I've been producing Quicktime VR panoramas and object movies almost as long as the technology has been around, and have been a member of the International Quicktime VR Association (IQTVRA) since it's inception. I belong to three list serves and actively keep up with the leading people and developments in this technology.

Quicktime VR panoramas give the viewer a 360º interactive view of a scene . . . it's like having a video camera on remote control. The viewer can pan left or right and zoom in or out at will. It's great for "taking" viewers to places they couldn't otherwise experience.

The process starts with a series of overlapping still images that are shot very precisely and then "stitched" into a seamless, endless 360º panoramic still image.

The 360º panoramic still image is then transformed into a Quicktime VR panorama.

View QTVR Pan of WOKR NewsSource 13 in Rochester, NY

The largest single variable contributing to the quality (or lack of quality) in Quicktime VR panoramas is the quality of the photography. If the photography is amateurish, so is the end result. As in other photographic specialties, the marketplace supports a full quality range for QTVR production, as reflected by a corresponding range in pricing. Some markets, such as real estate, don't require a high quality level, and there is an abundance of suppliers at that level. But QTVR panoramas shot for corporate and industrial use should be considered advertising photography and budgeted for accordingly. Whether it's a web presence you're building, or a capabilities or recruiting CD, treat Quicktime VR production as another form of advertising as it's your image, your "brand" you are putting out there. Present it well.