South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are focusing on ‘deepfake’ technology in their heavily invested company.
A pair of South Park animators run Deep Voodoo, a production company that licenses deepfake technology to artists, creators and others.
They just received $20 million (via Hollywood Reporter) in a new funding round through Connect Ventures, a joint partnership between CAA (Creative Artists Agency) and venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates.
These days, for those living under rocks, deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to replicate the faces of actors and characters. Sometimes the effects are so unbelievable that celebrities have to deal with deepfake hoaxes.
The South Park duo used this technology in the Sassy Justice web series, which parodied Mark Zuckerberg and former US President Donald Trump. It’s been used by Kendrick Lamar to personalize the faces of OJ Simpson and Kanye West in his music videos.
“We stumbled upon this amazing technology and ended up recruiting the best deepfake artists in the world,” Stone said in a statement. “We are thrilled to share their brilliance with his community of Hollywood creatives.”
Connect Ventures’ Michael Blank adds: Deep Voodoo uses artificial intelligence to support production in innovative ways that are faster, more cost-effective than traditional his VFX technology. ”
Deep Voodoo began as part of Park County, the holding company under which Stone and Parker owns South Park, the Book of Mormon musical and the Casa Bonita restaurant. With new funding, they’re spinning it out as their own entity.
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