The Young Turks, Bernie Su Team Up For 360-Degree ‘Mobile Oval’ Office

The Oval Office is known for its round shape, so what better way to shoot it than in 360 degrees? That’s the idea behind The Mobile Oval, a new series written and directed by Canvas Media Studios co-founder Bernie Su and produced by Canvas and The Young Turks.

The Mobile Oval was filmed on the newly-built Oval Office set at YouTube Space LA, which is equipped to support 360-degree videos. In the case of The Mobile Oval, however, YouTube’s set isn’t standing in for the presidential workspace itself, but for a mobile replica that can travel across the country for President Bill Clinton. The show, led by a cast of young leads, shows the West Wing-esque squabbles of the Mobile Oval’s staffers as they debate the last two decades of American politics.

The first two episodes of The Mobile Oval have been posted to The Young Turks’ YouTube channel. As with other 360-degree videos, browser-based viewers will need to click and drag the player in order to rotate the scene.

The Young Turks’ audience has met The Mobile Oval with a fairly cool response, with many commenters noting that the show’s particularly bipartisan brand of entertainment is out of place on a channel known for espousing anti-establishment ideas. It’s worth noting that, while all 360-degree videos look better when watched through VR devices like Google’s new Daydream headset, The Mobile Oval is particularly suited for that medium, as it allows viewers to follow Su’s fast-paced script as it bounces from character to character.

If The Mobile Oval is your jam, stay tuned to The Young Turks. Otherwise, there will be plenty more videos from the same sets leading up to November 8th. According to a press release, more than 50 creators have participated in YouTube’s election-themed initiative.