ANNE FRANK VR
VR Video Game
Company: Ramon Kerstens Sound Design
Client: Forcefield VR / Vertigo Games / Anne Frank Stichting
Info: In 2018, I had the honor of developing the sound and music for the Anne Frank House in my hometown of Amsterdam. Because the museum is a protected monument, it cannot be made fully wheelchair accessible. To ensure that visitors with limited mobility could still experience the emotional weight and atmosphere of the space, we created a VR experience that places the viewer inside Anne Frank’s world during her time in the Achterhuis in World War II.
I approached the project with deep respect for Anne Frank’s memory and for the efforts of the Anne Frank Stichting. Authenticity was essential, so I recorded several period-accurate sounds: the bells of the Westerkerk located next to the house, the bell of a historic Amsterdam tram (captured on an actual model that passed by the house during the war with help from the Amsterdam Tram Museum) and numerous environmental textures tied closely to the location.
I also spent countless hours inside the Anne Frank House outside of visiting hours, recording impulse responses of each room so I could build precise reverb models for every individual sound in the VR environment. Alongside the sound design, I composed the music for the experience, carefully crafted to support and never overshadow Liev Schreiber’s narration of Anne Frank’s story.”
Year: 2018