Creating virtual idols: Behind the scenes at a South Korean company that made a K-pop group and an influencer

Clasping her hands, Rina greets passengers onboard a Korean Air plane. Her glossy hair, cut in an asymmetrical bob, bounces ever so slightly as she begins to highlight the safety features of the plane.

As expected from a flight attendant, Rina goes through the whole rigmarole of putting on a life vest and pointing passengers towards the emergency exits. She ends her presentation with a tight smile and tells those onboard to enjoy their flight.

All in a day’s work for Rina.

Except Rina isn’t really a flight attendant, and she definitely isn’t real.

Rina is a virtual influencer created by Metaverse Entertainment – a subsidiary of South Korean mobile game developer Netmarble. She partakes in the same kinds of activities we’ve seen from real-life idols including K-pop dance challenges and modelling for brands. The only difference is that she isn’t physically there.

Rina is part of the emerging virtual idol movement in South Korea’s entertainment industry which includes acts like Naevis from SM Entertainment and the boy band Plave. In fact, Metaverse Entertainment is also home to another act: The virtual K-pop girl group Mave.

Just like your traditional idols, all these virtual idols can perform at concerts, appear on music shows, and interact with fans.

Which begs the question: Why? Why change a formula that has worked well for South Korea’s entertainment industry for decades?

CNA Lifestyle visited Metaverse Entertainment’s headquarters to understand what goes on behind the creation of a virtual idol.

CREATING A VIRTUAL IDOL

The methods of producing a virtual artiste differ by company. At Metaverse Entertainment, the magic starts at the Facer system. This machine is designed to capture facial expressions and utilises in-house technology with high-speed sync programmes to capture even the tiniest movements and facial expressions.

The aim is to create an output that’s “more human than humans”.

Then comes Metaverse Entertainment’s body scanner which is the largest of its kind in South Korea. The setup utilises 176 mirroring systems, polarised light sources, and a high-tech rail system.

It’s capable of scanning objects as small as 30cm and as large as a human. It can even transfer textures and many types of clothing into virtual reality.

The files produced are large and require refinement before they can be used in games, music videos and more. Rendering can take anywhere from minutes to an hour.

To get the final 3D render and simulate realistic body movements for the model, motion capture needs to be done at Metaverse Entertainment’s VFX studio. The studio’s large size allows camera directors to bring their vision to life in music videos.

According to Metaverse Entertainment’s head of virtual human department Kim Ki-deuk, most of the production process relies on 3D technology and not artificial intelligence (AI).

“We initially used AI, but as generative images can sometimes create discomfort, we now rely more on 3D technology,” explained Kim.

“We do use AI to create various models, but not everything is made with AI.”

Now that we know the “how”, let’s get into the “why”.

WHY VIRTUAL IDOLS?

In an era where real-life idol groups such as BTS, Twice, NewJeans and Stray Kids are still thriving and bringing in big bucks, the concept (and production costs) of virtual idols might seem redundant.

However, Kim insists there is a market for virtual idols.

“The primary reason for starting an entertainment industry based on virtual humans was the COVID-19 pandemic. As it became difficult for real artistes to perform, new demand emerged,” he explained.

“While the older generation of fans may be more familiar with real idols, the younger fans, who are comfortable communicating online, have embraced virtual idols.”

The results speak for themselves. Mave’s debut song has over 30 million views on YouTube and Plave currently has one of the best-selling albums of the year.

“The biggest appeal of virtual idols is that they are not limited by time and space. They can show various appearances in many different places, which makes them even more appealing. There are also things that virtual idols can do that real people can't, which is why I believe they can be even more attractive,” added Kim.

“However, since the most important thing for idols is to spread positive energy to fans through music and performances, we are preparing for activities without forgetting this aspect.”

LIFE AS A VIRTUAL IDOL

We also spoke with Zena, the vocalist of Mave, to understand what it’s like being a virtual idol.

Now you might be wondering how one interviews a virtual idol. Well, Zena is “performed” by an actual artiste whose identity remains anonymous. On the day of the interview, the artiste answered questions from Metaverse Entertainment’s VFX studio in a private video call with us as cameras transformed her into Zena in real time.

For Zena, the greatest joy of being a virtual idol comes from being able to present different sides of herself. 

“I’m happiest when I can sing for and connect with my fans,” she said.

She insists that there is “no significant difference” between real and virtual idols.

“As a virtual idol, I’m grateful that our fans support and love us in their own unique ways, without necessarily following traditional fan culture,” she explained.

“Idol culture is indeed diverse, and we have fans from many different countries. I’ll keep working hard to give back to all our fans. Now that the threat of COVID-19 has lessened, I want to meet fans in person and interact with them on stage.”

It seems that, just like their real-life counterparts, virtual idols constantly get their fans’ feedback on a variety of matters.

“Fans love the outfits from our music videos, so I’m wearing one of those today,” said Zena.

“I also take fan feedback into account and reflect it in our outfits. Like other active idol groups in South Korea, Mave prioritises communication with fans, so we constantly monitor and incorporate their feedback.”

THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL IDOLS

Ironically, despite virtual idols being engineered for the purpose of withstanding time, there’s no telling what their future holds. Currently, things are definitely looking up with more and more heavy hitters joining the market.

However, in an industry that’s prone to constant changes (and criticism), perhaps the best way to consume virtual idols’ content is to take it as is – with an open mind and zero expectations.

It’s not like they’re getting any older.

CNA Lifestyle was in South Korea at the invitation of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.