Chinese Social VR, VR Journalism, VR Tourism, VR Industry @ VR NOW
Loneliness in the virtual space, the use of Virtual Reality in journalism and the news business as well as the travel industry, and current VR developments in China – the international speakers at the „VR NOW – The Tech Biz Art Conference“ (November 16, 2016, Potsdam) will be addressing current issues, impulses and trends in the industry.
The possible applications for Virtual Reality are widely diversified, whether it’s in the area of games, the film industry, medicine, architecture or the automotive sector. The travel industry is one which has already been using VR on an almost routine basis. The Belgian Pieter van Leugenhagen, co-founder and business strategist of The Yondr, will set out in his presentation how Virtual Reality will influence travel in the future. The Yondr is Belgium’s first agency for immersive media, and its clients include Mercedes Benz, New Balance, Nike, and others.
The possibilities of VR are also used in journalism and the news business. Martin Heller, Head of Video Innovations at WeltN24, is one of the first German journalists to have worked on a regular basis with VR, particularly with 360° videos. His 360° Video „California: Highway 1“ participated in several international VR festivals, with his VR documentary „See the Signs“ he won the „Photokina Motion Picture Award“. He deals with the question of whether Virtual Reality and journalism are compatible in fast-moving, news-dominated everyday life, and, if this is indeed the case: how this combination can function. In April 2016, he launched his own company, IntoVR, a start-up for Virtual Reality content in journalism.
The question of whether virtual realities connect or isolate people will be posed in the lecture by the American Debby Shepard, who is responsible for International Market Development at the social VR provider AltspaceVR. Founded in 2013, the Silicon Valley start-up and VR communications platform wants to dispel the isolation and loneliness of users in closed virtual spaces and has developed a software facilitating social interaction between the users, which is already being actively used in more than 150 countries.
The multiple award-winning, Berlin-based documentary filmmaker and VR enthusiastCyril Tuschi is currently shooting a short documentary for VR Now Con about China as one of the most exciting VR markets in the world today. The film will be shown exclusively at the conference on November 16. A graduate of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Tuschi won numerous prizes for „Khodorkovsky“ („Der Fall Chodorkowski“) about the convicted Russian oligarch, which had its premiere at the Berlinale. In 2015, he launched the VR start-up, YouVR, which, among others, is developing „Vonderland“, a chain of VR amusement parks.
The VR Now Con will also serve as the backdrop for the newly created „VR Now Awards“, the first awards ceremony in Germany dedicated exclusively to Virtual Reality projects. The awards will recognise outstanding technical, business and artistic achievements in the Virtual Reality industry. An expert jury will decide on the winners in four categories. http://awards.vrnowcon.io.
The one-day English-language conference and the awards ceremony will be held under the auspices of Virtual Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg, which was founded this year, organised by Booster Space – Made with Love in Berlin, and funded byMedienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.
More about VR Now Con at www.vrnowcon.io
Facebook: www.facebook.com/virtualrealitynow
Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/676269155860989/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/vrnowcon, @VRnowCon, #VRnowCon, #VRlove
About Virtual Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg
Virtual Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg was founded in April 2016 by several companies and initiatives from Potsdam and Berlin. Another 15 leading Berlin and Brandenburg-based film and TV producers, tech entrepreneurs and research institutes have joined the venture along-side Studio Babelsberg, UFA LAB, Exozet, SMI, Metropolis VR, Babelsberg Film University and HPI (D-School). The new association brings all of the VR and AR expertise available in Potsdam-Babelsberg and the capital region together as a way of making this location internationally competitive in this field. The board comprises Stephan Schindler (Wonderlamp Industries), Henry Bauer (Exozet), Christian Villwock (SMI) and Sven Bliedung (SLICE Studios). Preparations in setting up the association were supported by Brandenburg’s Economics Ministry, the Zukunftsagentur Brandenburg and media.net berlinbrandenburg.www.virtualrealitybb.org
About Booster Space – Made with Love in Berlin
Booster Space – with its headquarters in Berlin and a global network of partners and contacts – is a professional event organiser and specialist in developing brands. Working in collaboration with experienced and qualified partners in the areas of production, PR and design, Booster Space facilitates the efficient organistion and successful promotion of events and other projects, as well as offering concept development, marketing strategies and event production from a single source. At the forefront of Booster Space’s interdisciplinary work is the desire to create and realise projects in an authentic and exciting way. The agency is the founder and manager of #gamesweekberlin. www.booster-space.com
