Liam Payne Warms Up the EE BAFTA Crowd with AR Pre-Show
Platinum-selling artist Liam Payne wowed fans across the UK with two next level performances, kicking-off an unforgettable evening of entertainment. In an exclusive AR pre-show, made for mobile, Liam made history with a one-of-a-kind experience, where his real-time AR avatar was unveiled, before he hit the EE BAFTA stage to deliver a spectacular show, powered by EE’s 5G award-winning network.
The real-time AR experience was recorded live at 18:45 BST for fans across the UK, who enjoyed an exclusive first-look of Liam’s avatar ahead of the artist’s much-anticipated opening ceremony performance. In the AR studio, Liam wore a motion-capture suit, which featured over 50 sensors, with his movement and audio data captured using state-of-the-art technology, including 36 cameras and live audio feed, which was instantly transmitted for fans to enjoy through their mobile phone via The Round AR app as a live gig.
At 19:00 BST – before fans had even a moment to catch a breath – the EE BAFTAs on BBC One opened with a dramatic sequence reflecting that: “In a year where we haven’t been able to go anywhere…The magic of film has transported us everywhere”. As the music kicks in, the artist’s avatar appears on the Royal Albert Hall stage, opening the show in a one-of-a-kind 5GEE-powered duet, with real-life Liam who was dressed to impress in a sharp grey suit. The 5’9” avatar was incorporated into the innovative stage production and beamed through state-of-the-art holographic technology, powered by EE’s award-winning 5G network – a first for the platinum-selling artist who recently celebrated hitting 5.1 billion streams worldwide and having sold more than 23 million singles as a solo artist. During the euphoric performance, EE BAFTA viewers are transported through a year of film, all before Liam steps out of the hologram box to reveal the spectacular EE BAFTA setting.
For those watching at home, to deliver the best possible immersive AR live performance on mobile, the experience was tested and developed using EE’s award-winning 5G network on the ground-breaking Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G handset. But for those who missed out on the live AR show, playback of Liam’s EE BAFTA AR performance is now available through the ‘The Round’ AR app to enjoy wherever you are – the park, living room or even on the bus. And from today, for one week only, EE is also giving you the chance to be the envy of all your friends and get papped with AR Payne through the app.
Liam Payne said: “Performing live via my own avatar in thousands of peoples’ homes, gardens and parks across the country, blows my mind! On top of that, opening this year’s EE BAFTA Film Awards - it just feels incredible. I’m really excited by the things you can do in tech right now and I can’t wait to see what we can do next."
Marc Allera, CEO of EE, added: “Tonight was another great example of how our network is able to bring people closer to the action. We're excited to have shared with fans across the country not one but two immersive performances from Liam Payne, both made possible using our award-winning 5G network. I'm really proud of our team who made it all happen: a one-of-a-kind, personal AR live pre-show in real-time, which fans could enjoy on-the-go, on mobile; and, of course, on screen, and Liam’s spectacular 5GEE-powered duet with his avatar on BBC One. It was an EE BAFTA Film Awards I won’t forget!”
Amanda Berry OBE, chief executive at BAFTA, said: “To see Liam opening the show with such an amazing performance tonight was a great moment for EE and BAFTA. EE have supported BAFTA for over 24 years and each year their dynamic and forward-thinking ethos continues to elevate the Awards. It has been a wonderful evening of entertainment and celebration and I am pleased audiences at home were able to enjoy Liam’s AR performance thanks to EE’s innovative technology bringing Liam’s avatar to life. A huge congratulations to Liam on a great performance and to all of our BAFTA-winners this weekend."
