To mark the 30th anniversary of the German band Die Fantastischen Vier, Deutsche Telekom is exclusively presenting the virtual reality extravaganza DIE FANTASTISCHEN VR – FANTAVENTURA. The world’s first 6-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) VR take on a band sets new creative and technological standards. The audience can link up with Smudo, Thomas D, Michi Beck, and And.Ypsilon to dive into the interactive universe of Die Fantastischen Vier accompanied by the sounds of the 90s hit “Tag am Meer” (A Day at the Sea). This virtual reality experience is being premiered by Deutsche Telekom at IFA 2019 in Berlin.
Gift for fans
State-of-the-art technology was used to make volumetric recordings of the four band members in Volucap Studios in Berlin, welcoming virtual visitors to Fantaventura, a fictitious island in a faraway ocean, where they encounter Die Fantastischen Vier both as they are today and as their younger selves. Capturing the overall mood and the line in the song “When the future becomes the present,” the borderlines of reality truly start to swim.
The highlights on offer for fans include various video clips of concerts and the band in the studio, not to mention a visit to Thomas D’s sitting room.
Smudo and Michi B are impressed
Smudo explains how the project came about: “I fired up a fair few people around me with my enthusiasm for VR. About three years ago, we then started toying with the idea of possibly producing a VR experience to mark the band’s 30th anniversary. The aim was to create a superlative product without being able to predict where technological developments in VR would lead along the way.”
Michi B adds: “Breaking new ground is what drives us, alongside music. We are proud to have found partners to help create Fantaventura and make us one of the very first bands to experiment with a technology that will be commonplace in a couple of years.”
VR experience for everyone
Stephan Heininger, head of Virtual Reality at Deutsche Telekom, is delighted with this latest VR creation: “Since the launch of Magenta VR, we have kept on surprising our users with pioneering adventures in the virtual world, impressing fans with our entertainment program for smartphones and VR headsets. Now, Fantaventura is an incredible journey that gives users the feeling that they are taking a unique trip back into music history, transporting them right up close to the band.”
Volumetric recordings generate an interactive 6DoF – six degrees of freedom – experience in a virtual environment.
Sporting VR headsets, users not only get to look around everywhere, but also move freely through a virtual space. This enables visitors to Fantaventura to walk around the band members on the beach, touch floating fish, dive into a sea of foam, and explore the interior of a Seat “bubble car.”
Two versions – 360° and 6DoF
From September 6, smartphone users can simply download the Magenta VR app and launch the 360° version from there – watching it either on their screen as normal or through a mounted headset for smartphones (e.g. Zeiss VR One). This version can also be viewed using stand-alone VR headsets such as the Lenovo Mirage Solo.
The 6DoF version will be available on Steam to experience using a 6DoF-compatible VR headset, such as the HTC Vive, from October.
