Synthetic Media: Virtual Influencers & Live Animation: Figments - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020

Jay says Figments is creating fictional virtual characters who compete in popular video games for live audiences on Twitch. Its first character, Morales, is a robot designed to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and trash-talk opponents. A community event called Beat the Robot helped Morales become a Twitch partner streamer and gain nearly 10,000 YouTube subscribers.

To produce characters such as Morales, Figments built a virtual production tool combining live video and audio with motion-capture technology. The team wanted performers to create character content from home without needing a large motion-capture stage. It uses Unreal Engine and ARKit on iPhone.

COVID disrupted Figments’ plan to build an in-house studio in Los Angeles. The shift to remote production let the company work with talent anywhere with a high-speed internet connection. Jay says the tools are intended to let performers focus on entertaining audiences and building communities around their characters.

Figments uses real-time game engines for live animation and motion capture, drawing on techniques Jay compares with those used for The Mandalorian. The company partnered with Reebok to feature digital products with virtual characters during livestreams. A later partnership with Guayakí Yerba Mate extended the approach.

Figments planned to launch more characters and described its ambition as a media company for gaming and esports audiences across Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok. Jay said the team was hiring across Unreal Engine, graphic design, video editing, technical art, and marketing.