14 DAY TRIAL // Passing by the Colosseum or by other ancient Roman ruins always sparks the same dreams, and makes the same questions pop in our minds: “What was it like back then? Is it really true what they say...?” For those who don't have a very vivid imagination, but also for those who do, Virtuality, a high-tech entertainment company, has employed history, archeology, architecture and design experts to recreate the atmosphere of ancient Rome.
The movie, called “3D Rewind Rome” depicts scenes of plebeian life, gladiator combat and Senate meetings from the Caput Mundi, once the center of the civilized world. The film with video game influences takes the audience on a half an hour trip back to 310AD, during the rule of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius. Tribunals, temples, the dust on the streets, the graffiti on the house walls and 60,000 virtual characters work together in an audio-visual experience that sends shivers down one's spine.
The technology involves both video game design and motion capture process used in the movie industry, which allows tracking and recreating natural moves of actors through the means of attached sensors. The guide through all this adrenaline-filled visit in ancient times is Sapientus, a balding 3D character that wears a toga. However, the biggest shock for the 3D glass-wearing audience of the preview came from the gladiator Bestia's sword, which seemed to come out of the screen at a certain point.
“When we were excavating the site we found the remains of barracks where the gladiators would live and train before walking through underground tunnels and emerging into the Colosseum,” explained Joel Myers, the British managing director of Virtuality, quoted by Telegraph. “The aim [of the movie] is to help tourists better understand the archaeological sites they see in Rome because very often they find them difficult to interpret.”
The actual show opens November 20th near the Colosseum, and will cost €10 for adults and €6.5 for children.