Sebastian Kübler, Lead Composer bei 2112 Studios: KI ist Helfer, aber (noch) nicht Gegner

“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.

“The next big change is how we achieve performances for these figures — how we create an experience that feels organic, as if it's happening in real time.” Bill Butler is a brilliant mind in the field of creating and programming hyper-realistic mechatronic puppets (animatronics) controlled by multiple machines to move fluidly. Join podcast host Christina Rees, one of the Emotioneers from MACK Magic, in this deep-dive conversation about a top-secret project for the U.S. Department of Defense, where they built an immersive training space for the Marines (a highly detailed Afghan village), and how innovations are changing the way animatronics are created to look more and more lifelike. “Now we have things that could fit in your pocket, capable of controlling an entire attraction, and that’s been one of the biggest changes.” Press play and dive into a thrilling journey to 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.

„I was eight or nine years old when I finally made the decision about what I was going to do with the rest of my life: I wanted to be a roller coaster designer." - Jeff Pike is a prominent figure in the amusement industry for his contributions to the development of modern theme park attractions, where he combines creative design with technical expertise. As a designer and co-founder of Skyline Attractions, an American amusement ride and roller coaster design and manufacturing company founded in 2014, he has played a key role in the creation of rides like the 'Skywarp' series, known for their compact yet thrilling designs. Jeff Pike also collaborated with Europa-Park on the design of the legendary wooden coaster 'Wodan' as a mechanical designer. Join podcast host Lukas Metzger, Head of Operations at Europa-Park, in this deep-dive conversation about key principles in the design process, the impact of technological innovations and what the roller coasters of tomorrow will look like: “The new Multi Launch Coaster Voltron Nevera, here at Europa-Park, could probably have existed in the minds of talented designers 20 years ago... but I doubt they could have made it a reality without the technology we have today.“ Press play and jump right 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.

„I am quite confident that the generation after us will also find solutions in regular play and regular toys“ - Christopher Becker is an internationally sought-after professional in the fields of licensing and franchising, as well as an expert in children’s toys, consumer goods and much more. He was the Senior Licensing Manager for Lucasfilm, Disney and Marvel for all three German-speaking countries, the Head of Licensing for The Walt Disney Company in Switzerland, the European Franchise Director for Sesame Workshop and he is currently the Director of Licensing and Partnerships at tonies. Join podcast host Christina Rees, one of the Emotioneers from MACK Magic, in this inspiring conversation about the future of physical toys, game related content and audio-based entertainment. Will physical games and toys soon be pushed aside in favor of more high-tech or digital ones? What will the toys of the future look like? And what components, features and hybrid forms will we be seeing? „Toys will never die!“ 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.

„I think that we are going to really look at how we can all find solutions for problems within the world. Everything is changing and sustainability is terribly important to everyone“ - Amanda Thompson is an inspiring figure in the amusement park industry with an impressive family tradition and a remarkable commitment to creativity and shows. Join podcast host Lukas Metzger, Head of Operations at Europa Park, as he talks with Amanda Thompson about the challenges and opportunities running a family owned theme park in England, the learnings from the Covid pandemic and future tasks for the amusement industry: „Our industry is quit sustainable. We try to build locally, we try to use things again and we reimagine what is great from our past and constantly making it better. That means: We will have an industry for the future.“ Tune in! -- 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.

Every week, Michael Mack and his team from MACK One welcomes the leading experts, courageous entrepreneurs, professors and future-shaping inventors from various areas of expertise as guest in this podcast. Take an exclusive peek into the future and tune in to some true highlights of 50 Episodes: 1 - Mate Rimac, Founder and CEO of "Rimac Automobili", named "The European Elon Musk" 2 - Sir Richard Taylor, 5-time Academy Award Winner and Founder "Weta Workshop" 3 - Daniel Lamarre, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board, former CEO of "Cirque du Soleil" 4 - Dr. Auma Obama, Sociologist, Keynote Speaker, Founder and Director of the Auma Obama Foundation „Sauti Kuu“ 5 - David Rynearson, Senior Software Programmer and Consultant at "NASA" 6 - Prof. Patrick Glauner, Professor at the Institute of Technology in Deggendorf, leading Artificial Intelligence Expert 7 - Cathy Hackl, Tech Futurist, bestselling Author, "Godmother of the Metaverse" 8 - Thor Pedersen, Awarded Adventurer, holding the World Record of having traveled to every single Country in the World without flying 9 - Jelle de Jong, CEO Madrid Artes Digitales, visionary Leader and Innovator in the Realm of Immersive Exhibitions 10 - Athena Demos, CEO of multi-award-winning XR-Company "Big Rock" 11 - Rolf Schumann, Co-CEO Schwarz Digits, leading entrepreneurial Figure in the Fields of Technology and Innovation 12 - Marc Zachary, former Head of Disney Location-Based Experiences, Consultant and President of his own Company “Experiential Advisors” Dive deeper and listen to the full episodes! -- A MACK One Original Podcast.