YouTube Promotes 360-Degree Video Function With 'Spotlight Stories'

YouTube added a 360-degree video function in the second half of 2015. This feature was made available to touchscreen devices such as smartphones and tablets, and to compatible web browsers.

YouTube is coming up with their own line of 360-degree animated videos with "Spotlight Stories." The first show from this series, entitled "Special Delivery" changes every time you watch it. YouTube is producing this film and others like it in collaboration with the creators of hit comedy series "Wallace and Gromit."

"Special Delivery" follows the story of a caretaker who is disturbed by something mysterious coming from his roof, according to reports from Engadget. Their article states that you can "Follow [the caretaker] to find out who the visitor is, or cut your own story as you look elsewhere." There is a downside to the film; however, as it is only optimized for a number of Android phones.

"The best way to watch 'Special Delivery' is on a VR device like Google Cardboard," reported Tubefilter. Although this is the case, the videos can still be found on the Google Spotlight stories YouTube channel and the YouTube app as well. Using a VR headset can make the viewer more immersed in what he or she is watching or interacting with during certain portions of the video.

"You'll want to watch 'Special Delivery' a few times to find all the surprises within the story," an official blog post from YouTube says. They also state that "In the full interactive experience, you'll encounter 10 subplots, three potential ways to view the ending, and 60+ moments where you can decide to follow the story in different ways."

The 360-degree function allows viewers to watch videos as if they were actually there. The feature YouTube videos more immersive and has already been put to good use by popular channels such as Rooster Teeth and filmmakers such as Casey Neistat. Now, more and more YouTubers are catching on to this trend and uploading 360 videos.