Customer Story: Bringing "The Night 3arriors" to Life at Hong Kong Book Fair 2024
We at Red Hydrogen Studio recently partnered with "The Night 3arriors" series to create a VTuber for their character Mumu. Our collaboration led to an engaging live fan meeting at the Hong Kong Book Fair 2024, where we overcame unique challenges to blend 3D modeling, motion capture, social media content and virtual event production seamlessly, breaking the geographical constraints. In this project, we:
- Created a stylized 3D VTuber model with full-body and facial motion capture
- Produced engaging Instagram Reels for brand promotion
- Facilitated a live fan meeting at Hong Kong Book Fair 2024
- Provided seamless virtual event production across international borders
Fan meeting at Hong Kong Book Fair 2024
Expanding the Night 3arriors Universe
"The Night 3arriors," a multimedia franchise by 1030CoLab currently spanning novels and comics, follows young heroes saving their planet from ecological collapse. In early 2024, 1030CoLab approached us to bring Mumu to life as a VTuber, aiming to expand their storytelling into a medium.
Challenges in Creating Mumu's VTuber Model
Our first hurdle was maintaining the toonish feel of Mumu's character. 1030CoLab specifically wanted to avoid a realistic 3D model, preferring to keep the stylized aesthetic of their comic and novel illustrations. This required us to carefully adapt 2D designs into a 3D space while preserving the character's cartoon-like charm.
Complicating this task was the variety of existing depictions of Mumu. "The Night 3arriors" features multiple illustrators, each with their own unique interpretation of the character. This diversity, while creatively rich, presented a significant challenge for 3D adaptation. We meticulously studied each illustrator's take on Mumu, working to distill the character's core essence that remained consistent across all versions.
Mumu depicted by three different artists of the series
Another significant challenge was the need for a greater range of motion than typical VTubers. While many VTubers focus on facial expressions and head movements, which work well for longer streams like video game content, our project demanded more. 1030CoLab's focus on short-form content and live meetings required a full-body range of motions capable of more expressive and diverse movements to quickly grab audience attention in brief social media clips and interactive live events.
One of the reels we created for their Instagram page, demoing Mumu's full range of motion
The Live Fan Meeting: Merging Virtual and Physical Spaces
Our biggest test came on July 20, 2024, at the Hong Kong Book Fair. We faced the complex task of integrating our virtual technology with a physical space for the live fan meeting. Using advanced full-body and facial motion capture technology, we enabled real-time interaction between the virtual Mumu and the physical audience. Despite the technical complexities, the event was a success, with attendees expressing excitement at seeing Mumu "in person."
Our biggest test came on July 20, 2024, at the Hong Kong Book Fair, creating a landmark moment for "The Night 3arriors" franchise by bringing Mumu to life in a fan meeting. This event wasn't just a technical showcase—it was a powerful demonstration of how VTubers can bridge the gap between fiction and reality, enhancing fan engagement and expanding storytelling possibilities.
With full-body and facial motion capture, we enabled real-time interaction between the virtual Mumu and the physical audience in Hong Kong, all while operating from Canada. This seamless integration demonstrated how VTuber technology can create meaningful connections regardless of physical distance.
Screenshots of the fan meeting, conducted over video conferencing tools
The event was a resounding success. Attendees expressed excitement at seeing Mumu "in real life". This event, along with our series of Instagram reels, effectively engaged fans across geographical boundaries, proving the borderless nature of VTubers in both social media and live settings.
Looking Ahead
The collaboration has successfully expanded the Night 3arriors franchise into the virtual realm. Our team at Red Hydrogen Studio transformed Mumu into a 3D VTuber, creating new opportunities for storytelling and fan engagement. We developed engaging social media content and facilitated a live event, seamlessly blending virtual technology with physical spaces. Our expertise in 3D modeling, motion capture, and virtual production allowed us to collaborate seamlessly with the Night 3arriors team across international borders and connect with their audience in innovative ways. Building on this success, we are continuing our partnership with plans for more events and content creation throughout the remainder of 2024.
Interested in exploring VTuber possibilities? Contact us to discover how we can help!