Shocap Entertainment Features on
BBC Click for The First Broadcasted XR Jazz Performance
Powered by cutting-edge motion capture and CG technology, singer Jill Barber and her Phantom Jazz Band take to the virtual stage, performing a festive Christmas setlist to a global audience
Shocap Entertainment, the leading live entertainment and cross reality production company, has announced an XR Jazz performance with BBC Click this Christmas, December 26th. Starring famed jazz singer, Jill Barber – who re-joins her CG-powered phantom band – this will be television’s first broadcasted XR-jazz performance, available worldwide. The TV performance will include several Christmas renditions and a TV interview conducted inside the virtual Palomar Supper club.
Athomas Goldberg, Executive Director at Shocap says, “Seeing a Shocap Entertainment production broadcast across the world on the BBC is incredible. We’re proving that mixed reality entertainment has a place on the global stage – this will be our biggest audience yet and will create an entirely shared audience experience.”
The Future of Entertainment
Broadcasted globally and available online via BBC iPlayer, this Jill Barber performance will take place in a computer-generated jazz club with a Christmas theme, all generated by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. The CG-band is driven by the movements of real musicians, playing alongside Jill Barber in Animatrik’s renowned Burnaby studio. Dressed in state-of-the-art motion capture suits and surrounded by over 50 cameras in front of green screens, every minute movement of the musicians will be tracked live, with the data used to direct the movements of phantom CG avatars that appear on-stage and the dance floor.
Fronting the band, Jill Barber will be performing several Christmas songs before being interviewed by the BBC Click presenter in a CG-generated bar. The presenter will be transported into the virtual environment to conduct the interview, digitally bridging the transatlantic gap between the London and Vancouver studios. This is a unique opportunity to witness the future of mixed-reality entertainment and the broad range of opportunities offered by advanced real-time game engines. The company’s proprietary tool, Ringmaster, is the driving force behind the performance, connecting Optitrack, Ncam Technologies, NVIDIA, and more.
Brett Ineson, Executive Director at Shocap says, “Animatrik’s leading motion capture facilities have helped build some of the world’s biggest entertainment ventures and we’re on the cusp of an explosion of XR-entertainment productions. We’re proving that our studio is equipped to handle the demands of a modern, globally connected audience, transporting viewers into realistic virtual environments.”
Jill Barber, jazz singer and performer adds, “I had an amazing show in November with Shocap Entertainment – we changed the face of live music with an online XR performance inside a virtual jazz club. The upcoming gig broadcasted on the BBC will introduce mixed-reality music to a global audience, and it’s a perfect setting for Christmas festivities.”
