The project

How would it be to step into the poetries of a writer?
The Zanella VR experience allows the user to be transported in a timeless space and sensory journey through the verses of one of the major Italian poets by combining different kinds of arts.
Expressing the poet through his own poetries preserving the historical memory of his birthplace was the goal shared among the mindsets of a local entrepreneur, our young and innovative company and the visionary municipal council of Chiampo whose pride is representative of the entire community feeling.

Client: Chiampo Municipality

Sponsors: The ID Factory, Proloco Chiampo, Faeda, Margraf, Acque del Chiampo

Kind of project: VR App – Unity

Field: VR for education

Pros and results:
– Unreal experience
– High level of engagment
– One to one message
– Educational aim
– Unconventional communication to

Discover: the analysis phase

Realizing a creative concept based on the most innovative advantages of VR technology together with the preservation and transmission of both the memory and the poetry of a great poet was an ambitious project. The discovery of Giacomo Zanella as a man, as a poet and as a citizen was the first step of our in-depth analysis to virtually humanize him.
The visual representation of his verses read by a theatrical voice was the technique chosen to make his memory unforgettable in a VR tribute.

Design: the ideation phase

The dual purpose of being respectful of the poetry of Giacomo Zanella and transmitting a modern and attractive message reflects in the immersive path through which the poet retraces the transformation of his childhood memories related to his town and his house.
From melancholy living to discovering a new dimension of harmony and freedom of expression, an evolutionary artistic path allows the user both to perceive this transformation and experience timeless emotions trough timeless poems. Feelings go from the restlessness of an initial gray and gothic experience to the lyrical joy of a multicolored ending.

Develop: the development phase

The need for the transportability of the experience has directed the development on an application for Oculus Go, a practical stand-alone viewer with immediate use. The experience is an interactive 3-dimensional journey into the poet’s house, faithfully reconstructed to bring the user together with Zanella’s shadow within the visions drawn from his poems. Everything has been designed and optimized not to overload the hardware.

Distribute: the spreading phase

After involving and preparing the inhabitants of Chiampo with a previous campaign based on teaser contents and on/off-line activities, the VR experience was officially presented on the anniversary of the poet’s birth.
The project was intended to last over time as a cultural and educational tool for all children, students and enthusiasts who approach Giacomo Zanella’s poetry. An Oculus Go visor allows anyone to be transported on a journey through his poetry wherever they are in the world: schools, exhibitions and events dedicated to the poet.