버추버 인터렉티브_블라스트

INTERACTIVE

버추버 인터렉티브_블라스트

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Preparing for live streams

VLAST

We plan live streams a month or two in advance. Really theme-heavy or more complex content we put out once or twice a month, while things like PC games, songs, challenges, and streams where they just talk are decided last based on when we can get the group members together and how they’re feeling. Seeing as we can’t get all five of them together for every stream, when we are able to, we usually go with something really intricate and entertaining. Depending on the member and their position in the group, we’ll work in things like singing, rapping, or dancing. Not all of them are that into gaming, so for things like PC game streams we select something that matches each of their skill levels. The main criterion when we select anything is that it be something the group members can have fun while doing. First we have an open brainstorming session with our employees to generate ideas, then the three producers take those ideas and make them into several episodes. No matter how good an idea is, if it isn’t feasible for VTubing, it’s not useful to us, so the planning, Unreal Engine, and art teams are in constant communication to make sure everything is possible. We’re also in communication with the group members throughout the process, hearing them out on ideas they’d like to do and letting the list of potential videos evolve together with their input. We meet three or four hours before starting a stream for a reading and rehearsal, and then go live. Right now we’re doing three kinds of streams: PL:RADIO, LASSGO PLAVE, and PLAVE Live. We’ve been blessed to have writers from Best Friend on board for PL:RADIO since the first one. LASSGO PLAVE has become a progressively smoother experience as the group members develop their comedic chops and get in sync with the crew. And now that we introduced our AR studio , the boys are starting to appear in videos made by other companies, too.

The PLAVE universe

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The PLAVE members were all in Caelum , living apart from each other, but became a group in Asterum, the only place from which they can communicate with Terra. This backstory is one big metaphor for the connection between the idols and their fandom and the way idols come to life and their content is consumed, as well as an allegory for the way in which the real PLAVE members work and their content operates. Their world lays down the rules behind the group’s content, forming a foundation that both imposes restrictions and enriches the narrative at the same time. In it, PLAVE’s songs, music videos, and streams are all intricately connected and have an effect on one another. You can see shooting stars from Asterum falling in their streams or rain when “The 6th Summer” came out. The group members only have the outward attributes they do as long as they’re in their universe, and their special powers come from when they were warriors before coming to Asterum. Lots and lots of scenes in their content, like the whales flying outside YEJUN’s house, the way NOAH’s home is in a fantasy setting, BAMBY and EUNHO living in a cyberpunk city, and the reason HAMIN sits on a cube, all hint at what they were like before Asterum, when they were still in Caelum. Their universe is open-ended, continually evolving and reconfiguring in accordance with the PLAVE members and their fandom. For example, concepts that weren’t even there in the beginning—things like the Anywhere Door or Posing that the members come up with randomly on stream—naturally work their way into the universe. We expect to keep revealing more and more of their backstory over time through their future albums.

The group members

VLAST

The five members of PLAVE are all close with each other. Everything they’ve been through together, big and small, has given them a really strong sense of teamwork. It’s that teamwork and the way they trust one another that gives them the confidence to do anything. YEJUN, as their esteemed leader, is at the center of it all. He’s more diligent and takes more initiative and sets a better example than anyone else I know. In terms of variety show content, he was usually always the host when they started out, but he’s got such a good sense of humor that it almost felt like a waste limiting him to just playing host. Freeing him up from that role let him spread his wings and soar. (laughs) HAMIN stepped up to take over as host from him. He’s got a good eye and a quick wit, so he’s able to focus on moving things along and he’s just good at reading the flow of things overall. He’s got a lot of showstopper moves, like dancing, Taekwondo, and impersonations. He might be the youngest of the group, but he’s always reliable, using his skills to keep things moving when streams aren’t going as planned. NOAH’s more inclined to go with the flow than stick to the script, pushing streams in unexpected directions compared to what was laid out beforehand, but that actually makes it even more fun. They say that, when it comes to variety shows, following the script is a recipe for failure, and NOAH’s ability to steer things in completely unexpected directions is one of his best selling points. He even started a lot of the PLAVE memes, like Posing and the dumbbell light stick. BAMBY’s pretty original and quick-witted himself. He’s got a firm grasp on what makes the virtual world tick, so a lot of times he’s the one really making new tech or hardware shine. He’s good at staying in the moment and immersing himself in a given situation, especially when it comes to using his body on camera. EUNHO is like the hub that all the different connections between the five of them goes through. The concept of PLAVE’s crucial onscreen relationships, like No Line and Ye Line, all started with EUNHO, and he’s also the one who made the quarter finals episode possible. It’s really charming how different his personality can be between how cool he is when doing music and how goofy he is on stream. He’s always dependable, like a soccer player on defense.

Virtual idols

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PLAVE is a virtual idol group. Sometimes the emphasis is on the virtual part, and other times it’s on the idol part, but these two facets of their identity can never be separated. The virtual aspect might be highlighted depending on what’s happening, then their singing abilities might be emphasized at other times, but ultimately, we think the biggest reason all these people love PLAVE is because of their inherently human charm, and the amazing moments when their talent as singers, songwriters, choreographers, and producers shine. In other words, at its core, PLAVE is an idol group, and they’re loved for the same reasons other idols are loved. For that reason, all their content aims to capture the appeal of that idol part of their identity.

Never-ending story

VLAST

The PLAVE members are exceptional singers. All these guys are incredibly sweet, full of passion, and talented. They also thrived on singing from the beginning. They love it to the point where they’ll sometimes start singing on stream out of nowhere. It’s really incredible the way they sing live on stream for tens of thousands of viewers. With each member being so charismatic, we feel making sure even more people find out about what makes PLAVE so appealing is key. We’re working hard to fashion an even more relaxed environment for when they stream. They’ve really improved and grown over the past year and they’ve been making history together with PLLI. As the song “Our Movie” from their second mini album says, the “never-ending story goes on .”