featured Archives - Dark Slope

a man standing in front of a screen with a virtual reality headset on

Gaming done Dark Slope’s way

By: Breanna Schnurr

Stephen Buchan, Head of Production – Games and Senior Producer at Dark Slope, has been gaming since ‘the beginning’ on early IBM computers. “My first games were text-based, where it was just text on the screen. And you think that would not be fun, but man, I burned so many hours playing those games.”

Since the days of Pong and King’s Quest, Buchan has become a part of the gaming development world at Dark Slope and other studios such as Ubisoft for many years. Buchan says he fell in love with gaming because of its interactivity.

“I get bored watching TV. I get bored watching movies. I want the back and forth, I want to be involved, I want to be controlling something. So gaming, to me, is just that perfect mix of relaxing but interacting at the same time and VR gaming takes it to a whole new level. In Virtual Reality you are completely immersed in the world and the interactions and gameplay feel more real and consequential. You are not just playing as the character… You are the character.”

The path of production

While final products end up very different, Buchan says the crossover in developing VR and 2D games is incredibly similar. Teams go through conception, pre-production and technology phases to determine the game’s mechanics. Once the building blocks are in place, the team moves into building the game itself. “We’ve got a game design document, we’ve decided how our tech will work, we started building tools, then we go to production and various stages of user testing throughout alpha and beta stages,” Buchan says.

Overstimulation and stability are essential to see on external testers, but plot engagement is another significant element of having individuals test the game. “As developers, we know the game so well that we tend to stick to what we call the golden path,” says Buchan. “External testers, they like to wander. They like to do things that we don’t anticipate. And that helps us to find these things and to take care of them.”

Then the development moves into polishing and perfecting the game. “Basically, stop adding things to it and try to take what you have and make it work. It means making sure the game performs well,” says Buchan. “It means making sure the memory completely fits so that the game doesn’t crash. It means knocking down all those bugs and any stability problems, and it also means getting to game design and pulling on the levers and twisting the dials.”

Once polish is complete, game developers must ensure that the game meets the platform’s requirements. These requirements, such as performance and stability benchmarks, ensure a consistent and high quality user experience. Once we are approved, the game is prepared for worldwide release.

Creating 2D vs VR Games

In Dark Slope games and other games, Buchan typically looks for the effectiveness of user interaction [UI]. “I think one of the things that really separates VR from 2D is the interaction,” he says. “I love when I see UI that’s not button pushing. It’s pulling on levers or [virtually] eating something to make a choice.”

Other examples of UI elements with physical interaction include the character answering a phone to receive quest information, turning a door handle or crawling through tight spaces.“There are so many opportunities to pass messages on to the player that can keep them completely immersed in the world that they’re in,” says Buchan.

As players have complete 360 control of their headset, teams must also consider the visual aspect. “It’s a great opportunity to hide little things and make wonderful little vistas for the player to see. The immersion of the visuals, if you take them into consideration, can take our games to another level.”

Something that continues to excite Buchan about VR is how new the gaming style is. “There’s not much in the 2D world where you bring up a game, and you’re surprised by something that they did because it’s almost all been done,” says Buchan. “But VR, you can still be surprised, and I think that’s really exciting.”

the title art for babble bop! the image has two adults and two kids around the edge of the image, with the words babble bop in a blue background

Real-world reflection in children’s television

How Babble Bop! Is diversifying stories told in and out of the studio

By: Breanna Schnurr

In the hand-clapping, baby-bottom-wiggling, sing-along world of music, dance and preschool play of NBC Universal’s Babble Bop!, produced by Dark Slope, the main characters, Lily, Hugo, Miguel, Izzie and Sam, discover more about the world while having fun. Tots learn about pets, managing emotions, and many other things in the world around them. And, celebrating diversity is an important part of the world of Babble Bop!

Some new faces

The production team behind Babble Bop! believes in celebrating diversity and reflecting the world we live in through their characters, including some new additions to the roster for season two.

Atoosa Mohajer, Production Manager for Babble Bop!, shares about the brand-new places and faces joining the cast.

“We expanded the world of our preschoolers from their homes and backyard to include songs and stories about going to daycare! With this new cast, we had the opportunity to showcase a type of family that we hadn’t seen before.” For example, Leta is a single mother to Ava, and also owns the daycare where Lily, Hugo, Sam, Miguel and Izzy go to school. Leta and Ava are of Indian descent, which Mohajer says was largely inspired by production partners Vishus Productions, who were involved with season one.

“With the unlimited recourse and knowledge provided by Vishus Productions, we were able to tell authentic stories and showcase genuine depictions of an Indian family,” says Mohajer.

In addition to the show’s new characters, the team has also created a 30-minute compilation for different Holiday celebrations, which includes a new song about the festival of Diwali. “With the help of Vishus Productions, our choreography team was able to research authentic dance numbers to further enhance the storytelling,” says Mohajer.

Other holiday episodes include Cinco De Mayo, composed and performed by Hispanic composer duo Tiffany Joy and Maqui Reyes, Hanukkah and a Lunar New Year Dragon Dance.

Family matters

Family structure is also highlighted through Babble Bop!’s characters. From same-sex parenting, multigenerational living, and single-parent households, the team hopes families also see themselves represented on TV.

“We want to show that not all families look the same, and there are so many wonderful things to celebrate through differences,” says Mohajer. “Anywhere from having a twin brother, to having a mixed-race family, to having Grandma move in, or having two dads or a single mom.”

Team effort

Mohajer says the diversity reflected in the Babble Bop! team is what makes the show feel so genuine. “Having a diverse team of producers, actors, composers, and artists allows us to tell diverse stories in an authentic way. We have a wealth of knowledge and resources of people available to us who can consult on sensitive matters.”

Christine Thompson, Head of Animation Production, mentions how women and BIPOC are leaders of the show. “Key roles at all stages of production are filled by BIPOC and women team members,” says Thompson. “These roles include the Producer, Assistant Director, Production Manager, Assistant Production Manager, Composers, Vocalists, Motion Capture Production Manager, Movement Director, Motion Capture Actors, model, texture and rigging artists, storyboard artist, layout artist, animators, technical staff and our editor.”

All in all, the importance of diversity inside and outside media should be a common practice across children, teen and adult television. “I strongly believe that everyone needs to see themselves reflected in the media that they consume in an authentic way,” says Mohajer. “We hope that our preschool audience can celebrate diversity through song and dance, the way our cast is depicted throughout the entire show.”

Babble Bop! Season 2 is set to debut on May 4th, exclusively on Peacock.

The growing popularity of virtual production

Why consider virtual production?

Unlimited production possibilities
Create big productions with smaller and/or remote teams
Reduced production costs, overall
It’s a medium that supports movies, television, advertising, and animation

Article Summary

This article explains some of the benefits of virtual production and why using these technologies are becoming so popular.

The entertainment industry is no stranger to virtual production. Popular television shows like The Mandalorian and well-received movies like Avatar are prime examples of how entertainment is using this new technology to their advantage.

The virtual production world is not exclusive to movies or streaming giants. Creative agencies, and even influencers can take advantage of what virtual production has to offer, even if you start with a simple iPhone app.

Production savings

“When you compare virtual production to a traditional pipeline,” Says Justin Cathcart, Head of Virtual Production Services at Dark Slope. “More of the costs are upfront costs for pre-production.”

Upfront there are costs for elements such as virtual sets and characters, and these costs can be low if you leverage assets that are already created. Luckily, you can create and even re-use these elements such as sets at any time without having to travel anywhere to find what you’re looking for, eliminating additional travel costs.

Christine Thompson, Head of Animation at Dark Slope, explains why production is so much quicker using virtual production techniques compared to keyframe animation.

“Real-time rendering with motion capture allows us to see animated characters in sets, moving in real time early in the production process,” says Thompson. “We are able to see exactly what the show will look like and can solve problems earlier, as well as being able to animate in less time with less overhead.”

A more intimate setting

Along with reduced production timelines, price drops come with smaller team sizes.

“[Virtual production] gives us so much more power than we had before. It allows for rapid iteration, we can easily adjust cameras and other significant elements,” says Thompson. “Before these tools, revising and re-rendering a scene would take a long time and be very costly to the production.”

Creativity breeds innovation

“Nobody wants to be the first to try something out,” Says Cathcart. “Producers and directors need virtual production technologies to be bullet proof, and I feel like we’ve [Dark Slope] done that.” Series like Dark Slope’s Babble Bop! created for NBC Universal, make their mark and show what’s possible using the most fitting cutting-edge technology to bring a show’s vision to life.

Recently, Dark Slope and Immersion Room have teamed up to create a one-stop shop for all virtual production projects— allowing both studios to support creatives in Toronto and worldwide.

Studios can enter the virtual production world whether they have pre-existing projects or not.

“If you’re already a series that has pre-existing assets, we can bring those in and get them ready for virtual production,” says Cathcart. “Since sets are virtual, we can have creative teams go on virtual scouts together to pick locations. Everyone sees the final product before we even start shooting. It’s a fantastic way for everybody to have a voice and see their creative vision come to life.”

Dark Slope and Immersion Room Collaborate to Bring Revolutionary Virtual Production Solution to Toronto

TORONTO, Canada (February 2, 2023) – Dark Slope and Immersion Room have joined forces to revolutionize virtual production for studios and agencies with their all-in-one solution. The collaboration brings together Dark Slope’s 2000 square foot motion capture stage, its team of game engine artists, technologists, and storytellers together with Immersion Room’s 6500 square foot Toronto studio featuring an 800 square foot LED volume using their leading edge virtual production LED-volume ecosystem.

The Dark Slope and Immersion Room news is a game-changer for the Toronto screen industry, a top five market in North America with limited LED volume studio spaces. It sets the stage for limitless possibilities in TV and film production, advertising content and more. The all-in-one solution leverages best-in-class virtual production technology which allows for essentially any story world, character, and effect to come to life, in real time.

The benefits of this collaboration go beyond the local market, as studios and agencies can also contribute to virtual production sessions remotely through real-time remote collaboration tools. “The combination of Dark Slope’s powerhouse teams with Immersion Room’s premiere studio facilities enables us to make previously impossible production possible” shares Justin Cathcart, Head of Virtual Production at Dark Slope. “The resulting content output is of the highest broadcast-ready quality, and our proprietary Flex KS Pipeline dramatically improves the efficiency of the production workflow, and even enables remote directing. This efficiency means that these advanced virtual production capabilities are now more accessible and affordable for a wider range of creators. We’re excited to support the growing demand for virtual production in Toronto and beyond.”

The combined workflow resulting from the Dark Slope and Immersion Room collaboration also unlocks opportunities for innovative story creation tools to be developed for the expanding virtual production market. Dark Slope developed its remote-enabled, motion capture and Unreal-engine Flex KS pipeline while working on a production for NBCUniversal, and now other creators will be able to realize its benefits. Immersion Room’s R&D arm restructured LED volume technology to be filmmaker-first and continues to remove restrictions that most filmmakers do not initially expect. This work is enabling the use of tools and techniques that were extremely difficult inside LED volumes in the past, beginning with the use of any camera, and continuing with hand-held, slow-motion, multiple cameras, and more.

“I love that moment when our clients realize that their dreams aren’t just possible, but that they can dream bigger. Teaming up with Dark Slope gives me a taste of that too! Together, we’ll do more than ever with motion-capture and real-time rendering for in-camera VFX”, says Immersion Room’s General Manager, Tanya Stemberger. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we do with the tools and skills we have, but I’m especially excited for the inspiration for further innovation our projects will spark. Together, we’ll be finding and smashing barriers to storytelling with Virtual Production.

Dark Slope is an entertainment company with a singular focus to make the impossible – possible. With advanced motion capture and virtual production technologies, Dark Slope develops genre defining television programs and unforgettable immersive games for clients and partners including Dave & Busters, Hasbro, Epic Games, NBCUniversal, Wildbrain, Nickelodeon International, TVOntario, WarnerMedia, Zero Latency and Hologate. Visit https://darkslope.com/ to learn more.

Immersion Room Inc (IR) is a Virtual Production (VP) company with a mission to remove barriers to storytelling with VP by using deep understanding and continuous development of the technology. Immersion Room sells VP technology, VP studio designs and builds, and staffs IR-ecosystem LED-stage studios to provide pre-production and on-set services for VP. The combination of knowledgeable and skilled service staff with a strong R&D team has enabled Immersion Room’s diverse clientele to do more with VP in an LED volume, at price-points that most productions can afford.

Little Engine taps Dark Slope as their virtual service production partner for a unique CGI puppet animation workflow

TORONTO, Canada (January 30, 2023) – Dark Slope and Little Engine Moving Pictures are collaborating on a unique virtual production process that integrates Dark Slope’s advanced motion capture techniques into Little Engine’s innovative puppetry/animation hybrid process, developed by creator, showrunner and animator Ben Mazzotta. This workflow is currently in production for an upcoming Little Engine Moving Pictures preschool series.

“Dark Slope’s expertise is truly elevating our animated series through virtual production” shares Maria Kennedy, owner and EP at Little Engine Moving Pictures. “Our characters and world evolved significantly, from us puppeteering marionettes against green screen with motion-tracked faces animated in post, to real actors embodying our characters through high quality motion capture. The transformation to 3D animated characters in our 2D animated world is a real game changer.”

This method benefits the quality and speed of the production, while also being more cost effective. It allows for the team to plan and iterate on how the story is told and make dynamic adjustments with the actors as they record the animation in real time. This also allows for near-final looks of the animation’s action to take place far earlier than with traditional productions.

“It is such a pleasure to work with the creative team at Little Engine Moving Pictures to help realize their vision,” shares Christine Thompson, Head of Animation Production at Dark Slope. “Dark Slope has a talented team with the know-how to match the right virtual production technology and techniques with the specific vision of the show – from motion capture for animation, to LED volume for live action content.”

Dark Slope is an entertainment company with a singular focus to make the impossible – possible. With advanced motion capture and virtual production technologies, Dark Slope develops genre defining television programs and unforgettable immersive games for their original IP, co-productions and clients. Dark Slope is recognized as a Realscreen Trailblazer for their impact on the scripted and unscripted industries (2023), and as a North America Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ (2022) and Canadian Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ (2022) company. Visit https://darkslope.com/ to learn more.

Little Engine Moving Pictures is a Canadian entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes original, innovative TV series and interactive content for an international audience of Kids and Family. Little Engine’s partners include TVO, Knowledge, CBC, Shaw Rocket Fund, Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates, TFO, Radio-Canada, ABC, Hop TV, SuperRTL, V-Me, Muslim Kids TV, and Daekyo. Little Engine’s distribution library includes Cutie Pugs, Now You Know, Canada Crew, The Picco Incident; The Gumboot Kids, I Love, Baby Baby, Space Kids and Run Jump Play by Imagine Create Media; Dino Powers by Dofala Studios, and Smack Dab In the Middle of the Day Show by Mango Moon Productions. Visit https://www.littleengine.tv to learn more.

Dark Slope and Lumeto Recognized as the Only Canadian Spatial Technologies-Focused Companies on North America’s Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and Canada’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50™

DARK SLOPE AND LUMETO RECOGNIZED AS THE ONLY CANADIAN SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES-FOCUSED COMPANIES ON NORTH AMERICA’S DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 500™ AND CANADA’S DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 50™

TORONTO, Nov. 16th. 2022 —Dark Slope and Lumeto, subsidiaries of Spatial Industries Group Inc., today announced they are ranked #15 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ™ in Canada and #80 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ™ in North America.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ranks the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America, now in its 28^th year. Dark Slope and Lumeto are the only Canadian spatial technology-focused companies on the list. The Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and Deloitte Technology Fast 50™recognize the fastest-growing technology companies with the highest percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021.

Dark Slope and Lumeto were founded on a vision rooted in leveraging spatial technologies to create compelling new forms of entertainment and education. Co-Founder and Chair Raja Khanna commented “We are proud to have assembled such an incredible global team of spatial technology experts and creative leaders. Our team has built unique, market-defining technology and content using its expertise in game engines, VR, immersive gaming, TV and virtual production. We are determined to create the next generation of entertainment at Dark Slope, and to revolutionize healthcare education at Lumeto. Neither of which is a small task!”

Dark Slope and Lumeto collaborations have helped to accelerate their growth. Dark Slope continues to develop television and immersive games for distribution through broadcast TV, OTT and location based entertainment channels including NBC Peacock, Wildbrain, Nickelodeon International, TVOntario, Warnersmedia, Dave & Busters and more. Lumeto’s InvolveXR platform is currently being used by several healthcare institutions including hospital systems, nursing schools, medical schools and the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) for Difficult Airway Management training. CHEST also conducted an IRB-approved study to evaluate the efficacy and ease of use of this training across three institutions – Mayo Clinic, NYU and Wake Forest- with significant results in knowledge improvement.

“As the demand for creating previously impossible entertainment and education experiences expands, we are poised for further growth” shared Khanna. “Our investors including MaRS IAF, Slaight Communications, TELUS Ventures, Graphite Ventures, Golden Ventures, Radical Ventures and Globalive Capital Inc., are helping us set the stage to have an even greater impact”

“This year’s Technology Fast 500 list is a true reflection of some of today’s most determined and inspiring pioneers who have prospered by anticipating what’s next, understanding what’s needed to succeed and driving creativity forward,” said Christie Simons, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte’s audit and assurance practice. “Representing all facets of technology, the winners have shown they not only have the vision but can also expertly manage their companies through rapid growth. We congratulate each winner on their impressive achievements.”

About Dark Slope – a subsidiary of Spatial Industries Group

Dark Slope is an entertainment company with a singular focus to make the impossible – possible. With advanced motion capture, biometric and virtual production technologies, Dark Slope develops genre defining television programs and unforgettable immersive games for clients and partners including Dave & Busters, Hasbro, Epic Games, NBC Peacock, Wildbrain, Nickelodeon International, TVOntario, Warnersmedia, Zero Latency and Hologate. Visit https://darkslope.com/ to learn more.

About Lumeto – a subsidiary of Spatial Industries Group

Lumeto enables effective healthcare training through its flexible and advanced XR simulation and skills assessment platform, Involve XR. The platform enables healthcare institutions looking to deploy data-driven, enterprise-grade, immersive training and assessment across their programs and learner groups. The company currently operates across the health care and safety fields, enhancing learning outcomes tied to individual and team decision-making, problem-solving, de-escalation and complex procedures. Lumeto is on the cutting edge of XR and as a two time EPIC mega grant recipient drives enhanced levels of learner assessment and benchmarking, providing educators and learners the ability to learn in live, synchronous or asynchronous, immersive learning environments independently or as an interprofessional group. Lumeto is based in Toronto, Canada, and employs a global workforce. Visit www.lumeto.com to learn more.

About the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™

Now in its 28^th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

About the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 50™

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program is Canada’s pre-eminent technology awards program. Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, the program recognizes business growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship in four distinct categories: Technology Fast 50 ranking, Enterprise Fast 15, Clean Technology, and Companies-to-Watch. The program also recognizes companies within the North American Technology Fast 500 ranking, identifying thriving technology companies in the United States and Canada. The 2022 program sponsors include Deloitte, RBCx, Osler, EDC, CBRE, Vector Institute, Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), Clarity Recruitment, Lafond, and TMX. For further information, visit www.fast50.ca.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

Media Contact:
Laura Mingail
Archetypes & Effects
laura@archetypesandeffects.com

DARK SLOPE SECURES $1.7M CAD IN TRIPLE INVESTMENT FROM XSOLLA, CANADA MEDIA FUND AND ONTARIO CREATES TO DEVELOP A BLOCKBUSTER VR BRAWLER GAME

Leveraging initial seed money from Xsolla’s Funding Club, Dark Slope was awarded additional support from Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Ontario Creates for the production of “Monster Bash Block Party,” the ultimate VR kaiju simulator

18 August 2022 (TORONTO, ON) – Dark Slope, the Toronto-based virtual production and metaverse gaming company, announces that it will be developing a new virtual reality game title following financial support through international video game commerce company Xsolla’s Funding Club. The $1.7 million CAD funding will support the development of a Kaiju fantasy fulfilment brawler entitled Monster Bash Block Party, in addition to other unannounced titles. Through initial backing from Xsolla, Dark Slope has today announced additional funding secured from both Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Ontario Creates.

In Monster Bash Block Party, players find themselves as Kaiju rampaging across immersive cityscapes. As they move throughout the multiple landscapes within the game, players will engage with the city around them, picking up buildings, vehicles and infrastructure to fend off the swathes of humans trying to take them down. Each Kaiju is also outfitted with its own unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as special abilities such as energy beams, stuns and lightning to resist human defences. On top of this, monsters all around the globe can also battle each other, in Monster Bash Block Party’s one-on-one Monster Fight mode.

As an independent developer, Xsolla has committed to support Dark Slope in its production process from concept through to post-launch. The titles have received the support of Xsolla’s Funding Club following a thorough review of the game’s pitch, playtesting, and reviewing their commercial potential predicated on unique gameplay and opportunity within the VR market. The game was then presented to one of the games industry’s largest pool of investors and publishers through the Funding Club.

Following this success, Dark Slope went on to secure additional support from CMF, a partnership between the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian cable industry, which supports the creation of original content from Canadian creatives including video games titles Dead by Daylight and Outward. Dark Slope was also awarded funds from Ontario Creates, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for the province, which catalyses the production of content across a number of sectors, including digital media. Through financial support, programs, services and partnerships, Ontario Creates aims to build the region’s capacity to develop award-winning media.

Production of Monster Bash Block Party is the latest in a number of major developments for Dark Slope, including the recent launch of an immersive location-based entertainment (LBE) simulator experience with branching narratives based on the Transformers IP. This service project was produced for VRStudios for North American entertainment chain Dave & Buster’s. Dark Slope has developed a series of other exciting VR single player and multiplayer titles including The Ultimate Obstacle Course which will be presented at Xsolla’s booth at Gamescom later this month.

Dan Fill, President of Dark Slope comments, “If you like Rampage, you will love this game! Monster Bash is a fantastic, satisfying VR experience. Working with Xsolla the past few months has been amazing. They are a truly great partner with insight and excellent feedback. We are also extremely grateful for CMF and Ontario Creates for supporting this exciting title. We can’t wait to share it with publishers at Gamescom.”

Lawrence Mien, Director of Partner Experience at Xsolla comments, “Having looked through Dark Slope’s pitch and testing out gameplay potential, we’re excited to see how Monster Bash Block Party turns out! Canada is the world’s third most important hub in game development, and we’re proud to have been able to support independent studios alongside CMF and Ontario Creates in the funding and commercial scalability of their games. ”

Eyal Kleiner, Dark Slope’s Head of Business and Corporate Development, and Stephen Bosco, Dark Slope’s Senior Art Director will be present at the upcoming Gamescom from 24-28 August in Cologne, Germany. For those interested in speaking with Bosco and Kleiner about upcoming projects like Monster Bash Block Party at Gamescom, please contact darkslope@swiperightpr.com to book a meeting.

About Dark Slope
Founded in 2018, Dark Slope pushes the boundaries of multi-sensory entertainment center spectacles, virtual reality experiences, immersive games, and motion capture-driven virtual production for television. From its 8000 square foot studio, Dark Slope leverages its warehouse-scale virtual production stage with proprietary pipeline, tools, workflows and game-engine technology in order to bring stories to life in new ways. Based in Toronto, and with a global workforce, Dark Slope combines advanced technologies with compelling storytelling to reimagine the future of entertainment. Visit https://darkslope.com/ to learn more.

About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla’s mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in Berlin, Seoul, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Twitch, Roblox, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more.

For additional information and to learn more, please visit xsolla.com

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DARK SLOPE’S LEADERSHIP TEAM TO ATTEND KIDSCREEN THIS MONTH

Dan Fill and Christine Thompson to Represent the Innovative Virtual Production Studio at the Leading Kids’ Entertainment Conference

07 JULY 2022 (TORONTO, ON) – Dark Slope, the Toronto-based virtual production and metaverse gaming company, is thrilled to announce the attendance of key executive members at Kidscreen this year. For the duration of the event, running from Monday, July 18 to Thursday, July 21 in Miami, President of Dark Slope Dan Fill, and Head of Animation Production Christine Thompson will be on-site to speak with potential partners.

“As Dark Slope continues to grow and diversify, Kids’ animation production remains at the core of what we offer. With Babble Bop returning for its second season, and many more shows in the pipeline we are excited to discuss the cutting edge of virtual production with our friends in the industry,” said Dan Fill, President, Dark Slope.

Christine Thompson has led production on Babble Bop, recently having been promoted to Head of Animation at the company, overseeing CG-animated series, motion capture projects and asset prep for immersive projects in Unreal Engine.

For partners interested in booking a meeting with Dan Fill or Christine Thompson to discuss potential partnerships, contact Rakhee Sapra at rakhee.sapra@darkslope.com.

Kidscreen Summit is the leading global market and conference for the children’s media industry, bringing together creators, buyers and distributors of children’s programming for meaningful pitching and networking.

Founded in 2018, Dark Slope pushes the boundaries of multi-sensory entertainment center spectacles, virtual reality experiences, immersive games, and motion capture-driven virtual production for television. From its 8000 square foot studio, Dark Slope Studios leverages its warehouse-scale virtual production stage with proprietary pipeline, tools, workflows and game-engine technology in order to bring world class creative properties to life. Based in Toronto, and with a global workforce, Dark Slope Studios combines advanced technologies with compelling storytelling to reimagine the future of entertainment. Visit https://darkslope.com/ to learn more.

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DARK SLOPE PROMOTES CHRISTINE THOMPSON TO HEAD OF ANIMATION PRODUCTION AS THE COMPANY EXPANDS ITS VIRTUAL PRODUCTION SCOPE

Thompson becomes Head of Animation Production at Dark Slope after joining the company in 2018, with over 17 years of experience in animation production. She oversees high profile animated television series and interactive projects.

30 JUNE 2022 (TORONTO, ON) — Dark Slope, the Toronto-based virtual production and metaverse gaming company, today announces the promotion of Christine Thompson to Head of Animation Production. After leading production on the hit Peacock childrens’ TV series Babble Bop!, recently renewed for its second season, Christine will continue to play a vital role in the evolution of Dark Slope’s virtual animation production pipeline.

Joining the company in 2018 as a producer, Christine has overseen 3D animation and motion capture animation projects, as well as asset preparation for immersive projects in Unreal Engine. She has worked on multiple projects including Babble Bop! on Peacock, Secret Locations’ Waking Wonderland immersive AR experience, and Nickelodeon’s Ready Set Dance 2 among many others.

Before Dark Slope, her impressive portfolio includes award winning productions such as Total Drama: Pahkitew Island, which won best Kids 2-11 Series at the 2015 Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards, as well as household staples Clifford the Big Red Dog, Nickelodeon’s Bunsen is a Beast, and Fairly Odd Parents.

This appointment comes as Dark Slope continues to expand its digital production portfolio, emerging as a leading producer of kids’ animation in Canada, alongside continued growth in the virtual reality and gaming sectors.

Christine Thompson, Head of Animation Production at Dark Slope comments: “It has been an incredible experience working with such talented people, building the company from the ground level and making our name at the cutting edge of virtual production technology. There is so much potential still to unlock, and we can’t wait to show the world what’s next!”

Dan Fill, President of Dark Slope Studios comments: “As Dark Slope continues to expand and diversify its virtual production portfolio, Christine has been doing incredible work growing and supporting our Animation projects since day one. We’re absolutely delighted to see her continue to lead and grow the team, as we fulfil our great ambitions for Dark Slope going forward.”

Christine will be in attendance at Kidscreen Summit 2022, from July 18th – 21st alongside the Dark Slope team. Please reach out to darkslope@swiperightpr.com if you would like to book a meeting with anyone at the team.

Media Contacts
Rakhee Sapra
(905) 334-3516
rakhee.sapra@darkslope.com

DARK SLOPE TO HOST UNREAL ENGINE & FRIENDS MEETUP AT TORONTO HEADQUARTERS

Happening in-person for the first time in two years at Dark Slope’s Toronto office, attendees will hear from Epic Games and Pixomondo on Unreal Engine 5 and virtual production.

27 MAY 2022 (TORONTO, ON) – Dark Slope, the Toronto-based virtual production and metaverse gaming company, is hosting the 15th Unreal Engine and Friends Toronto meetup next week on 31 May 2022 from 7:00pm. Taking place in-person for the first time in two years at Dark Slope’s Toronto headquarters, the meetup will see speakers from Epic Games and Pixomondo showcasing the monumental leaps in virtual production being enabled by Unreal Engine 5.

Hosted in Dark Slope’s office located on Sterling Road, the Unreal Engine and Friends meetup will offer opportunities for those in virtual production and gaming professionals in the Toronto area to connect and share their work with industry. Across two hours, attendees will gain insight into the capabilities of virtual production’s applications in entertainment, as well as the trajectory of advancement taking place in game engine software.

Joe Finlayson, a business development manager from Epic Games, will be sharing a presentation on Unreal Engine 5, focusing on the broader engine updates as well as its applications for media and entertainment. The virtual art department (VAD) team from visual effects company Pixomondo will then share insight into their recent work using virtual production on Discovery, and the subsequent spinoff Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Ben Unsworth of Dark Slope comments, “We’re looking forward to the return of in-person Unreal Engine & Friends meetup, a place for Toronto’s game development and virtual production communities to connect and share learnings. The purpose of the ‘& Friends’ part of our meetup is to include all of the interconnected disciplines and skills that surround an Unreal Engine centric workflow – which is to say – tell your modelling, animating, lighting, writing, level designing, camera operating, technical artist, programming, DevOps, and game design friends that want to hear the latest news surround the creative suite that is UE5.”

Spaces are limited, and those interested in attending the meetup can reserve their spot here. Attendees who are interested in exhibiting their work on a laptop or VR headset at the meetup can reach out to ben.unsworth@lumeto.com to discuss set up requirements.

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Media Contacts
Rakhee Sapra
(905) 334-3516
rakhee.sapra@darkslope.com

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