The World Beyond – Michael Mack and the Emotioneers of Tomorrow

“Horror is not about the monster. It’s about hope.” - Bill McCoy is a world-renowned make-up artist who has been creating incredible and often terrifying characters for film, TV, and live events for over 25 years. His exceptional work can be seen in major Hollywood productions such as “Stranger Things,” “The Walking Dead,” and many more. Join podcast host Michael Mack, founder and CEO of MACK One, in this thrilling conversation about the psychology of creating fear, the delicate balance between horror and storytelling, and the innovative trends shaping the future of special effects make-up. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek into this year’s Traumatica Festival of Fear: “This year, it’s going to be intense; everything has either been upgraded or completely overhauled. The ‘Cinema’ is going to be the fan favorite — I think the scare-factor there is very high. What I want is for Traumatica to become a brand of horror, not just a place you can visit.” Press play and embark on this spine-chilling journey into THE WORLD BEYOND! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

"With immersive media, if it’s done well, we can recreate a kind of reality — and this is pretty cool because it brings that reality into your home," says Dr. Thomas Wagner, one of Germany’s leading figures in the field of virtual reality games, VR, and AR. As the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Managing Director at Munich-based K5 Factory, he and his team are currently developing the only officially licensed Oktoberfest game. Join podcast host Marcus Ernst, one of the Emotioneers from MACK One, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the biggest misconceptions about VR, tackling the challenges of creating large-scale virtual experiences, and whether spatial computing will really be the next big thing. "I’m still convinced that whatever brings reality closer to the user is something worth focusing on." Press play and dive into a thrilling journey to the world beyond! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

"With game engines, AI, and 5G, you can make the park much more programmable, allowing you to change and tailor the experience for your guests. Based on your guests' data, you can alter the story, and the adventure can take a different turn.“ - Thierry Coup has profoundly shaped the way theme parks are experienced and continues to set new standards in the entertainment industry: He has been behind some of the biggest developments and implementations of innovative attractions for Universal Creative and Walt Disney Imagineering. A few notable examples include "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter“, "Transformers: The Ride-3D" "The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man“ and "Jurassic World - The Ride." His work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including honors from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). Join podcast host Lukas Metzger, Head of Operations at Europa Park, as he talks with Thierry Coup about the biggest challenges in creating immersive experiences and his vision for the future of entertainment: "It’s all about the mix of real settings, projection mapping, screens, lows and highs and the balance of all those things! It’s like a perfect symphony. But it’s becoming more and more difficult to get a good return on investment because the costs are so high and everything is became so expensive." Tune in to this podcast episode and embark on an exciting journey into the world beyond! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

"In the next several years, we will have an augmented personal assistant in a wearable device, but not necessarily in our pocket“ - Emily Olman is one of the leading figures in creating relevant use cases for VR and AR. As CEO and Chief Media Officer at her very own company, Hopscotch Interactive, she has a deep understanding of emerging technologies. Join podcast host Marcus Ernst, one of the Emotioneers from MACK One, in this thrilling conversation about the influence existing and upcoming technologies will have on our everyday life. What are the biggest misapprehensions about VR, AR and AI? And which trends and technologies are currently waiting behind the horizon? "Go and attend, show up, be present, and be unafraid – you don’t get a second chance! If you have a big dream, then it really takes a lot of people to make that big dream happen. Everything takes teamwork!" Press play and jump right into The World Beyond! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

„Technology is going to make it easier for guests to be guests and easier for us as operator to treat them as guests“ - in this special episode, podcast host Lukas Metzger, Head of Operations at Europa Park, meets exciting personalities from the entertainment industry at the Hot Ice Show 2024 premiere in Blackpool. This legendary ice skating show is running since 1936 and is a real benchmark for storytelling and shows. As part of the Pleasure Beach Resort, a family owned theme park in England, the season start of this extraordinary event attracts leading figures from all over the world. Lukas Metzger takes the opportunity to ask these master minds the recurring final question from THE WORLD BEYOND: 7 years from now - how do they envision the world evolving over the next seven years? What major changes or developments will shape the leisure industry? Get the answers from Miro Gronau, Concept Manager at Wiegand Water Rides, Håkon Lund, Owner Lund Group Norway and Massimiliano Freddi, Founder & CEO of Wonder Woods Theme Park Italy. -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

“Be friendly to AI! Say always `thank you´ when you get an answer from a bot. When it takes over the world - you’re on the right side“ - Joel Allenspach is a prominent figure in the field of immersive 3D experiences and extended reality (XR) technologies. His swiss based company Jamaze AG is known for its innovative solutions in enhancing customer experiences through advanced technology. Join podcast host Marcus Ernst, one of the Emotioneers from MACK One, in this deep-dive conversation about the impact AI integration can have on immersive experiences and the biggest challenges in this field. „With the help of AI, we as a small company can create much cooler experiences than we ever dared to dream of.“ Press play and jump right into this exciting journey of the world beyond! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.

“KI fehlt einfach das Herz. Und das hört man“ - Sebastian Kübler prägt mit seinen einzigartigen Kompositionen seit über 15 Jahren die Freizeitpark-Branche. Der Lead Composer der 2112 Studios (MACK One) kreiert mit seinem Team einen Sound ala Hollywood - made im Europa Park in Rust. Podcast-Host Michael Mack spricht mit dem gefragten Komponisten über die Zukunft der Musikproduktion: Wie beeinflußt KI schon heute die Arbeit der Musikproduzenten? Welche Urheber-rechtlichen Fragen sind ungeklärt? Kann KI echte Emotionen erzeugen und einen Welthit produzieren? „Musikalisch ist die KI noch zu schlecht und nicht individuell genug. Beim Gesang sieht es anders aus - da wird es bald Zeiten geben, wo sich der Produzent überlegt: gehe ich jetzt ins Studio und hole mir einen teuer bezahlten Sänger oder mache ich das mit Hilfe einer Künstlichen Intelligenz.“ Und: Exklusiv in dieser Episode gibt es eine Sneak-Peak auf den neuen Song von Europa United - „Electrified“ - produziert von einer KI und Sebastian Kübler. Jetzt direkt reinhören und einen Blick in die Zukunft werfen! -- Ein MACK One Original Podcast.

“We have reached this point that the question is not what is possible - we have come to the point what is useful” - Rolf Schumann is an outstanding leading entrepreneurial figure in the fields of technology and innovation. Working as Co-CEO for Schwarz Digits (Schwarz Group is the world's fourth largest goods retailer with approx. 154 billion EURO in sales in 2022), he’s responsible for transforming a traditional retail group with brands such as Lidl and Kaufland into a digital giant that has become the most important AI player and innovator in the German market. Join podcast host Michael Mack as he talks with his guest about the huge efforts and investments of Schwarz Group to create European alternatives to the dominant big players and to access innovation and know-how in Germany: the german cloud solution „Stackit“, the cyber security company „XM Cyber“, the AI Company „Aleph Alpha“, the messenger Service „Wire“ and the educational programm and platform „Campus Founders“. “Now you understand why this company is so fancy because it’s a completely end-to-end connected Eco-System!“ - Press „Play“ and dive right into this exciting journey into the world beyond! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.