Conference Presentation, Keynote, Statement
Synthetic Media: Virtual Influencers & Live Animation: Figments (S19) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020
- Figments, a YC Summer 2019-backed startup co-founded and led by CEO Jay Rosenkranz and his brother Scott, aims to create "the next version of the WWE for esports" by developing virtual characters with fictional storylines who compete in popular video games for live audiences on Twitch.
- The company's debut character, Noralis, is a robot designed to defeat humanity in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate; he is characterized as an elite player and "hilarious trash talker."
- Through a viral event called "Beat the Robot" within the fighting game community, Noralis grew into a Twitch partner streamer and accumulated nearly 10,000 YouTube subscribers within a few months of the summer launch.
- Figments developed proprietary virtual production technology that merges live streaming video and audio pipelines with motion capture front-ends to enable character creation.
- The pandemic forced the company to shift from a Los Angeles-based studio to a fully remote, globally distributed model, which they describe as a "blessing in disguise" for accessing worldwide talent without requiring physical presence at large motion capture stages.
- The internal workflow allows performers to generate content and advance storylines from home offices or streaming rooms, utilizing a performer-friendly architecture that removes traditional logistical constraints.
- Core production technologies include Unreal Engine for real-time animation and motion capture, alongside ARKit on iPhones, enabling live character integration similar to techniques used by Lucasfilm for The Mandalorian.
- A partnership with Reebok was secured via a relationship with YC-backed company Athlean, integrating virtual characters into live streams to showcase digital product placements like "classic leather legacy shoes."
- The success of the Reebok integration prompted a subsequent partnership with Guayaquil Yerba Mate, demonstrating the scalability of the brand's digital product placement model.
- Future strategic goals involve launching additional characters and expanding storytelling across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and emerging future platforms.
- The company is actively hiring across multiple disciplines including Unreal Engine development, graphic design, video editing, technical art, and marketing to support the expansion of its virtual production tools.