Microbes in the spotlight: 'Into the Microverse' shines with award-winning audio

The film 'Into the Microverse: Journey through the Amazing World of Microbes' was presented with the prestigious Fulldome Audio Award at an awards ceremony by the international Full Dome Festival in Jena on 19 July 2024. The award-winning film takes viewers of all ages on a fascinating journey through the world of microorganisms.

The 15-minute film for planetariums and other immersive 360-degree projection rooms was developed in the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’ at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. In addition to director Raúl Erdossy from Softmachine Immersive Productions GmbH and initiator Dr Hendrik Huthoff, numerous other research partners at the Jena site were also involved in the production.

‘Into the Microverse’ combines visual effects with an immersive sound experience to illustrate the important role of microorganisms in different habitats. The film prevailed against numerous other entries in a multi-stage selection process. The award that has now been presented particularly recognises the film's outstanding audio design. In its statement, the jury praised the ‘Spatial Audio Track’, a soundtrack that supports the spatial sound of ‘Into the Microverse’. It emphasised that the idea and implementation were outstanding and that the entry received the highest rating in the audio category of the competition. ‘We are very grateful for this recognition,’ says Hendrik Huthoff. ‘Our aim is to make the infinite world of microbes accessible to a wide audience - the special sound effects from Delta Soundworks support this by creating an impressive experience.’

The FullDome Festival, one of the most important events for fulldome productions worldwide, took place from 15 to 18 May 2024 in the Zeiss Planetarium Jena. The coveted Janus Awards are traditionally presented after the festival. These recognise unique achievements in various categories of fulldome production and are considered one of the highest awards in the industry. The festival is also a networking platform for international marketers and distributors and now offers the opportunity to show the film beyond the borders of Europe.

‘Into the Microverse’ is not only audio-visually appealing, but also an important part of the Cluster of Excellence's science communication. ‘The film explains the importance of microorganisms for sustainable life on Earth and makes our research understandable. We are delighted that the centrepiece of our educational activities has now won an award,’ says Prof. Dr Kirsten Küsel, spokesperson for the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse”.

The film is available in German and English and can be requested free of charge by planetariums and science centres worldwide (contact@microverse-cluster.de).

The next public screening, accompanied by experiments, an interactive quiz and insights from researchers from the network, will take place on 22 November 2024, 9.30 pm to 10.30 pm, during the Long Night of Science at the Zeiss Planetarium Jena: https://www.lndw-jena.de/.

Further information on the film and the accompanying educational activities can be found on the website of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’: https://www.microverse-cluster.de

Picture Description: (from left to right) Pierre Stallforth (board member of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’), Hendrik Huthoff (initiator of the film) and Kirsten Küsel (spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’) at the award ceremony in the Zeiss Planetarium Jena.

Picture Credits: Angela Köhler