Immersive virtual reality production and playback for storytelling content

1. A method for controlling a story line of immersive stereographic content, the method comprising:

collecting, in a computer memory, sensor data from a plurality of immersive stereographic client devices indicating at least one user biometric during performance of a prerecorded stereographic video work playing on the immersive stereographic client devices;

correlating, by at least one computer processor, the sensor data to ones of segment identifiers recorded in a data structure, each of the segment identifiers correlated to a different one of prerecorded immersive stereographic video segments comprising the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work;

determining a region of high audience interest based on the sensor data from the plurality of immersive stereographic client devices while in use by a corresponding plurality of different users and increasing rendering resources allocated to the region based on a measure of the audience interest; and

defining, by the at least one computer processor, an alternative story line in the form of an electronic data file for a modified version of the prerecorded immersive stereographic video, based on the correlating and on a library of immersive stereographic video segments each associated with an alternative story line branch.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the at least one user body metric from the group consisting of: a user head orientation, a user eye orientation, or a user eye surface shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the at least one user body metric from the group consisting of: heart rate or skin temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising distributing the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work as part of a real-time rendered application package, wherein playing of the prerecorded video work is triggered by a user-controllable event defined by the rendered application.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising altering an amount or timing that the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work is played relative to the real-time rendered application package, based on the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing a series of versions of the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work in an electronic data storage component, wherein each of the versions is based on a different set of the sensor data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, during the performance, a virtual position of a region of visual focus of the at least one user in a virtual environment defined by the immersive stereographic video work, based on the sensor data; and

controlling output of the apparatus in response to the determining.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the controlling output comprises adjusting at least one of a depth of focus of the region of visual focus or an apparent focal length on a display of the immersive stereographic content display apparatus, based on the sensor data indicating that the region of visual focus exists.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting at least one of the depth of focus or apparent focal length comprises shifting a focus point from an original depth towards a foreground object, holding the focus point on the foreground object for a period of time, and then shifting the focus point to a predetermined depth.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting at least one of the depth of focus or apparent focal length comprises shifting a focus point from an original depth towards a background object, holding the focus point on the background object for a period of time, and then shifting the focus point to a predetermined depth.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the virtual position of the region of visual focus comprises processing the sensor data indicating at least one of a user head orientation, a user eye orientation, or a user eye surface shape.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving the sensor data from the sensor comprising at least one of: an image sensor, an accelerometer, an interferometer, or a microphone.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the virtual position of the region of visual focus comprises sensing that the user is viewing a limited portion of the display for a qualifying period, based on the sensor data.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the output comprises selecting a video segment for the alternative story line.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the output comprises driving an audio transducer with a signal that produces a directional cue indicating a direction of interest for the at least one user, wherein the directional cue is selected from the group consisting of spoken language or a sound field configured to be perceived as originating from a location of the virtual environment.

16. An apparatus comprising at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory, the memory holding program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

collecting sensor data from a plurality of immersive stereographic client devices indicating at least one user biometric during performance of a prerecorded stereographic video work playing on the immersive stereographic client devices;

correlating the sensor data to ones of segment identifiers recorded in a data structure, each of the segment identifiers correlated to a different one of prerecorded immersive stereographic video segments comprising the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work;

determining a region of high audience interest based on the sensor data from the plurality of immersive stereographic client devices while in use by a corresponding plurality of different users and increasing rendering resources allocated to the region based on a measure of the audience interest; and

defining an alternative story line in the form of an electronic data file for a modified version of the prerecorded immersive stereographic video, based on the correlating and on a library of immersive stereographic video segments each associated with an alternative story line branch.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for selecting the at least one user body metric from the group consisting of:

a user head orientation, a user eye orientation, or a user eye surface shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for selecting the at least one user body metric from the group consisting of:

heart rate or skin temperature.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for storing a series of versions of the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work in an electronic data storage component, wherein each of the versions is based on a different set of the sensor data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory holds further instructions for altering an amount or timing that the prerecorded immersive stereographic video work is played relative to the real-time rendered application package, based on the sensor data.