What “Immersion” means & why it is not new!
At LIMES we talk a lot about immersion and immersive experiences. But what do we really mean by that?
When you look up “immersion” in the tech dictionary, it is mostly linked with Virtual Reality (VR) and describes “a perception of being physically present in a non-physical world, created by surrounding the user with images, sound or other stimuli that provide an all-encompassing environment.”
In other words, your physical you is transformed by being surrounded in an artificial environment. And this can be done by representation, fiction, illusion or simulation.
That does indeed sound very technologically advanced.
In fact most people tend to think of new media technologies and the latest in digital talks, when they hear about immersion. But technology is not the only necessary ingredient:
When looking back a few years in history we do indeed find numerous and very prominent examples of immersion.
They are analogue as they can be. And they still enjoy a great deal of response until this very day: imagine Theatre, Opera, Circus, … just to mention a few. Be it a Greek tragedy or a thundering Wagner opera in Bayreuth. For centuries creative people have been able to transport their audiences into fascinating worlds. Even without the latest of digital technology.
Though we are 100% convinced that new immersive technologies should be at the core of achieving the fullest level of immersion. Two major ingredients, however, have always been key to lead to successful immersive experiences. And they are completely analogue:
- the first: a nicely filled box of good tricks
- the second: great storytelling.
We believe that in order to create striking immersive experiences with new media technology, these two ingredients are a must. They should range at the very top of your wishlist. The next is to decide about the sort of environment and the type of audience that you want to address.
With LIMES we can create 360 degree environments that become fully immersive for your live event, show or concert in a conceptual, visual and acoustic sense – which VR and AR devices never could.
Frank Stahmer, CEO & Co-Founder of LIMES
It’s about the immersive playground on which artists and event designers can create innovative, fully immersive and audience experiences. Placing the stage at the centre of the action. This can lead to completely new and incomparable visitor experiences and audience engagement.