Sssh.com Adopts 'Dynamic Storytelling' Approach to VR Porn

Sssh.com Adopts 'Dynamic Storytelling' Approach to VR Porn
BOSTON — For more than 17 years, director Angie Rowntree has been defying mainstream porn traditions with Sssh.com, a site featuring "porn for women." Now, as she embraces virtual reality (VR), a technology many industry insiders hope will revolutionize the adult industry, Rowntree is again rejecting the typical path, eschewing the first-person point of view currently ubiquitous in VR porn in favor of an approach known as “dynamic storytelling.”
 
“While the VR environment does pair well with the first-person perspective (POV), it’s also limited in a lot of ways,” Rowntree said. “Once you free the viewer’s perspective from being locked into what the ‘protagonist’ is doing, so to speak, it enables the viewer to more completely explore and experience the full environment. It takes the viewer from being a passive observer to allowing them to actually experience the movie more fully.
 
“In the dynamic storytelling model, the viewer is immersed in the story, but not necessarily an interactive part of it,” she explained. “As the viewer, you’re present in the movie and immersed in the environment, but you don’t control or change the course of the story. If the performers walk up a hillside, you get to follow them up, and look at the grass beneath your feet and the sky above you. You also get to see what’s behind you. There’s an amazing freedom of movement.”
 
Rowntree said she was sold on the dynamic storytelling approach after experiencing a VR film called “The Bombing of London” at the Virtual Reality Showcase held during the recent National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas.
 
“The Bombing of London VR experience left a lasting impression and really emphasized the advantages of taking a more story-focused approach to VR,” Rowntree said. “At one point in the movie, I was a passenger on a subway train, just watching the people around me, when there was the sudden sound of an explosion behind me. I was truly startled, and my heart was pounding like it never has in watching a traditional film.”
 
Rowntree said the film also made her realize "we were going to need not only a whole new approach to the visual aspect when shooting 360 VR movies, but we needed to approach audio completely differently as well.”
 
“When you’re in the VR environment and someone runs by you, the sound of their feet hitting the pavement gets louder as they get closer, and quieter again as they pull away,” Rowntree said. “Way more than in a traditional two-dimensional presentation, you really have to factor in the relationship between distance and sound in order to get the audio right.”
 
Rowntree said shooting a movie using the dynamic storytelling model requires a very different set of skills on the part of both the director and the performers, as “you really have to think of it as acting and directing theater, not a movie.”
 
She elaborated, “We’re still experimenting, familiarizing ourselves with the technology and getting used to a whole new way of shooting, one which requires planning out scenes in a very different way. The next challenge is coming up with new and different ways to take advantage of the interactive possibilities offered by VR, to make the viewer an even bigger part of the story as it unfolds.”
 
Sssh.com wrapped shooting of its first VR movie in April for release in July, with more VR creations already in production. The movie’s title is “Empowering Ava: A Virtual Reality Experience.”

“We’ve chosen a genre for the next movie which lends itself beautifully to the VR environment, and we’ve come up with some very fun and creative ways to engage the viewer in the story,” Rowntree said. “From a director’s perspective, it’s really inspiring to shoot VR content, because it forces you to adopt a new mindset and try things which would never occur to you when shooting for a flat, two-dimensional presentation.”
 
Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

German Higher Court Upholds Ban on PornHub, YouPorn

The Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate on Thursday upheld a “network ban” on Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn for failing to comply with German age verification regulations.

Alabama Notifying Adult Sites of New Tax Set to Take Effect Sept. 1

The Alabama Department of Revenue has begun sending notices to adult site operators about a new 10% tax on their revenues, set to be enforced starting Sept. 1.

Ondato, CCBill Announce Strategic Partnership for Global High-Risk Market

Age and identity verification firm Ondato and payment processor CCBill have formed a strategic partnership to serve the global high-risk market.

Ofcom Investigates 4 More Adult Companies for OSA Compliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into whether four companies operating adult websites have implemented requisite age assurance measures under the Online Safety Act, the agency announced Thursday.

Taylor Nicole Launches New Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Creator Taylor Nicole has launched her new official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Show More