Potsdam, 18. October, 2018.

The jury has made its decision: the nominees for the 3rd International VR NOW Awards for Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Augmented Reality and 360° Video have now been announced. Twelve projects are competing for the VR NOW Awards which will be presented in four categories on the evening of 14 November. The awards ceremony is a part of the VR NOW Con & Awards within the framework of MediaTech Con, the newly created conference for future media technologies. This will be held for the first time together with the previously established conference brands Changing the Picture (CTPix) and VR NOW Con & Awards at the studios in Potsdam-Babelsberg on 14 and 15 November, 2018. More at www.mediatech-con.de.

These are the nominees for the VR NOW Awards 2018:

VR Technology Award

seeks to recognize the most technically advanced virtual reality projects, tools, services, hardware and techniques.

„Volucap“ by Volucap GmbH

„Volucap“ is a commercial volumetric video studio where people and objects can be scanned three-dimensionally and as true to life. The basic technology was developed by the Fraunhofer HHI. The installed software of „3D Human Body Reconstruction“ creates hologram-like representations of real people who can be processed like computer-generated models and placed in real and virtual worlds. Spectators can enter these worlds and view the events from many angles. The film industry is not the only area where new opportunities are appearing for narrative forms through to the „walk-in film“ because the technology can also be used in other sectors such as medicine, automotive or the games industry.

www.volucap.de 

„Sorcerer's Apprentice“ by Trotzkind GmbH, reallifefilm international GmbH, Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut

"Sorcerer's Apprentice" is an interactive volumetric video experience which is based on Goethe's eponymous ballad about the sorcerer's apprentice. Until now, Interaction in volumetric videos has not been possible, but, thanks to the new technology developed by Trotzkind as part of the VVOW (Volumetric Video Workflow) research project in conjunction with reallifefilm international and the Fraunhofer HHI, interactive volumetric stories have now become reality for storytellers: it is possible to blend between different takes and change the character and its movements according to the viewer’s perspective.

www.trotzkind.com und www.vvow.eu 

„Wireless Multi-User Virtual Reality Experience“ by TPCAST 

The limiting factor for many virtual reality experiences has been the wires of the headset and the computer that often has to be carried on the back. The wireless system TPCAST is an adapter for standard VR devices and enables communication between VR headset and the computer standing aside almost in real-time and makes backpack laptops redundant. Multiple users can move freely and simultaneously within the same VR experience. The “Wireless Multi-User Virtual Reality Experience” has already been installed in different VR arcades, among others in the Media City in Leipzig.

www.tpcastvr.com

Cinematic VR Award

acknowledges the most outstanding non-interactive 360° video and animation projects such as shorts, feature films and documentaries.

"Home After War | Returning to Fear in Fallujah" by NowHere Media

What if your own home became the place you fear? That question is asked in this immersive experience which follows an Iraqi father returning from the war to his home town of Fallujah that is destroyed by the war. Everyday he still sees himself confronted by the terrible threat of possible explosions in private homes and houses. “Home After War” is an interactive, room-scale VR documentation crafted with photogrammetry and stereo capture and realized by the Berlin team of NowHere Media.

www.homeafterwar.net

"Jerusalem - Faith. Love. Hope. Fear." by Medea Film Factory

Director Dani Levy's („Go For Zucker!“) „Jerusalem – Faith. Love. Hope. Fear“ is his first fiction series in 360 degrees/VR, consisting of four six to eight-minute short films that portray life in the Holy City from both the Israeli and Palestinian perspectives. The episodes focus on the everyday tensions in Jerusalem, observed with the director's characteristically dry humour.

www.medeafilm.com

"Vestige" by Other Set

“Vestige” is a room-scale VR creative documentary based on a true story. It uses various narrative strands and works with volumetrically captured actors. „Vestige“ takes the viewer on a journey into the memory of Lisa as she remembers her lost love, Erik. In the process, fragments of past memories of their life together appear, triggering other new memories and eventually leading to the shocking moment of Erik's death. Each new viewing of „Vestige“ reveals yet more new experiences, showing the complex nature of memory and how one copes with grief.

www.otherset.com/vestige

Interactive VR Experience Award

celebrates immersive VR experiences that exploit the full range of technical possibilities and design choices and through interactivity facilitate special experiences in virtual worlds.

"Escape the Lost Pyramid" by Ubisoft Blue Byte

“Escape the Lost Pyramid” is a virtual reality escape room for location-based VR taking place in the world of Assassin’s Creed Origins. Up to four player can choose their own full body avatar, and customise it with various accessories. The aim of the game is to find the exit from a giant pyramid. To be successful, the individual players have to talk with one another and collaborate. The game is barrier-free and can also be played by wheelchair users.

www.ubisoftescapegames.com 

"Pixel Ripped 1989" by ARVORE Immersive Experiences

“Pixel Ripped 1989” is a game within a game. In this wacky, multi-dimensional, retro, virtual reality adventure the player finds himself in a VR class room and dives through his virtual hand-held console into an 8-bit video game and a world beyond. What’s tricky: Not only is he supposed to save the world in the console game, but also to protect his own avatar in the classroom of the teacher forbidding her students to be distracted by computer games. Like no other VR game “Pixel Ripped 1989” integrates the possibilities of multi-dimensional experiences.

www.arvore.io

"VONDERLAND" by You-VR / VONDERLAND

What would it feel like if we could not only see things in virtual reality, but alos touch them? “VONDERLAND” is a turnkey solution for interactive and multi-sensory VR adventures for all the family. With high quality, family friendly content and modular playfields, the „VONDERLAND“ prototype provides an opportunity to integrate a variety of multiple haptic worlds into the same very confined space of a 4x4m stage.

www.you-vr.com

VR Industry Award

recognises functional and innovative B2B applications and solutions in the fields of Virtual Reality, Augmented Realiy, Mixed Reality and 360° Video. 

"A4VR Hyperreality Experience" by A4VR GmbH

The „A4VR Hyperreality Experience“ is a wireless multi-user experience without the need for backpack computers. Developed for the telecommunications company Vodafone up to four players can experience an immersive time travel. To begin with, the players are each fitted with markers to be tracked by special cameras so that their body can be represented in virtual reality. An actor leads them through the history of the Industrial Revolution and then sends them in a rocket to the moon. Once there, they are able to take their first steps on the moon and, welcome to the information age, take the first 'moon selfie' that is being mailed to them immediately.

www.a4vr.com 

"B. Braun Aesculap Spine VR" by NUMENA Virtual Reality Architects

„B. Braun Aesculap Spine VR“ is an interactive VR application that offers an overview of lumbar spinal operations using medical instruments produced by B. Braun Melsungen AG. The application offers a true-to-life interactive presentation of two new procedures with ENNOVATE®, a new spinal cord screw model, and XP®, a next-generation disk implant, both carefully rendered and programmed to allow for a natural and precise interaction. A special feature is „Bone Land“ representing the bone tissue and structure at a microscopic level.

www.numena.de/project/bbraun

"GEMÜ VR Exhibition Teaser" by Stoll von Gáti GmbH

The “GEMÜ VR Exhibition Teaser” is based on the company’s immersive training application “GEMÜ VR Experience Center”. After putting on the VR headset the trade visitor finds himself at the virtual exhibition stand, from where he can dive into a virtual GEMÜ world with products of the company as well as the training room of GEMÜ’s innovation center. In the rebuilt construction hall with interactive 3D objects such as tools, carts and spare parts the user can run through an easy maintenance task before he re-enters the exhibition stand.

www.stollvongati.com 

VR NOW Grand Prize recognises the best project of the year, based on overall quality and innovation. The winner of the VR NOW Grand Prize is selected by the main jury from all of the nominated projects.

The main jury of the VR NOW Awards, consisting of Csongor Baranyai (UE - University of Applied Sciences Europe), Ina Göring (game – German Games Industry Association), Rangeen Katharina Horami (Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF), Sönke Kirchoff (INVR.SPACE), Nicole Laux (Schenker Technologies), Alexander Mankowsky (Daimler), Kimo Quaintance (IQ Gemini), Oliver Ringel (Rolls Royce) and Kathleen Schröter (Fraunhofer HHI) selected three nominated projects for each category. 

The award ceremony for the VR NOW Awards 2018 will take place within the framework of MediaTech Con. The MediaTech Con consists of three conferences will be offering their delegates a two-day international platform with visionary presentations, talks and workshops in Potsdam-Babelsberg – and thus be right at the interface of technology, content and application.

The award ceremony is hosted by the Virtual Reality e.V. Berlin-Brandenburg and curated and produced by Booster Space.

All three events are supported by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

Further information at www.mediatech-con.de.