In recent years, virtual talents/virtual artists led by VTubers have expanded their activities across the Internet and many other places. Avex has produced a variety of virtual artists up until now, and they plan to do even more, with the foundation of the virtual artist production AVALON.
AVALON is home to the four-person dance and vocal groups that have led Avex's virtual talent business since 2018 such as Marinasu [alternatively spelled MaRiNaSu (β)], the Kotodama Shojo Project, and LiLYPSE. As the company office was being established, they launched a new virtual idol audition called "ReVorn," which has currently cut the candidates down to ten finalists.
Why did Avex set up a new production now when they have produced so many already? We sat down with Keisuke Hara, who worked on Marinasu and other groups.
What accumulated
know-how
and skills give birth to.
The "Live Feeling" of a
Virtual Online Festival
"It was about three years ago that I started preparing for a virtual business. From that point on, I knew I wanted to create a production, and I've been thinking about when the timing would be good. At the time, the word “virtual YouTuber” didn't even exist yet, and since Kizuna AI and Siro had just hit the scene, I didn't really expect it to become centered around organized production companies like it is today. But I thought Avex itself was a production, so I thought, 'I'm going to launch a virtual music production company someday!' From there, we produced Marinasu and waited for opportunities to arise while riding the rough seas of the virtual world. And now, we're hosting the online live festival "Life Like a Live!," and decided to set up the company in line with the event."
The establishment of AVALON is based on the accumulated know-how in the virtual artist business thus far. For example, Marinasu — which has gained popularity as a dance and vocal group through the girls' crisp dance and singing skills — was made possible thanks to top-class skills unique to the Avex Group, and with motion capture technology that can cope with the flamboyant movements of the virtual members. The company uses the knowledge gained from the experience of producing virtual artists in their optical motion capture studio.
"After about two years of working at Marinasu, we had tried just about everything we thought was possible. We thought there was probably nothing left to even try. In addition to our own activities, we performed at various events, and each time we experienced different environments, so based on the knowledge we had accumulated, we started to think what would be best when setting up our own studio. Our studio system is designed with an emphasis on immediacy, real-time, and versatility. Not only are we able to produce our own talents, it allows us to invite and accomodate guests easily. For example, in the music video for "POLYFULL!" by Marinasu, more than 100 Vtubers were dancing at the same time (laughs). This is thanks to the cementing of one of our original systems, the Real Time Live System, that we implemented for the first time at Life Like a Live!. The directing, the camera work, the action, it was all done live, in real-time. Thanks to this we were able to conquer that hurdle of offering a life-like feeling of a live concert. I think we were really successful in creating a performance that made you feel like you were there."
When artists who have been working individually gather under one production company, exchanges and stimulation occurs, creating a line, or even a circle out of what had originally only been 'points.' All the more so if external collaborators join in. In addition to Marinasu, various virtual artists beyond the boundaries of the label gathered at Life Like a Live! which was held from September 19th to 22nd, including Square Enix (which recently announced their major debut from the Avex label), Dear Stage's idol project GEMS COMPANY, as well as Palette Project, Enogu, ReVdol! The event was a successful and historical first for the virtual world as a digital festival, boasting an originally produced theme song with the same name, sung in chorus by all participating groups, a stage that rotated 360 degrees, and up-close and personal camera work that wove in between and around all the performers.
"In regards to providing a sense of being there, in reality it's easy, you're there, but when it's online, you have to somehow create it on a 2D screen. So that's exactly what we tried to do with this event — make the 2D feel real. As another method of making viewers feel like they were really at the festival, we provided various content they could enjoy even when there were no performances on the main stage. It wasn't a replacement for real events that we aimed for, but a ‘fun life-like event unique to online.' We created the rawness of a live performance through the directing, the camera work, and the way we had artists interacting with each other, face to face, capturing this once-in-a-lifetime meeting, just as if it was happening in real life. Whether good or bad, the virtual world goes deeper the more you work on it, and I think it was the roughness unique to a one-shot recording that strengthened the feeling of liveness in this concert. On a side note, it was me who was actually holding the camera. That's why there were a lot of close-ups (laughs). Life Like a Live! was one big culmination for me. I put everything I cultivated over the past three years into it, and everyone who supported it was insanely cooperative, and we all worked together. It was the best event ever. Behind the scenes the staff of AVALON were all practically dead though…(Laughs)”
Actualizing someone's urge to change,
with virtual technology.
Enthusiasm for the
"ReVorn" audition
On the 22nd, they announced the ten finalists who made it to the last round of AVALON's first large-scale virtual idol audition "ReVorn" on the backstage and plan stage, two of the many stages built for the festival. The audition was conducted under the conditions unique to virtual activities, without any consideration to real-life criteria such as gender, appearance, age, and career experience. Another signature feature of the audition is that it specializes in "virtual idols".
"When you announce you're having an audition, it's generally common for people with certain talents, who can say, sing or compose, to sign up. But with this audition, we wanted to see contestants with the desire and enthusiasm to want to become something, who wanted to be reborn. That's who we were looking for. In the end, we received a lot of applications, and not only from women but men and the older generation as well, and we received a lot of messages, full of passion and excitement. It reminded me to be alert, that I had to treat these people properly, and sincerely. I was also happy that many people who had never been exposed to this culture and who had never auditioned for other VTuber events applied for this time. Regarding the 10 people selected for the final audition, we chose them based on potential, on what they'd be able to bring to the table in the future."
In other words, the purpose of this audition is to make someone's hope for change come true, by using virtual technology. This is the underlying meaning to the name of the audition: ReVorn.
“On a personal note, for the first five years after joining the company as a fresh graduate, I was in charge of office tasks relateded to project management. There were things during that time that I wanted to do, but I didn't think I had it in me. And then, there happened to be talk of a new project within the company, and I thought that if I didn't take my chances here, that life would just go on and nothing would change. So I raised my hand. And now, two years later, I've tried many new things with this project, and through that I came across the virtual world, studied my butt off from scratch, absolutely no knowledge, worked on many productions, and made progress through all the mistakes. Little by little, I've come to feel like I'm finally able to do what I wanted to. This experience has taught me that if you want to change something, you have to be willing to die for it. I think that is also a part of what led to the theme of "ReVorn," implying that you have to die once to come back anew. To put it a gently, I wanted to say, 'You don't have to worry about what you've been up until now.' Forget about everything in the past. Why not start all over?"
The final audition was full of unique character. The team hopes that by not over-producing this audition, the innate charm of each participant and the chemistry among them will exceed the staff's very own expectations. At this point in time, one or more Grand Prix winners will be decided in late December, and will be presented with an exclusive contract with AVALON including a debut single.
A peformance that
can only be done then
and there by that person.
Virtual Entertainment with
"Real" Personality
So, what does Hara think about the future developments of AVALON?
"I'm focused on two main things when it comes to AVALON artists. I'm looking for those who can stand on stage as performers, but also for people who work behind the scenes, who make video and music to join us. The system here at Life Like a Live ! is heavily human-based. If that person doesn't do it, it's not getting done. Camera work and directing are made possible by independent individuals working in sync in real time, and what comes out of that can only be done then and there. If the people change, the content changes. We don't want to have a system that can produce the same thing regardless of who handles it. We want to be a unique creative group. That's why I want to involve people who want to make the show together."
At the core of it all, is music.
"I want to think about the possibilities of this being a virtual music concert. I want to also promote the virtualization of real-life artists who are famous for their actual appearance, and I want to create new things by mixing real elements with online elements in the future, as well as online experiences. There are still technical limitations, but technology is definitely progressing and there are many things that can only be done virtually. Perhaps in the near future, virtual space will make you feel like you're actually there, or maybe you'll be able to 'share' your experience by entering a virtual space with a larger number of people. When we become able to project that virtual space back onto the real world, the gap between the two will continue to dissipate, and I hope to one day make the boundary between real and virtual more ambiguous. We are always thinking about what we should do. I want to create a virtual experience that cannot be replicated in real life. I think I was finally able to get good results with Life Like a Live!, and that this should put us on a good trajectory for realizing all of this, but I plan on trying a bunch of different things along the way."
The mission of AVALON is to create a new form of artist / entertainment by combining the knowledge of artist development that Avex has cultivated so far with cutting-edge technology. It seems that Hara and his team are aiming to be an artist group that can overwhelm the audience with impressive performance while making the best use of the characteristics unique to the virtual world.
"I think there is a certain kind of music and experiences out there that can only be made in virtual reality. Of course the same can be said about the production and visuals, since VR is liberated from the world of physics that human live in, but besides that, there are some things that can only be created by those who chose VR as their realm of expression. I think the role of AVALON is to discover and polish the passion, talent, and potential that exists there. From here on out, I would like to educate more people about the beauty of virtual music. I will do my best to aim for the kind of entertainment that surprises and excites all kinds of people, regardless of their age or which country they live in."
This is just the beginning for AVALON, a virtual artist production office that pursues the possibilities of VR performances. Let us look forward to the day when entertainment of the future is born.
Avex Business Development Inc.
Keisuke Hara