Virtual Reality Is Proving a Powerful Vehicle for Disaster Relief, Social CausesVirtual-reality movies are more than just cool -- they can be a catalyst for good.

This article is part of ourTrends 2016coverage.

In April, mere hours after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, humanitarian and filmmaker David Darg found himself on a flight to Kathmandu. Along for the ride were six GoPro cameras, a tripod and a 3-D-printed camera rig -- all the gear he would need to shoot a virtual-reality film.