Shocap Entertainment and LiveSwitch Partner on Mixed Reality Circus Funded by Epic Games

Surrey, BC, March 28, 2022– LiveSwitch announced it has partnered with Shocap Entertainment, the groundbreaking live entertainment and cross-reality production company, to help power the real-time and immersive streaming of “LiViCi,” its contemporary circus production set to be performed on June 4. Shocap received two Epic Games MegaGrant awards and support from the Canada Media Fund for the novel production.

“LiViCi,” short for Live and Virtual Circus, is an exciting interactive extended reality (XR) experience fusing dynamic circus, musical storytelling and stunning visual effects, including interactive virtual avatars, all in real-time. Each unique performance in the “LiViCi” series is a creative masterpiece, which features thrilling acrobatics performed by artists of globally renowned Les 7 Doigts (The 7 Fingers) of Montreal.

Shocap is working with LiveSwitch to scale the “LiViCi” platform’s 4-Audience Model for #TogetherExperiences, meaning the live XR performances will be experienced simultaneously by audiences in the physical venue, online via livestream, in a 3D virtual world multiplayer game and immersively in virtual reality (VR) through Oculus VR headsets.

“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,” said Athomas Goldberg, Executive Director of Shocap Entertainment. “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 synchronized 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,” Goldberg added.

LiveSwitch’s enterprise-grade live video streaming platform provides flexibility that allows organizations to deliver innovative real-time video experiences, like “LiViCi,” the first-of-its-kind mixed reality production.

“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,” said Jerod Venema, CEO and Co-Founder of LiveSwitch. “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,” Venema added.

LiveSwitch’s real time engagement engine has powered live entertainment experiences that range from London-based Secret Cinema’s interactive virtual production of "Ghostbusters: Gates of Gozer" to the livestreamed dating show “Couple.TV.” The LiveSwitch WebRTC platform also powers fan engagement experiences of the WWE and the NBA through a partnership with The Famous Group.

The in-venue performance of “LiViCi” will take place at Animatrik’s world-renowned motion capture studio in Burnaby, Vancouver, the largest independent motion-capture stage in North America. The studio has also been used for the filming of major motion picture franchises including Avatar, Star Wars and Spider-Man.To learn more about LiveSwitch’s work in arts and entertainment, visit https://www.liveswitch.io/use-cases/virtual-events.

About LiveSwitch

LiveSwitch is powering the future of interactive live video experiences. LiveSwitch’s enterprise-grade live video streaming platform enables businesses to incorporate flexible, scalable, and high-quality interactive live video, audio and data on nearly any computer, tablet, phone, or smart device. By using LiveSwitch’s cross-platform software development kits (SDKs), built on WebRTC, our customers have leveraged live video to enable groundbreaking applications in telehealth, virtual events, live entertainment, education, video conferencing, augmented reality, gaming and more. LiveSwitch uniquely provides the flexibility that allows clients the freedom to develop and deliver innovative video solutions free from typical constraints. Visit liveswitch.io to learn more.

About Shocap Entertainment

Created in partnership by Lifelike & Believable Animation Design and Animatrik Film Design, Shocap Entertainment produces live cross-reality entertainment harnessing real-time visual effects technology and on-stage human performance to create unique shared experiences simultaneously performed in front of live audiences and online audiences connecting from VR headsets, gaming PCs and video streaming services. Each production draws from the contributions of multiple creative voices, with experienced collaborators from live performance, film, animation and video games. Visit www.shocap.com to learn more about #TogetherExperiences.