South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are delving into the business of “deep fake”.
The couple founded a new company called Deep Voodoo from their Park County holding company, hoping to create a new platform for artists, creators, producers, and others. industry to incorporate deep fake technology into their work.
Deep Voodoo has raised $20 million in a new funding round led by Connect Ventures, a joint partnership between CAA and VC firm New Enterprise Associates.
Deep fake uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace faces on characters. Stone and Parker previously used the technology in a web series they created called sassy justice, where it was used to parody Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, among others. Kendrick Lamar also used Deep Voodoo technology in a music video earlier this year.
“We discovered this amazing technology by accident and ended up recruiting the best deepfake artists in the world,” Stone said in a statement. “We are delighted to share their excellence with the Hollywood creative community.”
Michael Blank of Connect Ventures adds: “Deep Voodoo has established itself as a leading fusion media technology platform that has impacted traditional entertainment. Deep Voodoo uses artificial intelligence to support production in innovative, faster and more cost-effective ways than traditional VFX technology.”
While Deep Voodoo started out as part of the Park District (where South Park, Book of Mormon musical, restaurant Casa Bonita and other projects), it is being spun off as a separate entity, with the Connect Ventures fundraising round being its first external funding.
