Question - what happens when you combine the flawless technical delivery of the BBC; the bold and dynamic content design of Netflix; and the seamless presenting and fan engagement skills of YouTube influencers?
A beautiful virtual show that I want to keep watching and watching. And I did, for 80 minutes.
The show I’m talking about is not a BBC or Netflix production, but the GRM Daily Rated Awards 2020. It achieved an unmistakably bold brand presence, high energy moments and a sense of scale that I didn’t think was possible in virtual, let alone in such a small 'box'.
Image: Socially distanced live hosts in an LED backdrop/floor and mirrored walls/ceiling environment. Source: Anna Valley, Black Skull Creative and Matrix UK Solutions
Instead of confining themselves to a traditional stage set ‘gone virtual’, they opted for something simple and classic that could really come to life. This content space - a bit like the tiles on Netflix - formed the perfect infinite canvas to present not only their brand and content, but a diverse range of artists with their own iconic identities – watch it here.
What was it?
Produced by Black Skull Creative in partnership with Anna Valley and Matrix UK Solutions, the blended reality experience balanced live (socially distanced) hosts with digital content in an XR environment. The showstopping content had me gripped for the whole 80-minute show. It’s a great example of how you can successfully blur the lines of reality when approaching a virtual experience, without it feeling too futuristic or requiring an Oscars worthy budget.
Image: Behind the scenes. Source: Anna Valley, Black Skull Creative and Matrix UK Solutions
How did they do it?
At its centre, the production is LED (6x4m back wall and floor) with mirrored sides and ceiling, creating a ‘delicious’ infinity effect. Outside of this, media servers created an XR overlay, framing the live show with graphic narrative, which segued between scenes.
Streamed on RatedAwards.com and YouTube – reaching almost a million views and 8,000 likes – there was scope for the hosts to interact with the audience in real-time and embrace the viewing fans (and occasional troll) which really helped keep the energy and viewer interest up.
Image: Extended reality graphics and mirrored video playback. Source: Anna Valley, Black Skull Creative and Matrix UK Solutions
Image: Infinity wall effect using LED and mirrors. Source: Anna Valley, Black Skull Creative and Matrix UK Solutions
Can it work for virtual corporate events?
It's great to see creative-led projects with excellent execution. Beyond the mainstream meeting providers (Zoom etc), you can achieve outstanding levels of broadcast production to a range of budgets - whether software (cloud-based vision mixing) or hardware solutions (technical back-of-house) for virtual presenters and studios, or post-production for those contributors potentially available ‘in real life’. We’re already doing this - your creative ambition is the only limit. And a bold, high-energy experience that gets watched and talked about is your reward.