‘Some Inattention On The Left’
A Multi-Sensory VR Documentary
For Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Sue Ryder & Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Finalist in the VR Social Impact Award category at the Fourth International VR Awards
Some Inattention On The Left is a moving multi-sensory VR documentary which delves deep into the plight of Elizabeth Printer, who suffered a stroke and a brain haemorrhage at the age of just 46. As the viewer sits, wheelchair bound on a beach feeling a gentle breeze on their face, Elizabeth recounts the fateful day of her stroke and the subsequent neglect by her family and the NHS. Hearing about her attempt to commit suicide the beach turns into a nightmare and the experience darkens. But is there light at the end of the tunnel?
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy currently head up a large collective of 20 charities including Sue Ryder, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the British Heart Foundation to present a manifesto to parliament which aims to deliver effective, person-centred community rehabilitation services to all those who need them so that people can live well longer. Alongside Connie Harrison, who initiated the project, East City Films were commissioned to create a VR experience to be a centrepiece at the launch lobbying event for parliamentary MPs at Portcullis House.
“People like me with long-term health conditions are currently being abandoned after diagnosis or discharge, due to inadequate community care. I lost my career and my family – and became suicidal – as a result.”
Elizabeth Printer during our shoot on the beach in Portsmouth
An attendee at the lobbying event at Portcullis House in February 2020
With its potential to rapidly trigger empathy in mind, it was decided that the VR experience would tell the story of someone who had had a stroke and had not received the required community rehabilitation for a full recovery. Alongside the charity Stroke Association we found a lady called Elizabeth Printer, a mother of two and a former judge from Portsmouth, who’s life fell apart when she suffered a brain haemorrhage aged 46. She ended up paying for private rehabilitation to help her learn to walk again after waiting seven months for NHS community rehabilitation. “The NHS saved my life in an emergency but then failed to help me recover any of the life I once had,” said Printer, who is now 54. “I had to teach myself to walk again. I wanted to get well for my daughters but there was no support or guidance about how I could do this. I just needed to have the right rehab, treatment, and love and care, but it was never there,” she added. Printer had to retire from her job, her marriage broke down and she now suffers from pain and depression. This is the story we wanted to tell by bringing MPs into her world.
“Our VR project with CSP focused on the power of authenticity and immersive storytelling. By using real patient stories, spatialised sound design, and a serene beach scene, we aimed to create a deeply personal experience. Incorporating multi-sensory elements like haptics and a breeze, we brought viewers closer to Elizabeth’s journey. The goal was to evoke empathy and inspire action from MPs, which was evidenced by their deeply moved reactions.”
The multi-sensory immersive director Connie Harrison (Somnai, Call of Duty) and producer Hugo Godwin (Ten Billion, Lost Worlds: Deeper into the Black Sea) took an audio first approach and interviewed Elizabeth on 3 separate occasions at her home in Portsmouth. Each time we were keen for her to feel as relaxed as possible so we left the camera in London, allowing her to express a truly painful experience without the pressure that comes with filming. We then spent time cutting down well over 3 hours worth of interview content to just under 6 minutes.
Elizabeth Printer on the beach in Portsmouth during our shoot
Jon and Andrew rigging the camera above the wheelchair
This incredibly personal audio formed the basis of our VR experience which was then filmed on a January day on Eastney Beach in Portsmouth. The intention was that we would have the VR viewer sitting on this beach - a beach that has been so important to Elizabeth - feeling a sense of the location and embodying a position in a wheelchair as they listened intimately to Elizabeth. We wanted to carve out a sense of presence for the viewer which would ultimately allow them to hear, absorb, and empathise with Elizabeth’s painful story. The only time the viewer breaks away from the naturalistic beach vista is a section towards the end of the experience where Connie wanted to shape a more abstract, discombobulating ordeal. She hoped this would tap into Elizabeth’s bleak emotional and mental state when things in her recovery were at their worst. This was achieved using a technique called volumetric capture, which East City Films have used since production of Common Ground. In this instance we used the Azue Kinect camera and Depthkit workflow to capture the actress and movement director Emily Mytton as she physicalised Elizabeth’s deepest struggle in her recovery, where at her worst she attempted suicide. With stunning motion graphics by Andrew Overton, an intense moment was forged which we hope in some small way reflected Elizabeth’s troubling state of mind.
Capturing the depth kit sequence with performer Emily Mytton
The still from the finished depth kit sequence
As with all of our VR content spatial sound was key to creating a truly immersive experience and we created an evocative spatial soundtrack that brought all the sounds of the beach into the headphones, from the crashing waves to dogs barking as they walked past the viewer. The music was equally as important and we licensed two incredible tracks - Anthropocene by Loscil (courtesy of Kranky) and The Rhythm Of A Dividing Pair by A Winged Victory For The Sullen (courtesy of Ninja Tune) to create the mood and environment we desired.
The final piece in the puzzle was the multi-sensory milieu. Connie is well known for creating fictional experiences which mix VR and multi-sensory elements and she was keen to employ this approach in a real world setting such as Elizabeth’s plight. Working with technical designer Mike Ross, for the event at Portcullis House we had wheelchairs to sit in, rugs on the laps of the MPs, DMX controlled fans and Subpacs attached to the back of the chairs to emanate sea wind and subtle rumbles. This not only added an element of theatre but made the experience even more immersive, as sitting on a beach they felt wind tickling their faces and when the music reached a certain intensity they felt a rumble through their bodies. The wheelchair and blankets connected to what they saw and experienced in the VR itself, heightening and speeding up the journey to presence.
“East City Films have always created VR experiences which have an emotional and purpose-driven impact. When Connie and CSP approached us we immediately felt that a documentary approach could tap into people’s emotions and incite action. With Connie at the helm, we were guaranteed a multi-sensory immersive experience that would leave a lasting impact.”
MPs at Portcullis House enjoy the experience with wind, wheelchair and Subpac
The MPs were fully immersed in the experience using the Oculus Go
Justin Tomlinson MP, Minister for Disabled People was at the event and pledged his support to the manifesto alongside around 30 MPs.
Signatures of support to #RightToRehab were gained throughout the day.
The event itself was a resounding success seeing a huge amount of MPs go through the experience and then onto discussing the manifesto with the lobbyists from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. Co-sponsored by Steve Brine MP (former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care), the event saw MPs such as Justin Tomlinson MP (Minister for Disabled People), Jim Shannon MP (DUP Health Spokesperson) and the Baroness Masham of Ilton (disability campaigner) experience Some Inattention On The Left. Once out of the VR experience the MPs were asked to jot down their immediate thoughts on the large piece of paper and the results were quite revealing. They were then asked to pledge their support to the manifesto, which you can read here.
“East City Films made something quite stunning that completely nailed the brief and delivered the kind of emotional impact that we needed and couldn’t have achieved without that film. We’re really grateful for not only the skill you all brought to it but also the way you completely bought into what we are trying to do with the campaign. That really shone through in the work and was greatly appreciated.”
The VR experience now lives online as a 360 video on a microsite and will be used by the aforementioned charities at events and conferences across the country.
You can read more about Elizabeth’s experience in The Independent and more about the campaign in general in The Guardian.
An article in The Guardian about the ‘postcode lottery rehabilitation’
Elizabeth Printer’s self-penned article in the Independent
If you would like to know more about Some Inattention On The Left or to discuss an experience you have in mind for your company, story or campaign, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.