Photo of the week: Playing The Day
The new hit series De Dag has a virtual reality counterpart, tested out this week by series cast and creators
Double trouble
De Dag (The Day), a Telenet original series, is airing now on Vier as well as on Telenet’s Play and Play More. While a story of a bank robbery that involves hostages is nothing new, De Dag injects a twist to the format: Every other episode relays the action of the previous one through someone else’s eyes. So if you start watching, you’re advised to always watch two in one sitting.
The VR game, meanwhile, puts teams of three to six right into the action, playing a special intervention team who must diffuse the situation and apprehend the bank robbers. Special riddles and puzzles are thrown at the players, who must work together to figure them out and move forward towards their goal.
Collaboration
The series creators, Jonas Geirnaert and Julie Mahieu, were involved in the production of the new VR experience. “It was crucial to get the actors and the creators involved in the development to make the experience all that more intense,” said Philippe De Schutter, managing director of The Park.
The Park, located in Antwerp and Ghent, shot scenes in the original De Dag studio in order to get the look and feel of the VR version just right. “You really feel like you’re in the Fides bank,” says De Schutter. “During the game, players also get instructions from different characters from the series.”
Photo: De Dag actor Jelle De Beule (foreground) tests out the new VR experience based on the series together with actor Lynn Van Royen (left) and series creators Julie Mahieu and Jonas Geirnaert
©Gertjan Van Haver/BELGA
