Future House Studios created a virtual concert for Justin Bieber: Why sit in the nosebleeds when you can interact directly with celebrities online?

• Author: Mumford, Jacqueline

WHAT DO JUSTIN BIEBER AND SONIC THE HEDGEHOG HAVE IN COMMON?

They've both hosted virtual concerts since the start of the pandemic, designed in part by Future House Studios. The Pleasant Grove-based company believes in the longevity of the metaverse--so much so that they're helping build it.

"We're all about stretching the imagination," says Adam Sidwell, founder and head of studio at Future House Studios. "What we're doing is creating new ways to meet people, to understand ourselves better, and to see more of the world."

That's why they jumped on the opportunity to form a production partnership with Wave, the virtual entertainment company behind "Justin Bieber--An Interactive Virtual Experience" hosted in November 2021.

THE MAKING OF JUSTIN BIEBER'S VIRTUAL CONCERT

The event kicked off Bieber's world tour for his new album "Justice" and featured Bieber in avatar form performing multiple songs from the release. After the concert aired live, fans could watch re-broadcasts of the free live show on Wave's website throughout the month of November.

"Wave is responsible for the entertainment, start to finish," Sidwell says. "They were one of our very first clients when we originally launched as a company, and the bulk of the work we did in our early days was for and with Wave. We signed on because we're super excited about putting the physical world into the metaphysical one--to see performers motion-captured live."

Bieber's virtual "concert arena" was a big part of what Future House worked on with Wave. "We helped with the concept art, with bringing the environments to life," Sidwell says. "Our modelers, VFX artists, and animators were all working together side-by-side with Wave's existing teams to help make the experience feel tangible."

That was Wave's goal, too.

"Our partnership with Justin Bieber combined his forward-thinking artistry with Wave's technology, giving fans a futuristic look into the metaverse," says Tina Rubin, CMO of Wave. "Justin's live musical performance merged gaming and real-time motion capture into one immersive, interactive experience."

REDEFINING INTERACTIVE EVENTS

This new way to interact with artists and other concert goers---and how they bring people together--was what Sidwell and his team loved the most about the virtual concert experiences.

"When you go to a traditional concert, you have to get on a plane, book a hotel room, match a bunch of your friends' schedules to get together," he says. "And that's if you can even get tickets--even stadium tours in large arenas can hit capacities. What's cool about the metaphysical environments that these concerts...