The invention relates to creating real-time, immersive mediated reality environments using real data collected from a physical event or venue. The invention provides a virtual participant with the ability to control their viewpoint and freely explore the venue, in real time by synthesizing virtual data corresponding to a requested virtual viewpoint using real images obtained from data collectors or sources at the venue. By tracking and correlating real and virtual viewpoints of virtual participants, physical objects, and data sources, systems and methods of the invention can create photo-realistic images for perspective views for which there is not physically present data source. Systems and methods of the invention also relate to applying effect objects to enhance the immersive experience including virtual guides, docents, text or audio information, expressive auras, tracking effects, and audio.