LiveSwitch, a provider of live video experiences, and Shocap Entertainment, a producer of live cross-reality entertainment, have partnered to power the real-time and immersive streaming of ‘LiViCi’.
‘LiViCi’ is a contemporary circus production due for release this year, and is short for ‘Live and Virtual Circus’. It is an interactive extended reality (XR) experience that will incorporate a circus, musical storytelling and visual effects with interactive virtual avatars, all in real-time.
The ‘LiViCi’ series will also feature entertaining acrobatics performances from artists such as Les 7 Doigts of Montreal.
Shocap will work with LiveSwitch to scale the ‘LiViCi’ platform’s 4-Audience Model for #TogetherExperiences, meaning the live XR performances will be viewed simultaneously by audiences in the physical venue, via the online livestream, in a 3D virtual world multiplayer game and immersively in virtual reality (VR) through VR headsets.
LiveSwitch’s real-time engagement engine has been used for various live entertainment experiences including Secret Cinema’s interactive virtual production of ‘Ghostbusters: Gates of Gozer’ in London. LiveSwitch’s WebRTC platform is also utilised by WWE and the National Basketball Association (NBA) through a partnership with The Famous Group, which produces virtual events and fan experiences.
The in-venue performance of ‘LiViCi’ will take place at Animatrik’s motion capture studio in Burnaby, Vancouver. It is the largest independent motion-capture stage in North America and has been used for the production of major films such as Avatar, Star Wars and Spider-Man.
Athomas Goldberg, executive director of Showcap Entertainment, said: “By partnering with LiveSwitch and with the flexibility of their engine, it provides our high-end XR live entertainment projects with advanced livestream capabilities to enable a smooth digital experience for the enjoyment of global audiences.
“Their teams’ expertise in simplifying the intricacies involved in handling real-time motion capture data taken from the performances of live actors into the Unreal Engine is paramount in delivering synchronised believable virtual characters and shows. We’re thrilled to augment our events to new audiences and into the metaverse, and LiveSwitch is helping us achieve that.”
Jerod Venema, chief executive and co-founder of LiveSwitch, added: “What Shocap is accomplishing with the production of ‘LiViCi’ is truly cutting-edge. Innovation in both livestreamed productions and virtual reality experiences has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years but no one has quite combined them in the way Shocap is with their 4-Audience Model.
“Our team is excited to work with them to give their digital audiences an incredible experience, whether they’re watching through a browser, in a game or on a VR headset.”