Recently we had a tonne of fun with the Kodak PixPro 4KVR360360 camera - a camera that can capture photos and videos in full 360. We loved it, made a silly video review (which you can watch below), but also wanted to know more about it. And so, we grabbed a chat with Mariame Cisse from JK Imaging, the people who make the PixPro cameras.
Hello. Who are you?
I'm Mariame Cisse, EMEA Marketing Director for JK IMAGING Europe Ltd, global licensee of Kodak Pixpro branded Digital Devices
Cool. And what do you do?
I support our EMEA sales team by overseeing the implementation of marketing strategy. My role is really varied and I work to ensure that the PixPro brand is recognised for its innovative 360 cameras as well as its digital range.
Tell us how you got started in that.
In 2012 JK Imaging acquired a Global licensing agreement from Kodak to manufacture and sell Kodak branded digital imaging products. I was approached by JK Imaging in March 2013 and started in May in the European Sales and Marketing head office in Watford, Hertfordshire. The concept was exciting, with Kodak being such an iconic brand, and I said YES.
We had a play with the 4KVR360, but how do you think other people might find it useful?
The 4KVR360 is our third generation of 360, VR Action Cam. Our 360 cameras are aimed at professional and consumers. The 4KVR360 allows the user to record, re-live and share their moments.
Where do you see 360 and VR cameras heading in the future?
Users are now familiar with re-living a story, being part of the movie, and being the actor and director of their own movie. Platforms such as Google and Facebook have seen the potential of 360 degrees and VR, and have invested in creating platforms to allow all to use, view, and share content.
A research report for Business Insider investigating how VR, AR and 360-degree video are shaping the future of content creation, also revealed that, “the global VR market is forecast to grow at a nearly 81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2016 to 2024, according to Global Market Insights.” Many brands are turning to immersive video — mainly 360-degree video and VR — for innovative and attention-grabbing advertising and marketing campaigns. Brands across numerous industries have seen significant success via their use of 360-degree video and VR. For example, Hong Kong Airlines’ 360-degree ad was 35 times more effective than the same traditional 2D ad.
If you had one and we told you to film something exciting and interesting RIGHT NOW, what would you do with it?
A once in a lifetime experience. Something that we have all lived and never remember: coming into this world. We worked with a German university and they created an amazing video of a baby being born, not being made, but the first thing they see and when they arrive. It’s breathtakingly emotional as the baby is the actor and director of his movie. He is living, witnessing everything around him, and he is being watched too.
What advice would you offer to someone keen to follow in your footsteps?
A lot has happened since we first saw photo albums where we were passively looked at pictures and imagined the emotions that surrounded them. We can now be part of it by creating it ourselves or re-living it through virtual reality. We are no longer telling the stories but we are living it and sharing it.
Apart from your own products, what kind of gadget would you like to see being reviewed on The Test Pit.
The self-driven car, or the presidential scanner (a machine that scans potential candidate).
Ha, yes, think we need one of those quickly. Thanks Mariame!
Check out the Kodal PixPro 4kVR360 camera, and other cool cameras, at www.pixpro.world
And here is our review...
Check out the Kodal PixPro 4kVR360 camera, and other cool cameras, at www.pixpro.world
And here is our review...