Virtual Reality – We make the future come alive!

WHITESTAG Virtual Reality Filmproduktion creates 360° 3D virtual reality and interactive virtual reality films with the latest technology, which you can experience with VR glasses as well as on your smartphone, tablet, or PC/Mac.

The founder and boss is Walter Schönenbröcher, national, international, and multiple award-winning photographer and filmmaker. His own VR documentary series include „Artists up close“, where artists (including Günther Rechn and Matthias Körner) can be observed in their studios during the creative process, and „Old and rare forms of craftsmanship“, where professions such as tanners and tire turners can be experienced again.

His biggest current project is called „Virtual Cottbus“, which celebrated its premiere on 28.04.22 at the Gründungszentrum Cottbus. Now everyone at www.virtuelles-cottbus.de can also explore our city from home on a city tour of up to two hours.

hermann talks to Walter Schönenbröcher about this.

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Virtual reality is the ability to create a completely new world and take viewers into that world as if they were really there. Previously we made linear 360° VR films, but now we make interactive 360° 3D VR films. That means you have a say in how long your movie experience will be and what you see. It’s not computer animation, it’s a real movie in 360° 3D, and in both versions, you are in the middle of it. Brain research says, after 30 sec. our brain can no longer recognize that this is not reality. You are in the middle of this world and can experience it completely. That’s why our slogan is: „We make the future tangible“. You put on the VR glasses and you are exactly at the place where the camera was and you can look around. You can decide for yourself in the film where I go, who I talk to, what actions I perform. For example, if I want to go into the next room, I can look at the door for two seconds and I’m there. Interaction is achieved via eye control.

In which direction will this develop further?

It all boils down to Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse. In other words, we’re making our world a digital, virtual experience. „Virtual Cottbus,“ which I’ve been working on in the city for two years and which will continue to grow, is also already a metaverse, namely our little Bubble Cottbus, where I can look around, depending on my area of interest – business, science, tourism, city marketing, culture. I can walk through Cottbus, experience things, get to know, talk to someone. Here to the BLMK, there to Energie Cottbus, to Branitz, take the streetcar to the BTU, and look at the campus. You can view all the information virtually with VR glasses or via the browser. This has great potential because Metaverse is on everyone’s lips. And we’re building our virtual Cottbus in parallel. Interview: Tracy Neumann

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