The mixed reality glasses (NREAL Light) used on the tour in Essen look more like oversized sunglasses. They are peppered with sensors and project a virtual reality onto the inside of the glasses. In this way, the here and now mixes with virtual reality.<\/p>\n
A city tour in which the characters act together with the visitors is unique. During the two-hour tour, the actors take the visitors on a fascinating journey. They are addressed directly. The characters seem completely real, like a projection or a hologram. This is only made possible by the special recording technology used to record all the protagonists. In one of the most modern studios in the world, in Eindhoven, all the characters were digitised realistically in 360 degrees using volumetric video capture.<\/p>\n
Participants of the tour are catapulted into the year 1887, the day of the funeral of the former industrial magnate Alfred Krupp. Stagecoaches, historic buildings and squares and people in period costumes appear before their eyes. Henning Baum plays a landlord who accompanies the participants through a time when Essen was full of pioneering spirit and new beginnings. Tatjana Clasing plays Wilhelmine Grillo, who is about to build the theatre of the same name. Her maid, played by actress Alicja Rosinski, makes repeated appearances and also accompanies the participants throughout the tour. Nelson M\u00fcller, Harry Wijnvoord and the rap duo 257ers provide some surprising moments.<\/p>\n
\"When selecting the actors and actresses, we attached great importance to local identification,\" says EMG Managing Director Richard R\u00f6hrhoff. \"All of them have a connection to the city, were born here, live here or have worked or studied here. We designed the tour completely in-house.\" It was created by historian and head of tourism Lars B\u00fcttner and EMG filmmaker Nicola Schwedt, who together came up with the scenery, story and characters before handing it over to scriptwriter and director Florian Siebert. All of them were keen to present a successful mix of historical facts and fun. \"However, our partner for the technical implementation comes from D\u00fcsseldorf. That we met NEONREAL was a happy moment,\" emphasises R\u00f6hrhoff.<\/p>\n
Essen 1887 - a mixed reality journey through time is to be launched in April 2022. This unique experience costs 25 euros per person.<\/p>\n