Quill Theater has to be one of the most underrated and underused VR apps on the Oculus Quest. We won’t even go into the ability to create with this amazing tool here, we’re going to just show you some of the coolest features and how to use it to experience amazing VR art and movies.
The thing that makes Quill so compelling as a viewer is the ability to not only “watch” the scenes, but actually be “in” them and be able to observe them from different angles, including from above and below.
Once you open Quill you will be shown a fairly large list of possible scenes to view.
- Some are mostly static with some motion but really they are just one scene.
- You are usually given the option to view these from different camera angles by selecting them from the console that shows up on your left hand controller when you select it. Some of these are static views and others will rotate for you so you can watch them from all angles.
- Some are short animated movies/stories with different scenes.
- These will sometimes require you to press a button to continue to the next scene.
Here are some pointers to have the best experience with any of these Quill scenes.
- These can be experienced sitting down, but it’s better experienced standing, with some decent room to move around.
- The reason standing is better is that you can and should move around each scene and view it from different angles.
- Move close, really close to the art. You will be amazed at how it changes when you get up close.
- Bend down, even get on your knees if you can and look into and under the art.
- You can also look over from the top, you never know what you’ll see.
- Sound is a very important component of Virtual Reality and using headphones with these Quill animations can enhance your experience.
Critical Tip: DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! This is the most overlooked setting and one that will make your Quill experience better every time! HD or High Definition. There is a small setting in the bottom right corner of the control panel that says HD. It is not selected by default and you must select it every time you go back into the app or it reverts to a lower resolution setting.
You can certainly spend time going through them all, and most, even the short ones are worth watching, but we went through and watched a number of them so that we could provide you with a list of what we consider the most impressive.
 Four Stories by Nick Ladd Art & Animation Visit on Oculus.com
So far, this is our favorite. It’s the longest we’ve seen and with 4 separate stories going on at the same time and multiple scenes, you can watch it over and over and still catch new things each time. This one also demonstrates so many of the aspects of Quill Theater we always show it to friends as an intro to Quill. You can move all around the building and look into it on all sides. Keep an eye out on the street below, you will see the police and fire departments arriving. |
 The Remedy by Daniel Peixe Visit at Oculus.com
This was one of the first we watched and it’s a very interesting storytelling concept. You will need to remember to press the “A” button to advance from one scene to the next. Bonus Tip: Take your time and view each scene from different angles. Get up close to some of the characters. |
 Lincoln Continental by Lucy Shells Visit at Oculus.com
This one is created by someone in Japan so we didn’t translate the title, but it displays a woman with her dog driving in an old Lincoln Continental. While it is really only the one scene, they show it from so many different angles, including you being “in” the car as a front seat passenger, a back seat passenger and even in the driver seat! Bonus Tip: Be sure to lean down and see the detail under the car! |
 Goodbye Mr Octopus by Atlas V Visit at Oculus.com
Another great storytelling concept. You get to watch this short story from whichever angle you would like. You can be right in the room and move around while the father/daughter discussions are happening. The room is really amazing and you can spend a great deal of time just looking around. One of our favorite things is to look through the bookshelves to see the rest of the room. |
 Lustration VR by New Canvas Visit at Oculus.com
So many different ways that artists have found to use Quill and this one is another unique view into VR and how immersive it can be. Multiple scenes happening at the same time again, so be sure to go back and watch it while in a different position. You will find that there are different conversations going on simultaneously. Bonus Tip: As you move around, notice how well the audio is done “spatially”. Notice how when you move, the audio gets louder or quieter depending upon your position. |
 Le Voyage de BIBOU by SOUBAeL Visit at Oculus.com
This one is in French, and while we don’t understand the language, the visuals are so well done that it didn’t matter. It’s a wonderful story with amazing visuals. Without translation, it’s about global climate change and it’s effect on life on earth and in the sea. |
 Architecture Sketch: Journeys by MattSchaeferDesign Visit at Oculus.com
Inktober 2019 by MattSchaeferDesign Visit at Oculus.com SF Street Corner by MattSchaeferDesign Visit at Oculus.com These are three creations by Matt Schaefer. He really has some unique approaches to using Quill and you should explore his other creations as well. |
