THE MAKING OF THE ZERMATT VRSCOPE
by Karen Guthry Talks to Claudio Bader
 Can you explain what VRscope is?
 Something really special, never seen before. It’s an experiment, a story, a making of and a documentary, all at the same time!
What subjects are best suited to this medium?
There are no limits to what you can do.
What is the idea behind the making of this film?
We wanted to join video and photography into one. That was the challenge, to have a video with an unusual panoramic format and 360 degree photography in it. At the same time, it became a sort of making of ourselves doing it.
What equipment did you use?
We had DV cameras, Panoscan System and other digital cameras, tripods and accessories. For some of the scenes we skied with the equipment packed inside our backpacks.
Why is the screen broken up into four segments?
Because we used four DV cameras on a modified tripod to get the feeling of a panoramic video at 180 degrees.
Where do you see this technology in three or five years time?
The potential is huge. If the technology keeps on improving as fast as it is now, it will be widespread.
How large a team was required to produce this film?
CB: Believe it or not, only three people with no budget!
Sounds like hard work: did you get any chance to relax?
It was a lot of work, but it was so challenging and interesting that you didn’t even need to relax.
The snow must have posed some specific problems…
We were very unlucky with the weather but at the end, we had no choice but to work with the snow. It was great and the images look cool.
The cave inside the glacier looks amazing.
It’s really an amazing place… It makes your head turn. Not only because of the altitude and the fact that you’re inside a glacier but also because you feel a little bit in paradise. It’s so silent in there…
What sort of lighting did you use?
Just natural light.
Does filming at night or indoors, pose any technical challenges?
Digital cameras actually react quite well to low lighting conditions, but you have to be careful of the highlights, which can become too intense in such situations.
Why did you choose Zermatt?
It was the perfect location because Zermatt is a famous holiday resort with beautiful mountains all around it and has an excellent infrastructure.
What did you like most about Zermatt?
Cars don’t exist, only funny little electrical ones, which are silent and clean. Of course the surroundings are spectacular and the atmosphere in the village is really magic.
What’s the skiing like?
Zermatt is a famous ski resort with beautiful runs, though we only skied to get to the location we wanted to shoot.
Did anything unexpected happen while your were working on this film?
The whole film is based on unexpected things. It was a very spontaneous process, so every scene became a surprise.
What was the hardest thing to film?
The Matterhorn. We saw it only one day because of the bad weather conditions.
What is your favourite part of the VRscope film and why?
The part inside the glacier definitely does it for me!
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