'The Vtuber Awards', which is given to VTubers and their communities, has been established, and the popularity of VTubers is rapidly increasing overseas and the technology is improving.
The Vtuber Awards , an award for VTubers hosted by
The first annual VTuber Awards was a win for VR | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/20/vtuber-awards-vr-twitch-weplay-filian/
There are various theories about the origin of VTuber, but it was Japan's Kizuna AI who started using the keyword ``virtual YouTuber'' to mean ``a streamer who operates with a 2D or 3D anime-style avatar.'' Over time, virtual YouTubers came to be called 'VTubers,' and VTubers are becoming increasingly popular overseas.
The winners in each category of The Vtuber Awards sponsored by Filian are as follows.
・Best FPS Vtuber: Seren Ryugetsu
・Best Tech Vtuber: Vedal987
・Best Art Vtuber(Presented by Nihmune): Ninomae Ina'nis
・Best Music Vtuber: Mori Calliope
・Vtuber Clipper: COOKSIE
・Vtuber Parent of The Year: 2WINTAILS
・Funniest Vtuber: CHIBIDOKI
・Most Chaotic Vtuber(Presented by Punkalopi): Kobo Kaneru
・Most Dedicated Fanbase (Presented by Porcelainmaid): CHUMBUDS ( Gauru Gura 's fan name)
・Best Minecraft Vtube: Kaela Kowalskia
・Best Roleplay/ASMR Vtuber: Celeste Fauna
・Lewdtuber of The Year: Projekt Melody
・Miss Vtuber (Presented by Shylilly): Ironmouse
・Best Chatting/ Zatsu Vtuber: SHYLILY
・Stream Game of The Year: Watermelon Game
・Best Concert of The Year (Presented by Bao): Connect the World
・Best Philanthropic Event: Mika Melatica 's charity distribution
・Best Streamed Event: Ironmouse channel subscription durable delivery
・Hidden Gem: Fufu
・Rising Star(Presented by FEFE): Henya the Genius
・Rising Vtuber Organization: Phase Connect
・Gamer of The Year: Seren Ryugetsu
・League of Their Own (Presented by MERRYWEATHER): FUWAMOCO (Unit of Fuwawa Abyss Guard and Mokoko Abyss Guard )
・Best Vtuber Organization: Hololive
・Vtuber of The Year: Ironmouse
As mentioned above, the categories of The Vtuber Awards are divided into quite detailed categories, but the feature is that there is also a category that evaluates not only cuteness and fun, but also technical aspects. For example, Vedal987, who won the 'Best Tech Vtuber' category, developed an AI Vtuber ' Neuro-sama ' that can play games while reading text and communicate with Twitch viewers. is known for what he did.
on the 8th of january I did a stream where I attempted to have neuro learn to play slay the spire. she didn't even make it past the first boss.
— Vedal (@Vedal987) October 12, 2023
attempt 2 is going well though. pic.twitter.com/aISW0poN5v
In an interview with TechCrunch, Filian said, ``At any award ceremony, VTubers are often treated as a bonus, and sometimes treated as something unique and strange. That's why The VTuber Awards is ``Holding a show just for VTubers.'' Why don't you try it?' It all started with the idea.''
In addition, The VTuber has created the 'Vtuber Clipper' category, which is awarded not only to VTubers themselves, but also those who create clipped videos of VTubers, and the 'Most Dedicated Fanbase' category, which is awarded to the most passionate fan community. A major feature of the Awards. Filian says, ``When VTubers arrived in Europe and America, there was an explosion of excitement.It cannot be overstated how important the people who make VTuber cutout videos are to the status of VTubers today. VTubers are generally more engaged with their fans than many other creators.'
The VTuber Awards event took place five hours from a studio in Los Angeles. This studio is usually used for e-sports events, but this was the first time for WePlay, the company that operates the studio, to use it for a VTuber event. You can watch the award ceremony below.
According to WePlay's Maksim Bironogov, the award ceremony was originally planned to be held on a physical stage, but the direction was changed midway through to a completely virtual venue. Bironogov said, ``Originally, the award ceremony was planned to be held on a physical stage with screens and graphics. But then we realized that that was not the correct method or way of thinking. It should be a virtual space, so we started building technology that would allow real photographers to use real cameras to capture virtual spaces.'
At the award ceremony, three cameras linked to virtual angles were controlled, and settings were made so that the camera's vertical, horizontal, and focus changes were reflected in the virtual space. The operator could use an iPad connected to the camera to switch between different angles, making it appear as if 12 cameras were being used in the virtual world. In addition, the physical lights on the stage were also linked to the virtual space, and at the same time, the images played on the stage in the virtual space were controlled using software for live events.
Filian was the only one who was actually in the studio, as his avatar was displayed on stage at the same time as he was talking with the winners via Discord. There is no industry standard for tools to move VTuber's avatars, but overseas VTubers, including Filian, often use models designed with Unity. However, since WePlay's virtual stage was built using Unreal Engine, it seems that they ended up rebuilding Filian's avatar from scratch.
Filian attended the award ceremony wearing a motion capture suit in a separate room with a teleprompter that displayed the stage and script. The photo below shows the separate room where Filian was. However, it seems that the person in this photo is not Filian, but a WePlay employee who is checking the operation.
To be realistic, VTubers have a 'person inside' who actually gives them movement and voice. In Japan, it is sometimes called the 'soul,' and the information about the person inside is kept secret both in Japan and overseas. In Mr. Filian's case, all those involved had pledged to maintain Mr. Filian's anonymity, and they said they respected Mr. Filian's privacy and kept their distance. Filian says that because the only people he actually met were the people he really trusted, he was able to successfully complete the award ceremony, which was his first time doing everything he could.
Including the rehearsal that day, Filian wore the motion capture suit for over seven hours in total, and was only able to go to the bathroom twice. Also, it took at least 20 minutes to put on and take off the suit when going to the bathroom. After the award ceremony, Filian was completely exhausted and almost fell asleep in front of the camera when broadcasting the next day.
'This project was a huge experiment for WePlay, but we were surprised to see the actual award ceremony on TV. We didn't know how else this technology could be used, but we knew this was the future of live events.' I am convinced that it is,' he said. WePlay continues to experiment with virtual live events and plans to open a dedicated virtual production studio across the street from its Los Angeles space.
'VTubers are like rock'n'roll or jazz. Across the industry, important communities are forming. This is the future of entertainment, and I think the awards show is just the beginning,' Bironogov said. Did.
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