Animatrik Powers Bieber’s Interactive Virtual Experience Concert
In November 2021, Justin Bieber partnered with the virtual entertainment company Wave to provide fans with a free and live performance, titled Justin Bieber - An Interactive Virtual Experience. Transformed into a digital avatar, Bieber performed his number one album, ‘Justice’, for the first time in the metaverse. Animatrik’s state-of-the-art technology and performance capture team tracked Bieber’s movements using cutting-edge, real-time performance capture technology – the data directly driving the singer’s CG counterpart.
Fans were able to interact with Bieber during the 45 minute show and 10 minute pre-event performance, by appearing live on stage alongside him in avatar form before influencing his performance and the environment nearby in real time. Virtual concert-goers could even chat with other fans around the world, send Bieber virtual expressions, and see themselves live on the virtual Jumbotron during the show.
Wave XR ran the broadcasting and Unity Engine programming, while Animatrik completed the full performance capture session of the singer’s real-life counterparts, ensuring that the performance was faithfully translated from Justin himself to his avatar. Wave’s high-tech broadcasting tools and platform formed the basis of the virtual concert, adding interactive VFX and animations generated using real-time technology. It was through these incredible visuals that audience members were brought closer to the action, while added functionalities made it possible to interact in real-time during the virtual concert.
Animatrik’s studio is readily equipped for performance capture shoots of any kind, be it for live or pre-recorded projects. The final performance was a huge success and a great demonstration of how artists can harness the metaverse to push the boundaries of entertainment and interact with the fans who support them. With such a high level of interactivity, this original performance has set a new standard for the virtual concert of the future, showing that performance capture and real-time technology can be used effectively to generate a level of immersion and energy never experienced before.
The concert is the latest addition to virtual concerts powered by Animatrik’s mocap technology and hosted by Wave. On 8th September 2021, heavy metal band Pentakill’s first full-length album in four years ‘III: Lost Chapter’ was released as an incredible interactive band experience. The concert, produced by the music division of one of the world’s leading game publishers, Riot Games reached 100 million fans around the world.