Getting up close and personal with a digital Liam Payne

08/04/2021

TVBEurope talks to the team at The Round, an augmented reality app which will feature an exclusive performance by Liam Payne ahead of Sundays EE British Academy Film Awards

By Jenny Priestley

Published: April 8, 2021

TVBEurope talks to the team at The Round, an augmented reality app which will feature an exclusive performance by Liam Payne ahead of Sunday's EE British Academy Film Awards

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

On Sunday night Liam Payne will open the British Academy Film Awards alongside his digital doppelganger.

But first, fans will be able to see Liam's avatar in a world-first real-time augmented reality mobile experience, created using EE's 5G network. Liam's performance will be recorded live and beamed to fans in the UK on their mobile phones wherever they are via AR app The Round.

Pip Brignall and Thomas Winsor, founders of The Round, developed the app as a way to enable live event producers and creatives to build and distribute their productions using augmented reality, and they describe it as a venue for live holographic performances.

Our background is in theatre, so our in' for immersive tech was very much from a theatre perspective, and we started to explore how virtual reality and augmented reality could be used to enhance that live performative storytelling format, Brignall tells TVBEurope. When we first started working on The Round it really came out of Covid shutting down all the theatres. We realised that a lot of the obstacles that we were facing could be solved by creating this one platform. We wanted to explore ways that dramatic storytelling could evolve into the audience's personal space. They're inviting the drama to them rather than going to it.

data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Round-726x484.jpg alt= width=422 height=281 data-srcset=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Round-726x484.jpg 726w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Round-353x235.jpg 353w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Round-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Round-1536x1025.jpg 1536w data-sizes=(max-width: 422px) 100vw, 422px />Pip Brignall (left) and Thomas Winsor (photo courtesy Anand Vara at V A Photography)The duo were taking part in Digital Catapult's 5G Accelerator Programme, experimenting on how they could utilise that technology to improve the platform and develop it further when the marketing team at EE found them. 5G is a huge part of EE's immediate and future roadmap and they always try to do a big exciting campaign around the BAFTAs and they were looking for something that would be a world first. They got in touch and asked us what would be possible, explains Brignall.

It was quite funny. They saw the video of our prototype and emailed saying they wanted to do that, and we said well that's what we're already doing', adds Winsor.

EE brought Payne on board, and the project developed from there. The AR version of the singer will be kept under wraps until 6.45pm on Sunday evening, but the app is available to download now with an AR holding animation that viewers can use to help them familiarise themselves with the process. Payne will perform exclusively for The Round at 6.45pm on Sunday before taking to the stage alongside his avatar to open the BAFTAs.

The avatar itself has already been created using photogrammetry. We captured Liam's image from every single angle you could imagine in a huge rig, and took lots of photos of his face and then we've turned that into the avatar, explains Winsor.

data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eebafta-liampaynear5g-726x484.png alt= width=407 height=271 data-srcset=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eebafta-liampaynear5g-726x484.png 726w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eebafta-liampaynear5g-353x235.png 353w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eebafta-liampaynear5g-768x512.png 768w, https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/eebafta-liampaynear5g.png 1333w data-sizes=(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px />The images were then turned into a mesh, which was converted into an avatar and touched up in Maya. We're using really innovative facial capture technology as well so when we were doing the photogrammetry shoot we got Liam to recreate the face shapes that he makes when he's singing, says Brignall. When we were creating his avatar we had ready-made facial positions that we know are similar to what he does, so we then pre-programmed these blend shapes which were from an iPhone just strapped to his head. It tells the avatar that Liam is now doing blend shape number six and the face moves into blend shape number six. It has a series of blend shapes depending on what he's doing. That is all transmitted in real time so that once we've rigged the avatar it moves and behaves in the ways that Liam himself does, his digital face is programmed to make the same facial positions. When it's in real time that information makes the avatar come to life.

A slightly enhanced version of the avatar is being used in the TV performance. There are some limitations at this point as to what level of fidelity you can put an AR avatar into a mobile phone because they have a hard ceiling on what they can process. So we've created an improved' version of the avatar that people will see on the TV broadcast, says Winsor.

Part of the process has also involved Payne pulling on the dreaded mo-cap suit. But Winsor and Brignall say he's been up for anything. We had a very early session with him when we went to our motion capture studio and we got him in a mo-cap suit, and had a play and started loosely blocking i

LINK:	https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/getting-up-close-and-persona...
	See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026