‘Alter Ego’ Judges Get Their Own Avatars and Special Names (PHOTOS)
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In a series that relies on avatars to deliver the visual performances of its singing competitors, Alter Ego is switching things up a bit as the judges unveil their own avatars.
That’s right, Alanis Morissette, Nick Lachey, will.i.am, and Grimes are getting the avatar treatment, presenting their own alter egos. “It all kind of came together so fast,” executive producer Matilda Zoltowski says of the decision to create the avatars. “We were mid-production and the judges were so invested and truly into the tech and creativity. [They] started having conversations [with our tech team] about what would it involve to create [them].”
Shamanamama (Alanis Morissette) and NO1 (Grimes) (Credit: Fox)
Each avatar has it’s own special alter ego name, as seen in the images above and below, W.ALT. (will.i.am), Shamanamama (Alanis Morissette), NO1 (Grimes), and Purple Reign (Nick Lachey) stand for the judges with personal details chosen by their human counterparts. “They all jumped at the opportunity and it was just really fun for them,” muses Zoltowski.
So, will we see these avatars in action? Zoltowski hopes so. “I really hope that they do.” According to the executive producer despite being “the least tech-savvy” going into the show, Nick Lachey couldn’t help but be amazed by the avatars’ “sorcery.”
Purple Reign (Nick Lachey) and W.ALT. (will.i.am) (Credit: Fox)
“Alanis, she loved it,” reveals Zoltowski. “She thought it was hilarious, and her alter ego is so original… [she’s this] massive multitasking mom slash rockstar.” As for will.i.am and Grimes, they have already pondered the benefits of avatars.
“He had been thinking about the possibilities all along,” Zoltowski says of will.i.am. “And I’m sure Grimes as well will be very inspired to use it.” When it came to putting the figures together, the judges had to relay their designs to the company that creates the avatars on the East Coast.
“They were on set filming and most of the engineering and the design process happens in New York. They were very hands-on in choosing every little detail, especially Grimes. I know she wanted really, really long hair, but technically it’s actually really difficult to pull off long moving fluid hair. So there were several versions of hairdos that they could accommodate.”
Most of the designing on the judges’ end of things was done through collaborations with sketch artists. “You start with a sketch artist talking about all the features they want and then you start initially with a drawing on a piece of paper. Then when they’re happy with that, it goes to Silver Spoon [Animation] and they start with their 3D modeling.”
The final products are certainly stunning. Take a closer look at the avatars in the images, above, and don’t miss their debut on the show when Alter Ego airs Wednesdays on Fox.
Alter Ego, Wednesdays, 9/8c, Fox
