Virtually real

Many of them were contestants of a virtual idol show, Dimension Nova, a "next-generation TV talent show for virtual contestants only", held by iQiyi in November 2020 to introduce the culture to a wider audience. The show generated hot hashtags that have been viewed more than 1.2 billion times in two months on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo.

Before joining the virtual idol studio, Lu worked as an agent for real-life celebrities. Her current job, she says, is a new concept for those from traditional entertainment sectors.

"We have to set up unique personality and write stories for each of these avatars to cater to their targeted audiences," Lu says.

D.M is a virtual band comprising twin "siblings" Damian and Millie. Damian has been created to be a warmhearted, handsome rapper who loves his sister very much, while Millie is cool and a talented street dancer.

The duo, rendered using motion capture technology and computer graphics, performed at an arts festival held in June in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, which attracted more than 300 artists from various sectors.

Damian and Millie performed four pieces every night during the festival. Their images were projected onto a big screen and they interacted with the audience, inviting them to dance together and actually teaching them some moves.