Traveling back in time and immersing yourself in the Geneva of the 1850s, such is the experience offered by the Dreamscape studio, newly installed in the city at the end of the lake. An interactive virtual reality adventure that shows the impressive technological progress in the field.
After the opening of many theaters in the United States and Dubai, the Geneva studio Dreamscape is betting to present in Geneva, in collaboration with the Geneva foundation Artanim, three augmented virtual reality experiences in parallel, like a cinema complex.
Your choice: a visit to an alien zoo, an aerial adventure on the theme of the film “Dragons” from Deamworks studios and a trip to Geneva in 1850. A pioneering project in Europe, for which Geneva was not chosen at random . “As all technological development is done in Meyrin, it was an opportunity for us to experiment with new products and technological advances, explains the co-founder of the studio Caecilia Charbonnier, interviewed by RTS. We can thus discover how they work with our own eyes before deploying them elsewhere.”
A local know-how which will perhaps make it possible to revisit in virtual reality other eras and historical anecdotes, such as that of the Escalade. “We might repeat this anecdote, but this time the players would be in charge of overturning the pot on the soldiers!”
James Fazy and Guillaume-Henri Dufour in close conversation at the Journal de Genève the day before the uprising. An image from the virtual reality adventure “Geneva 1850”, Geneva in 1850. [Dreamscape / Artanim]
A total immersion
The principle is as follows: in a specially equipped room, visitors are equipped with a visual helmet and motion sensors attached to their hands. They can then walk around and interact with the virtual world of Geneva in 1850, at the time of the Fazy revolution. From sets to characters and objects, the public is no longer a spectator, but an actor in what they see. He also meets historical figures, such as James Fazy and Guillaume Henri Dufour.
Even if the plans are realistic, the design of the virtual world remains in 3D, and the characters have a little cartoonish look. This technical feat was achieved in twelve months of work, “for a team of ten people. There are scriptwriters, developers, 3D artists, sound designers, etc.,” adds Caecilia Charbonnier.
>> To watch: the trailer for “Geneva 1850”
“We are lucky to have excellent schools in Switzerland. It is important that this growth continues,” Paola Gazzani Marinelli, head of digital programs at GIFF, told RTS. Until now confined to a niche audience, augmented virtual reality is gradually becoming more democratic with the reduction of the equipment necessary for the experience. “At the time, there were issues of discomfort when putting the helmet on, with the inner ear. Today, those issues are completely outdated.”
Popular with the public, the “Geneva 1850” virtual adventure can be booked several days in advance. Other experiences will be available in the different rooms of the studio.
TV Subject: Michael Maccabez
Adaptation web: Myriam Semaani
Dreamscape Geneva Studios, Rue de la Confédération 6-10, 1204 Geneva. “Geneva 1850”, to be reserved on line.
