Samsung Launches The "Gear Indie" Channel For The Samsung Gear VR

In recent discussions of Virtual Reality, enthusiasts are saying that this new medium will go beyond games—and Samsung is now working on ensuring that.

In a piece written by Daniel Terdiman for FastCompany, “Samsung's New Mission: Discovering VR Film Talent,” it is clear that Samsung is making sure that this early, the medium will be relevant. Relevant enough to secure a prime spot for its own VR device, the Samsung Gear.

“Gear Indie,” will be a video channel which will be exclusively accessible from Samsung's Milk VR section. The Milk VR section also runs exclusively on the Samsung Gear VR headset. This video consumption channel might be Samsung’s answer to YouTube and Vimeo for Virtual Reality.

As the world already knows, YouTube and Vimeo have become runaway hits with user-generated content. In fact, YouTube thrived on the user-generated content, as well as the community that came together around it, before commercial companies and multinationals came in. Vimeo, on the other hand, became a platform for the more artistic types to host their content, with the premise of keeping commercialism at bay. With these moves for the Samsung Gear VR, it seems like Samsung is looking to replicate the user-generated content phenomenon.

According to the FastCompany article, Samsung’s Gear Indie platform will have three components:

-Short virtual reality films will be curated, showcased, featured, as well as highlighted.

-VR Filmmakers who opt in will be given a set of challenges to complete. Their efforts will be rewarded, as well.

-Samsung will also provide a mentorship program that will give the indie VR filmmakers a chance to train with professional VR filmmakers.

Matt Apfel, Samsung Media Solutions Center America’s vice president of strategy and creative content, has a vision to see that the indie VR filmmakers’ work will get ample exposure. He hopes to ensure that Gear Indie content providers’ films will get the viewership they want. According to him, Gear Indie shouldn’t be a platform where there are a thousand indie videos that no one would be able to find or see. Samsung’s Gear Indie platform aims to ensure visibility.

The Gear Indie channel launched with an initial 5 videos on August 10th, and will add 2 videos a day, every day this week.