KU professor finds himself speaking German on Web

By Regina Cassell     Jan 11, 2002

Melissa Lacey/Journal-World Photo
Mark Reaney, Kansas University professor of theater and film, found his animated likeness speaking German on the Web site of HyperWerk, a Swiss technology college. He was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects. In reality, Reaney does not speak German.

Mark Reaney didn’t know he spoke German.

He didn’t know he was a Swiss theater star or that he’d talked with Alice in Wonderland, either.

The KU theater and film professor discovered all that while perusing the Internet earlier this week.

“That’s pretty quirky all right,” Reaney said.

Reaney was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects when he discovered a page with a large photo of his head. His mouth had been animated and a voice dubbed to talk in German a language he doesn’t speak.

“I was floored,” he said. “I wanted to find out what it was saying, and then I found it was pretty harmless. I wasn’t upset they did it.”

The site belongs to HyperWerk, a technology-related college in Basel, Switzerland. Apparently, students there last spring developed a “virtual conversation” between Reaney and “Alice in Theaterland” a likeness of Alice in Wonderland explaining the basics of virtual-reality theater. It may have been projected on screens and shown to an audience.

Reaney’s lines are based on papers and speeches he has given, though some of the concepts are oversimplified, he said.

The students used a photograph pulled from Reaney’s Web site. The photo originally was used 10 years ago in Microsoft advertising brochures explaining how computers could be used in fine arts.

Reaney’s work includes computer-generated theater sets displayed using projectors and characters projected onto screens during plays. Other performances require the audience to wear 3-D goggles.

Reaney has spoken in England and France, and he figures one of the HyperWerk students or professors heard about his work there.

He’s considering sending an e-mail to the college, but he’s not sure what to say.

“It’s flattering,” he said. “They obviously wanted an expert opinion and they didn’t want to pay to fly me over there.”

KU professor finds himself speaking German on Web

By Regina Cassell     Jan 11, 2002

Melissa Lacey/Journal-World Photo
Mark Reaney, Kansas University professor of theater and film, found his animated likeness speaking German on the Web site of HyperWerk, a Swiss technology college. He was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects. In reality, Reaney does not speak German.

Mark Reaney didn’t know he spoke German.

He didn’t know he was a Swiss theater star or that he’d talked with Alice in Wonderland, either.

The KU theater and film professor discovered all that while perusing the Internet earlier this week.

“That’s pretty quirky all right,” Reaney said.

Reaney was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects when he discovered a page with a large photo of his head. His mouth had been animated and a voice dubbed to talk in German a language he doesn’t speak.

“I was floored,” he said. “I wanted to find out what it was saying, and then I found it was pretty harmless. I wasn’t upset they did it.”

The site belongs to HyperWerk, a technology-related college in Basel, Switzerland. Apparently, students there last spring developed a “virtual conversation” between Reaney and “Alice in Theaterland” a likeness of Alice in Wonderland explaining the basics of virtual-reality theater. It may have been projected on screens and shown to an audience.

Reaney’s lines are based on papers and speeches he has given, though some of the concepts are oversimplified, he said.

The students used a photograph pulled from Reaney’s Web site. The photo originally was used 10 years ago in Microsoft advertising brochures explaining how computers could be used in fine arts.

Reaney’s work includes computer-generated theater sets displayed using projectors and characters projected onto screens during plays. Other performances require the audience to wear 3-D goggles.

Reaney has spoken in England and France, and he figures one of the HyperWerk students or professors heard about his work there.

He’s considering sending an e-mail to the college, but he’s not sure what to say.

“It’s flattering,” he said. “They obviously wanted an expert opinion and they didn’t want to pay to fly me over there.”

KU professor finds himself speaking German on Web

By Regina Cassell     Jan 11, 2002

Melissa Lacey/Journal-World Photo
Mark Reaney, Kansas University professor of theater and film, found his animated likeness speaking German on the Web site of HyperWerk, a Swiss technology college. He was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects. In reality, Reaney does not speak German.

Mark Reaney didn’t know he spoke German.

He didn’t know he was a Swiss theater star or that he’d talked with Alice in Wonderland, either.

The KU theater and film professor discovered all that while perusing the Internet earlier this week.

“That’s pretty quirky all right,” Reaney said.

Reaney was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects when he discovered a page with a large photo of his head. His mouth had been animated and a voice dubbed to talk in German a language he doesn’t speak.

“I was floored,” he said. “I wanted to find out what it was saying, and then I found it was pretty harmless. I wasn’t upset they did it.”

The site belongs to HyperWerk, a technology-related college in Basel, Switzerland. Apparently, students there last spring developed a “virtual conversation” between Reaney and “Alice in Theaterland” a likeness of Alice in Wonderland explaining the basics of virtual-reality theater. It may have been projected on screens and shown to an audience.

Reaney’s lines are based on papers and speeches he has given, though some of the concepts are oversimplified, he said.

The students used a photograph pulled from Reaney’s Web site. The photo originally was used 10 years ago in Microsoft advertising brochures explaining how computers could be used in fine arts.

Reaney’s work includes computer-generated theater sets displayed using projectors and characters projected onto screens during plays. Other performances require the audience to wear 3-D goggles.

Reaney has spoken in England and France, and he figures one of the HyperWerk students or professors heard about his work there.

He’s considering sending an e-mail to the college, but he’s not sure what to say.

“It’s flattering,” he said. “They obviously wanted an expert opinion and they didn’t want to pay to fly me over there.”

KU professor finds himself speaking German on Web

By Regina Cassell     Jan 11, 2002

Melissa Lacey/Journal-World Photo
Mark Reaney, Kansas University professor of theater and film, found his animated likeness speaking German on the Web site of HyperWerk, a Swiss technology college. He was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects. In reality, Reaney does not speak German.

Mark Reaney didn’t know he spoke German.

He didn’t know he was a Swiss theater star or that he’d talked with Alice in Wonderland, either.

The KU theater and film professor discovered all that while perusing the Internet earlier this week.

“That’s pretty quirky all right,” Reaney said.

Reaney was searching the Internet for comments about his virtual-reality theater projects when he discovered a page with a large photo of his head. His mouth had been animated and a voice dubbed to talk in German a language he doesn’t speak.

“I was floored,” he said. “I wanted to find out what it was saying, and then I found it was pretty harmless. I wasn’t upset they did it.”

The site belongs to HyperWerk, a technology-related college in Basel, Switzerland. Apparently, students there last spring developed a “virtual conversation” between Reaney and “Alice in Theaterland” a likeness of Alice in Wonderland explaining the basics of virtual-reality theater. It may have been projected on screens and shown to an audience.

Reaney’s lines are based on papers and speeches he has given, though some of the concepts are oversimplified, he said.

The students used a photograph pulled from Reaney’s Web site. The photo originally was used 10 years ago in Microsoft advertising brochures explaining how computers could be used in fine arts.

Reaney’s work includes computer-generated theater sets displayed using projectors and characters projected onto screens during plays. Other performances require the audience to wear 3-D goggles.

Reaney has spoken in England and France, and he figures one of the HyperWerk students or professors heard about his work there.

He’s considering sending an e-mail to the college, but he’s not sure what to say.

“It’s flattering,” he said. “They obviously wanted an expert opinion and they didn’t want to pay to fly me over there.”

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