A Creator's Crucible: My "Impossible" Journey Through the Oculus Launch Pad

Sometimes you get yourself into a position where you are pushed to stretch your abilities and conquer daunting challenges. That was my experience creating this Immersive VR Nature Vacation. When I was accepted into the Oculus Launch Pad program, I was thrilled. With the hope of maybe getting a chance to fly, I took on the challenge of building a VR app, despite having no programming skills. What followed was a year of awfulness—a journey where every tiny step forward was met with a new, hard challenge that took immense effort to overcome. This is the story of that crazy ride, of battling impossible technical hurdles, and of rediscovering my true purpose in the face of near-total frustration.

The Golden Nugget 🌟

Don't Miss This: The stereoscopic 3D shot of the Allosaurus skeleton at the Wall of Bones. This single shot, captured with a professional (and very difficult) 360 camera, represents the incredible quality I was chasing and is one of my favorite 3D moments I've ever created.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT

Despite the incredible challenges, the final video is a journey I'm so proud of. It starts in the magical Fantasy Canyon, where we bring Chief Red Moose's legend to life with light painting and special effects. Then we head to Dinosaur National Monument to see the Wall of Bones and the majestic Echo Park. Grab your VR headset and enjoy this adventure that was truly forged in fire.

"I have put in thousands of hours and thousands of dollars into this 360 venture, and I think I have made a total of a little over $150. Of course... this is not about making money for me. It is about me sharing hope and happiness, and give me a Passion and Purpose to my life."

Adventure at a Glance

🏞️ Locations: Fantasy Canyon, Dinosaur National Monument (Wall of Bones, Echo Park), Red Fleet Reservoir, Utah
🚶‍♀️ Activity: VR Filmmaking, App Development, Overcoming Adversity
⭐ Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds for Perseverance!)
☀️ Best For: Aspiring VR creators, understanding the creative struggle, dinosaurs!
⏳ The Challenge: A year-long journey through the Oculus Launch Pad program.
🧭 Can't-Miss Sights: The Wall of Bones, Echo Park, Three Kings Petroglyphs, Chief Red Moose's Legend.

My Oculus Launch Pad Story: The "Year of Awfulness"

My journey started with a faulty rental camera. To up my quality for the program, I rented an Insta360 Pro2, but it came with one battery, a short in the charging cord, and broken on-camera audio. Getting the footage off its seven memory cards took an entire day and night on an old tablet—the only computer that would connect to it! Then came the rendering. Trying to mix 8K, 6K, 5.7K, stereoscopic, and monoscopic footage was brutal. A single two-minute clip took over 25 hours to process on my husband's powerful computer, which I could barely find time on.

Then came Unreal Engine. I spent six weeks in what an article called "the Packaging Process from Hell," trying to get the programming environment set up, even having to rewrite bits of Android code. The plugins to play 360 video didn't work as advertised with stereoscopic footage, and I realized I was trying to do something the software simply couldn't handle. High-quality stereoscopic video was more important to me than low-quality interactivity, so I pivoted back to Adobe, where I finally felt like I was making progress, learning to green screen dinosaurs and ghosts for the video.

But the program pushed for an app. I dove back into programming on a laptop that could barely run the software, obsessed with figuring out how to create a paddleboarding experience. But water, paddles, and high-quality 360 video in Unreal on a Quest headset was, I learned, basically impossible. The final wall was when my headset was mysteriously blocked from uploading the necessary files. Having my progress blocked by a force I couldn't creatively get around was the final sign. I was done. I submitted my video, and walked away knowing I had given it 150%.

Your Guide to the Real-Life Locations

♦️ Fantasy Canyon: A surreal and fragile landscape. Best visited in the cooler months and at golden hour to see the "goblins" and "ghosts" in the rock.
♦️ Dinosaur National Monument: The Wall of Bones is an absolute must-see. The sheer number of fossils in one place is mind-boggling.
♦️ Echo Park: This remote section of the monument requires a high-clearance vehicle. It's a gorgeous and peaceful spot where the Green and Yampa rivers meet.
♦️ Red Fleet Reservoir: A great spot for paddleboarding and seeing real dinosaur footprints preserved in the sandstone along the shore.

Conclusion: Finding Purpose in the Struggle

My Oculus Launch experience was rough. At times, I completely lost my passion and struggled with the blues. But I've come to see that the struggle itself was the point. It forced me to a place where I had to re-evaluate *why* I do this. It's not for money or fame. It's for the joy of creating, for sharing hope and happiness, and for the purpose it gives my life. It's about listening for that direction from above and feeling blessed while I'm out enjoying the beauties of this amazing planet. So if you're chasing a dream and hitting walls, know that you're not alone. The struggle is part of the story. Find your real purpose in the work, and you'll find the strength to keep going.

Sending Love and Positive Vibes,

Shauna from VRGetaways