Since the VMAs began 36 years ago, fans have been an integral part of the experience, from voting for the Viewers Choice Award nominees to cheering on their favorite performers live and from home. This year, however, MTV came to VIVA with a challenge: How do we give fans and artists a live performance experience during a virtual awards show?

Working with MTV, we designed an innovative way to make fans an integral part of the show, bringing them onstage with performers, announcers, and hosts. Gathering live fan streams from home, we populated the XR stage VMA virtual cityscape. To elevate the appearance and create a cohesive look, we customized stylized virtual sets for the VMA audience.

Fans received instructions prior to the event and then a hype-man kept them engaged and energized during breaks between performances. Fans experienced the show through a live feed of the on-stage performances and reacting in real time with applause, cheering and dancing.