SPEAKERS

Rein Zobel (EE), Maru VR Productions

Rein is a Virtual Reality content creator from Estonia and also a VR lecturer in Baltic Film and Media School. His company 'Maru VR Productions' has created VR-experiences about tourism (for Tallinn, Pärnu and Georgia), film (360 location showreels for Estonian Filmi Institute) and education (introducing the work of nurses and bioanalytics to young people) within just the last year.

Rein, a filmmaker and games journalist, has found a way to connect these two passions - with Virtual Reality. 

Follow his work at Maru VR productions or FB.

Maria Herholdt Engermann (DK), MANND

Maria Herholdt Engermann is the founder of MANND, a Danish company focusing on the innovation of VR flirting with new media storytelling and physical installations. In 2017, she graduated as a professional B.A from VIA Film & Transmedia in Aarhus, Denmark, with a specialization in Virtual Reality and transmedia. During her studies, she became passionate about VR with the possibilities that this new medium brought to immersive storytelling.

For the last two years, she has been working with VR and produced different VR experiences. Her most successful VR product to date is Separate Silences, a hybrid live-action virtual reality installation, that has gained national and international success at Cannes and Venice Film festival, as well as having won multiple awards. Maria is an engaging experience designer, focusing on combining strengths from different industries in order to create hybrid experiences.

Follow Maria's work @MANND FB or Instagram.

Sergio de Oliveira (DK), KhoraVR

2 years ago, Sergio decided to take a ride on the VR & AR wave that is about to sweep the way we work and live. Before it hits the shore, he has been dedicating his time to inspire others into following along, and showing how the technology can be used as a powerful communication tool to solve business cases.

Khora is a virtual reality production house, the world’s first virtual reality store, and a hub for innovators. They push to expand this technology´s potential and share the knowledge along the way. Combining a storefront, educational platform, and lab space, Khora aims to integrate people of all ages and walks of life who share a common interest in this emerging technology.

Follow Sergio and his work at KhoraVR, their Twitter or FB.

Darius Sakalauskas (LT), Nebula Cluster

Darius Sakalauskas has been developing film, media and game industry cluster in Lithuania called 'Nebula' for around 2 years now. His focus lies in different innovations, cross-sectoral and cross-country cooperation projects, including cases with mixed realities, different media formats, etc.

'Nebula Cluster' organization is joining together highest level professionals from different industries - movie, television, interactive, online and classical medias in Lithuania. Cluster's main goal is participants stimulation for cross-sector collaboration in the creation of innovative products, education and common marketing activities in the international market. 

Follow Darius work on FB.

Gunnar Liestøl (NO), University of Oslo

Gunnar Liestøl is a Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo. He directs the SITSIM-project which has been funded by the Norwegian Research Council, EgageLab @University of Oslo, Dept. of Media & Communication @University of Oslo, Norway Opening Universities and Arts Council Norway (ABM-utvikling). His main focus is on digital media design and mobile locative media.

SITSIM - Situated Simulation consists of two elements that are linked: the user's visual perception of the real physical environment, and the user's visual perception of a 3D graphics environment as displayed on a hand-held screen. Research in SitsimLab follows three parallel and interacting strands: 1) practical development and experimentation with narrative and rhetorical innovation in location-based media; 2) exploration of a humanities informed method for digital media design founded on rhetoric as an architectonic productive art; and 3) theoretical understanding of the relationship between the two (former levels).

Learn more about the project

Maxim Velichkin (LV), Accenture

With about 7 years experience in work with visual effects, 3D Graphics and motion design, Maxim works with Augmented, Mixed and Virtual reality applications development, 3D graphics and design.

Maxim holds a Masters degree (2014) from the Humanities Institute of TV & Radio Broadcasting, Faculty of Directing TV and Multimedia. The Winner of the First Prize on the AR Hackathon with Trond Nilsen. 
Author and director of documentary films: “Generation of free people” and «Soul of stranger» (two prizes at the international festival «Telemania - 2014»). Human Rights Academy (Oslo, Norway) took the film to be used in educational seminars. Photographer, a nominee in the second edition of Fine Art Photography Awards (London). Three honourable Mentions in International Photography Awards (USA). Passionate about AR/VR/MR.

Follow Maxim's work on Linkedin, FB or Twitter: @RumataM

Haralds Mikelsons (LV), Accenture

AR developer, 3D designer and Unity (games) developer. Haralds is a game developer with more than 2 years of experience working with Unity and Autodesk's 3Ds Max. Have created multiple personal projects (3D, 2D, VR, AR). Recently put the main focus on working with AR (Microsoft Hololens) and have already developed 2 applications. In 2015 started studying Games Technology at Coventry University (UK), currently in year 3. Participated in Global Game Jam in Birmingham (UK), nominated from Coventry University to participate and present a personal project in a Global Game Jam Brazil (2019). Passionate about games, game development for any platform.

Find him on FB or explore the Personal Portfolio. 

Madis Vasser (EE), Estonian Virtual Reality Community (EEVR)

Madis is a Tallinn University Computer Science Ph.D graduate, whose main field of research is studying the inner workings of the brain with the help of virtual reality(VR). In his free time, he manages the Estonian VR community and is trying his luck in game development. At the crossroads of these interests shines a vision of a future which seems quite alien, but full of real possibilities. 

He is one of the organizers of the Estonian VR community, co-owner of the biggest local VR arcade chain and also a PhD researcher & developer of mixed realities. His free time is spent evangelizing about VR and creating experiences that are simply unreal.

Follow what's cooking in the Estonian VR scene here or join the VR community FB Group. 

Timo Kallaste & Laura Leon (EE), MobiLab

Timo is doing AR/VR research and development and has knowledge in computer graphics and 3D content creation, Laura is UI/UX designer & developer who works with web development, design for digital screens, print and XR (Extended Reality). 

MobiLab help companies create successful digital products by designing and developing mobile, virtual and augmented experiences. Mobi Lab is a team of designers, engineers and product managers sharing their passion for customer experience in digital products.

See what they've done so far - Lab.Mobi or FB

Sandra Coumans (BE), iDROPS

Sandra Coumans has worked for more than 12 years in the culture at an international level (mainly Europe) in a range of different organisations (such as a start-up festival, the European Commission or the Belgian federal arts centre Bozar). Besides that, she also worked as a tutor for seven years. Contentwise, she focuses on transnational cultural cooperation, specifically the role of arts in society and digitisation. She currently works for !DROPS, a social innovation office, which devises innovative solutions for societal challenges. Technology plays a key role in that. Sandra is the project manager of !F lab, which focuses on the development of interactive factual storytelling.

Follow iDROPS on FB and !F LAB  on Twitter

Marta Kontina and Elizabete Palasiosa (LV), Story Hub

Story Hub is a creative industries start-up focusing on the interactive multimedia content and interdisciplinary event production. Story Hub is led by creative industries entrepreneurs Marta Kontina and Elizabete Palasiosa who are both not only active and experienced film, event and multimedia content producers, but also work in the education sector of creative industries, culture management and marketing.