VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 3, 2020 / AMPD Ventures Inc. ("AMPD" or the "Company")(CSE:AMPD)(FRA:2Q0) is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Shocap Entertainment Ltd. ("Shocap") to conduct a number of joint projects and R&D initiatives focused on innovation in virtual production technologies and high-performance computing infrastructure for live performance.
Image: Shocap Entertainment's unique live performances combine the power of real-time motion capture, animation, and visual effects to create spectacular multidisciplinary media.
Shocap is a Vancouver-based company that produces cutting-edge, live cross-reality entertainment harnessing real-time visual effects technology and on-stage human performance to create unique shared experiences for in-venue audiences and online participants simultaneously. The company was formed in April 2020 by Brett Ineson, President and CTO at Animatrik Film Design, a leader in virtual production and real-time filmmaking for films, games and XR, alongside Athomas Goldberg, President at Lifelike & Believable Animation Design, an expert in interactive 3D character tools and technologies for triple-A games and virtual reality experiences.
With funding from the Epic Games MegaGrant program, and support from the Canada Media Fund and Creative BC, Shocap's first project, LiViCi, for live and virtual contemporary circus, is a real-time blended reality theatrical and virtual online performance in partnership with Montreal's Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers of the Hand) Arts Collective. LiViCi aims to advance Shocap's mission to create new and exciting shared experiences that combine the visual expressivity of computer animation and visual effects with the emotional immediacy of live performance. Shocap utilizes a range of professional real-time virtual production tools, such as the Unreal Engine, Optitrack, Ncam and Pixotope, alongside internally developed proprietary systems to generate the awesome power of 3D animation and believable CG avatars in real-time. The company also recently announced that it is employing its advanced technology to bring Vancouver's historic Palomar Supper Club back to life in XR, with a live-streamed show featuring Jill Barber and her Phantom Jazz Band on November 20th, 2020 in collaboration with Live Nation Canada.
AMPD's technological expertise across animation, visual effects, and online game development and distribution means that it is ideally positioned to help Shocap in a number of areas, from designing and refining its in-studio tech pipeline, through to the challenges of distributing Shocap's blended reality performances to thousands of users around the world.
"AMPD has been working with digital creators for nearly twenty years to help them design, plan, and budget the technical components of their complex digital media projects," said Anthony Brown, CEO of AMPD. "Shocap is innovating in an exceptionally exciting way, and we are pleased to support them where we can through our recently announced AMPD Lab initiative and beyond. A hands-on approach to problem solving is totally aligned with our project-based approach to innovation, and we expect the outcomes of this partnership to have broad application as we explore the fringes of the metaverse with both entertainment and enterprise applications."
"AMPD's involvement will contribute in a meaningful way to Shocap as we explore the technology and infrastructure components of our roadmap," said Athomas Goldberg, Executive Director at Shocap Entertainment. "Our platform fuses real-time virtual production and VFX, along with the interactive components of online games. AMPD's dedication to eliminating latency with their high-performance- compute-at-the-edge approach, along with their understanding of the multiple technologies we're combining represents a huge advantage for us," added Athomas.
One of the first direct outcomes of the partnership is a joint initiative at the leading edge in virtual production, and in expanding XR for arts and entertainment. Working with researchers at Simon Fraser University in big data, visual computing and machine learning, the umbrella project includes exploring predictive motion capture technology in low-latency, high-performance computing pipelines and distribution networks. The debut project is supported by provincial and federal programs.
The parties expect to continue to explore initiatives to the mutual benefit of both, as well as the broader digital media industry and creative ecosystem.
About Shocap Entertainment
Founded by the principals of Lifelike & Believable and Animatrik, Shocap Entertainment produces live cross-reality entertainment using real-time visual effects technology and on-stage human performance to create unique shared experiences simultaneously performed in front of live audiences, 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.
www.shocap.com
Shocap Entertainment media contact: Siobhan@GrammatikAgency.com on behalf of Shocap.
About AMPD Ventures Inc.
AMPD specializes in providing high-performance cloud and computing solutions for low-latency applications, including video games and eSports, digital animation and visual effects, and big data collection, analysis and visualization.
For further information please contact AMPD Investor Relations:
Tel: 604-332-3329 ext. 3
info@ampd.tech
http://www.ampd.tech
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
/s/ "Anthony Brown"
Anthony Brown
CEO & Director
Tel: 604-332-3329
AMPD Ventures Inc.
The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement
Certain statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited, to statements or information with respect to the Company's partnership with Shocap and the future use and benefits of the joint R&D activities being conducted with Shocap.
Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information, including the benefits to be derived from the partnership with Shocap, the long term financial and technological viabilty of Shocap as an AMPD customer and/or partner, and the anticipated shifts in the visual effects industry. Although our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the inability to meet the technical requirements of Shocap, the long term financial and technological viability of Shocap as an AMPD customer and/or partner, the anticipated shifts in the visual effects industry to virtual production techniques not happening as quickly as expected or at all, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 2A Listing Statement dated October 17, 2019 and "Risk and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada.
All forward looking statements and information contained in this News Release are qualified by this cautionary statement.
SOURCE: AMPD Ventures Inc.
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