* This article is a reprint of Cover’s official note published on June 28, 2023.

Some of you might be curious: What kind of operations exist behind the scenes of live streams within COVER Corporation? This time around, we’ll focus on the production scenes behind stages and character models used for 3D reveals and live streams.I have interviewed few members of the Creative Production Department, who are in charge of what happens behind these events.

I have spoken to E, T, and S, the managers of the CG Production Division (3D Character Team, 3D Background Team) of the Creative Production Department, about the things they pay special attention to and the difficulties they have encountered.
I hope this interview can give readers an insight into the behind-the-scenes; a different perspective on live streams.

■ The tasks of the CG Production Division

──Thank you for taking the time to do this interview!
We’ve received a request from a fellow member of the Creative Production Division who wanted to write an article. May I know what sparked this suggestion?

S: Thank you for agreeing to our request! This is just my personal opinion, but I feel that not many people know that most of COVER’s contents are produced in-house.

As I looked at the fresh new faces who worked so hard every day to produce new content, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I had a strong urge to make ourselves more known outside of the company and enhance our production skills.

──So that’s what it was. Of course, I would love to be of help. 
Well, let’s start right off then! Please introduce yourselves and tell us in detail about your work scope!

E: I lead the 3D Background team, part of the CG Production Division under the Creative Production Department. I am involved in the production of almost all the 3D backgrounds used in reveals and anniversary streams. I also oversee the concept planning and design suggestions up to the end of the production.

T: I am also from the Creative Production Department, leading the 3D Character team. Our work is similar to that of the 3D Background Team, but as our name suggests, we work on character (talents), item, and mascot models used for live streams.

S: I do management rather than the production. I provide a comfortable environment for my teams to work in and also work on strengthening each member. As mentioned before, I aim to keep improving my team!

──What is the production volume for the CG Production Team since there are so many live streams from different talents every day?

S: Well, it is a lot (lol). From the little decorations used in live streams to characters to stages, there are hundreds of items in demand each year.

──That’s a really big number…!

S: We are getting by the orders and dividing them into the 3D Character and Background Team, depending on the nature of the request. 
Additionally, the 3D characters used to be co-produced with an external company. However, currently, we are putting more strength into in-house productions, so many of them have been produced within, from start to finish. Our goal is to heighten our in-house production strength, after all! 

■ 3D Character Team

──I will be asking each team questions from here on; tell me about the kind of work the 3D Character Team does!

T: Our team takes charge of producing 3D Characters, so we produce things like new 3D outfit reveals to make sure they are ready by the reveal date.
The time spent in one 3D Character model is about three months, so we adjust the schedule accordingly to ensure we can produce quality that we are proud of.

As production for one character model takes a long time, the preparations for 3D reveal streams and items (props) made for anniversary streams must all be done simultaneously. Making each talent’s requests come to life is also an essential task of ours, so we progress very cautiously.

──Do you also produce the outfits used for big concerts?

T: You’re right!
We have to produce new outfits for all participating talents for big concerts like the 4th fes. For large-scale events like these, we use a system similar to game character creation to produce the outfits.

──It really puts into perspective how much work goes with just a simple explanation. What is the workflow like?

T: I think it’s easier to imagine with the TV industry. What technology is required for the product we want to announce? What are the important factors that talents wish to incorporate? Are we able to materialize the stage effects and items (props)?
As the department’s project director and designer for the 3D Character Team brainstorm, we work across the team’s borders with the people in the company.
The timeframe we work with is short, somewhat similar to how video production is for a TV program!

S: For me, the work is somewhat in-between video production for TV programs and game production. We consult with the in-house director to create a character model, and then we do motion capturing. We test the model’s movements in the studio so that we can work with the studio engineers to tackle any new issues that arise. Afterward, we get the talents to test it out.

──It sounds rare to consult alongside the production. Is it a common occurrence within the 3D production industry?

S: Consulting is common within any industry, but everything we make within COVER is always different, so communication is crucial. The person in charge of the field will have to communicate frequently with the engineers and directors to come up with the implementation method.  

With the designers seeing through until the end of the production, we hope it provides a flow for them to stretch their creativity to its fullest.
I aim to create a team where the 3D character riggers have the responsibility to design and create alongside the talents.

──From your standpoint as a member of the team, how do you feel, T?

T: In my previous job, our jobs were divided, and it became a repetition of making. I felt like I was not involved in the business or projects. In COVER, I take charge of everything, like “what expressions are needed?” and “What is its purpose?” I get to think about what goes behind the creation. When a project ends in success, it becomes my source of satisfaction and motivation.

S: Deciding on the go is probably the trait of a huge company!

■ 3D Background Team

──Moving on, please share the kind of work the 3D Background Team does!

E: The scope of the background team is pretty wide, but we mainly produce all the backgrounds used in 3D reveals, including background animations and effects for anniversary live streams.
We also produce stages fitting the theme of the talent’s live streams, as they have them almost twice a month! 

Same with the 3D Character Team, we conduct discussions with the project’s directors and engineers and start with deciding on the production contents. As we hold meetings, we come up with the design concept to create a new stage.

──As with the 3D Character Team, do you get involved from the planning?

E: That is correct. The designer is responsible for coming  up with the design in the background team as well. Of course, we do discuss with the talents and directors, but during the ideation stage, there are many abstract ideas. 

When that happens, it is an essential part of our job to communicate with the relevant parties to come up with a design. 

──So, it is the trait for all the teams to start from pitching. Please share about the most recent stage that was created!

E: For example, this is a mid-production image of Sakura Miko’s live. The image-making and effects are all requests from the talent herself and everything was developed in-house.

Additionally, we set up a monitor in the viewer’s seats in the arena for Tsunomaki Watame’s live stream at her request!

──Amazing. The effect of the fish swimming in the arena.

E: We discuss with the talents and directors to come up with these effects. The type of fish swimming, the monitor positioning, etc. are ideas we pitch and are now embedded into the system. A monitor of a landscape this big is a rare sight (as it is difficult to make), but we balanced out the workload to make it happen!

──I’m always amazed every time I look at it. Do you make other things besides live stages?

E: For the usual live streams, more attention goes to the live videos, but we also take on the challenge in variety show stages.

We create a room within the 3D space, and “construct” it in the studio to test over and over to make sure the door opens and closes… we pay attention to the details while working with the studio team. As mentioned by T and S, it does feel like we are producing the 3D version of the stage set-ups in the TV industry.

■ The satisfaction that comes with the work

──Each team has its unique traits, and your stories have so much depth. What are the satisfactions that come with the work?

E: It can be said for both teams, but the span within each showcase is very short! I come from the gaming industry, so there is a lot of time between each product release, and at times there will be some that do not get released altogether.
However, at COVER, the pace of the release is fast, and we also get many responses. I feel the satisfaction from receiving lots of responses.

T: As mentioned earlier, getting to be involved in the planning and pitching is a huge source of motivation for me. I am very thankful that I get to work with the studio engineers and directors to create.

To be able to share a request and a goal to work towards, and being involved in suggesting ideas makes it easy for us creators to work.

──What are the hardships?

E: I think that because of an environment that allows freedom to make suggestions, it also makes it difficult because there is a wide range of expressions to convey your imagination. Each event has a different theme, and also depending on whether it’s a concert or a variety show the type of effects used are completely different.

T: Ideas that come from live streams are things that I have never seen before and have very abstract combinations of them, which never fails to surprise me. At times I would be bewildered until I hear the details.

──That’s interesting, are there any requests that left an impression on you?

T: For example, the “shrimp” that showed up in Gawr Gura’s live stream. Upon hearing the request for “a shrimp with buff arms”, instantly got me wondering, “what kind of shrimp is that?” I definitely couldn’t hide my bewilderment with this one.

Even after hearing the details, I remember having to ask the project director how the shrimp moved in order to reproduce her vision as close as possible to her ideals. It’s better to leave the details to the talents so that we can put in the effort to give them the exact image that they were thinking of!

■ Professionals, and the sensibility of the younger generation

──Thank you for all these exciting stories! Lastly, could you tell us what kind of people you would like to work together in the CG Production Division?

S: The company’s scale has grown; however, we still do not have enough people in the field, and we have to also build up the organization from here on. Therefore, whether they are experienced professionals or those with innovative ideas, we want individuals with variety of experience to grow an interest in COVER. 

Those who are receptive and have the basics should not have an issue with skill sets. It’s an industry where we grow and learn every day, and the things we work on are also never really the same. If these individuals are proactively accepting changes and challenges, that would be even better!

T: I think your skills would be sufficient as long as you have worked in the game industry.
Of course, technical skills are important, but we want individuals with expressiveness and adaptability as we work in a field where we progress by communicating throughout production.

Moreover, as the 3D Character Team works with character models, we want people who of course, have a love for VTubers! Having background knowledge of the talents and their likes and dislikes can make productions easier, so we want people who at least have an interest or are curious about the VTubing industry.

E: For me, it would be someone with a strong passion. Even though it is a job that makes backgrounds, it is in 3D, so it requires both designing its look and the systematics of actually building it.

On top of that, you also need to figure out how to create the effects you want, and how to make it interesting for videography. We hope to find someone who shows a good balance between creating the appearance and its technicalities.

──Thank you for your time today!