽船的轰鸣声打断了棚屋的宁静，似乎标志着这将是一个新时代的开始。下一刻，时间来到几年之后，这是一艘相当于之前帆船20倍体积的大船，在这艘船中的艾弗里似乎显得更加孤立和憔悴。突然间，一个女孩从旁边摔了下来，他有些不情愿地救了她。很显然，昂(Cathy Ang)的热情和多愁善感并不适合这狭窄的甲板，似乎你正在处于一个尴尬的中间位置。

　　We join McShane’s William Avery on his modest sailboat， bellowing with laughter as he sings along with his full crew to an old sea shanty that’s cut short by the roar of a tiny steamboat signaling the beginning of a new age。 The next moment， we’re several years into the future and another boat 20 times the size of that dwarfs a now isolated and considerably more haggard Avery。 A girl falls from the side， whom he somewhat reluctantly rescues。 Needless to say， Ang’s enthusiasm and sentimentality don’t make for a good fit on the cramped confines of the deck， seating you in the middle of a touchy pairing。

　　不可否认的是，《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》给人的感觉与传统的聚光灯故事所带来的感觉略有不同。当风浪开始旋转，你会发现自己已然深陷于在这场戏剧之中。随着海浪上升，你会不由自主的想要跟着他们走动，甲板像你的胃一样摇摆和摇摆。这时，你一定会认为Kahrs就是想让你体验真实晕船的感觉。甚至你可以将头伸进水里，在汹涌的大海中颠簸。

　　There’s mood here unlike anything seen in prior Spotlight Stories。 As the two clash and the wind begins to swirl you find yourself lost in the drama of both character and element。 Waves rise and you go with them， the deck swings and sways as does your stomach。 You get the sense that Kahrs deliberately embraced sea sickness instead of straying away from it in an effort to put you right there on the boat。 At one point， lost amongst the waves， you can even dip your head in and out of the water as you’re tossed around by a violent sea。

　　对于传统电影来说，以灰色天空和波涛汹涌的大海为代表的内部冲突可能不是一个新概念，但Kahrs用这种沉浸感在这里为它们找到了新感觉。对于一些观众来说这会让他们十分满足。

　　Internal conflict represented by grey skies and stormy seas might not be a new concept to traditional cinema， but Kahrs uses that immersion to find new layers for it here。 It might work a little too well for some to handle。

　　值得说的是，《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》有一些出色的摄影技术，尤其是在它上映的第一分钟，随着蒸汽船的鸣笛声，你的视野将会一点点被拉近。这是一种巧妙的场景设置，卡尔斯经常会让你想起我们在银幕上经常看到的那种高效的讲故事的方式。这也许暗示着电影制作人可能已经逐渐开始真正掌握使用VR语言了。

　　But there’s reason to endure。 Age of Sail has some remarkable cinematography to it， especially in its opening minute when steamboats drag your head around as you try to keep up with the future。 It’s a clever bit of scene-setting， which Kahrs continues to demonstrate， reminding you of the kind of efficient story-telling we’re used to seeing on the silver screen。 It’s also a hint that filmmakers might be starting to really grasp the language of VR。

　　所有这一切都得益于其质朴的艺术风格，这种风格配得上主人公那邋遢的造型 。聚光灯下的故事以赏心悦目而著称，《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》也不例外。

　　All of that’s enhanced by a rustic art style worthy of its shaggy seadog of a protagonist。 Spotlight Stories are known for being easy on the eyes and this is no exception， even with the largely dimmer color palette at work。

　　最终，《风帆时代》可能不会有珍珠般的冲劲，也不会有风雨飘摇的魅力，但它的确很好地弥合了传统电影与VR等全新技术之间的鸿沟。这是一个VR海洋棚屋，可能会让你的胃有些不舒服，但我向你保证这值得你去忍受。

　　Ultimately Age of Sail might not have the gut-punching emotion of Pearl or the charm of Rain or Shine， but it does bridge the gap between the high-end construction of traditional cinema and the raw immersion of VR quite admirably。 This is a VR sea shanty that might leave you with a few knots in your stomach， but I assure you it’s worth enduring。

　　《风帆时代(Age of Sail)》现已在Steam，YouTube和Google Spotlight Story的iOS和Android应用程序上免费提供。