Circlescapes Puts Original Spin on Internet Virtual Tours

July 8, 2008 - PRLog -- Circlescapes has arrived on the interactive marketing scene producing dynamic, high-resolution virtual tours for websites. Founded by Lisa Franzino and Jared Varon, the company calls Jacksonville, Fla., and Portland, Ore., home. Circlescapes, http://www.circlescapes.com,  has taken the concept of 360-degree virtual tours and made them interactive by incorporating audio, video, animation, graphics, text and links directly into the spinning panoramas, which can also serve as a comprehensive marketing piece for clients.

“Our virtual tours look great at full-screen, so a viewer can spin up, down, left and right around a hotel, museum, hospital, spa or golf course, and we can show them detailed views of every element within the spin,” said Franzino, the company’s principal photographer. According to Franzino, the method for creating the panoramic spins has a photographer take four to eight photos per location with a wide-angle or fish-eye camera lens, allowing the viewer to get a fully spherical view of an area.

Once the panoramic spins are “stitched” together, Varon adds customized marketing messages using Flash. Typical components that are added to a tour include video clips, audio sound effects and voice-over, animated graphics, internal or external website links and descriptive text. “We’ve created a variety of marketing options for companies with the interactivity of our virtual tours. Now, it’s more than just a spin around a room. It’s a detailed multi-media look at a company’s product offering, with benefits highlighted and showcased in creative, fun ways,” said Varon.

Circlescapes recently completed projects with the PGA TOUR and TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. “We captured spherical views of 28 locations in the new TPC clubhouse and on the golf course at THE PLAYERS Championship, including the renowned 17th hole,” Franzino said. “Consider the number of people who see the elegant clubhouse during the telecast of THE PLAYERS and who might want to know more about it, but may not have an opportunity to visit it in person. They can now view the interior online via the virtual tour,” she said. To view the TPC virtual tour website, visit http://www.tpc.com/tour.

“Working with Circlescapes gave us the technology and capability to produce a tour with seamless and beautiful pictures. The pictures and spins can tell the viewers a story,” said Stephanie Corwin with PGA TOUR. “The virtual tours provide images and excitement to golf enthusiasts that are second only to attending the tournament.”

Circlescapes is currently working on virtual tours for the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, The Spa at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and The Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra. Circlescapes also recently launched a virtual tour for DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Ore.  “We are excited about the broadness of the potential market for interactive, marketing-driven virtual tours for hospitals, college campuses, resorts, theme parks, spas, and cruise lines, just to name a few,” said Franzino.

Circlescapes is also seeking clients in a variety of industries including art galleries, museums and corporations. To see samples of virtual tours and for more information, visit http://www.circlescapes.com.

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Circlescapes, Inc. is a premier provider of high-resolution, interactive virtual tours. Circlescapes photographers capture panoramic images that remain crisp and clear, even at full-screen. And, designers create marketing-driven interactive interfaces with video, audio, animation, text, links and graphics embedded directly into the spinning panorama. For more information, visit the website at www.circlescapes.com or call 904-894-6275. Email information@circlescapes.com.