Christopher BarrettA team led by former Really Useful Group CEO Barney Wragg has launched what they claim to be the world’s first independent avatar concert producer, with a game-changing offering.
Wragg said Unit1 has pioneered new developments in VFX and AI-enhanced CGI that allow it to create avatars of human artists at a fraction of the time and cost of previous productions. It enables lifelike avatars to be created from scans of a contemporary artists, such as Tunstall, but it is also possible to create similarly realistic recreations of artists from archive footage.
With the backing of KT Tunstall, whose remarkable likeness (pictured) is being used to showcase the technology, Unit1 Studio’s founders said they are looking to partner with concert promoters and venue owners to present and host avatar concerts, with a business model similar to a Broadway or West End producer. The company’s stated aim is to help make avatar concerts a reality for a wide range of artists, opening revenue streams across the industry.
Wragg said the reduced production costs enable Unit1 to finance productions and pay higher royalties to artists and catalogue owners without needing to acquire a share of ownership in recording or publishing rights.
Unit1 Studio’s leadership team also includes creative director Jonathan Butterell, a director and choreographer known for projects including West End musical and BAFTA-nominated film Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, and technical director Pavle Mihajlovic; the co-founder of video game studios Electric Saint and Flavourworks.
Unit1 team (L-R Pavle Milhajlovic, Barney Wragg, Jonathan Butterell)
Among Unit1’s investors is the former manager of U2, Paul McGuinness, while former Universal Music UK and IFPI CEO/chairman John Kennedy sits on the company’s board of directors.
Unit1 is inviting industry leaders to watch KT’s avatar perform an immersive live set over the coming weeks, celebrating the 20th anniversary reissue of her breakthrough album, Eye To The Telescope, on 31 October. The showcase will be presented in partnering with Woodroffe Bassett Lighting Design (Elton John, The Rolling Stones), Roe Visual (Adele, ABBA Voyage) and Brompton Technology (ABBA Voyage, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Metallica).
“There are so many concerts I wish I could have seen but never had the opportunity to experience live. Elton at the Troubador, Queen at Live Aid, Hendrix at Woodstock or The Beatles at The Cavern. We are raising the bar in avatar and stage technology to be able to immerse audiences in the embodiment of those moments and transport fans into a world with the artists they love,” said Wragg. “Critically, we can now do this at a price point that makes commercial sense for the industry. Our goal is to wow audiences, stay true to the artist and their music, and help realise the immense potential in this new form of entertainment.”