What Do the Judges and the Audience See on Alter Ego?

‘Alter Ego‘ is a reality series featuring a unique format that allows the contestants to leave behind their inhibitions and display their singing talents. Thus, the judges are able to evaluate the contestants only on the merit of their performances. To facilitate the transparency of the process, the show resorts to the use of CGI avatars that appear in front of the judges and studio audience while the contestants perform backstage. The nerve-racking and entertaining format will undoubtedly make viewers question its intricacies. If you are wondering whether the judges and the audience see the exact same thing as viewers at home, here’s everything you need to know!

What Do the Judges and the Audience See on Alter Ego?

In ‘Alter Ego’ contestants from all walks of life compete against each other for a chance to win a grand prize of $100,000. During their performance, the participants are actually backstage. They are dressed in a motion capture suit that records all their movements and voice. These are then emulated by their digital counterparts, which appear on the stage. These digital avatars are CGI creations known as Alter Egos. Each contestant’s alter ego is designed based on their personality and life choices.

The avatars help to mask the participants’ real identity from the judges and live studio audience, who play an essential role in deciding which contestants move to the next round and who are eliminated. Due to the CGI nature of the avatars requiring a level of visual effects, it is evident that the judges and audience aren’t actually seeing the avatars on stage.

However, viewers at home can enjoy the full performance as it takes place in real-time. So, how are the judges and studio audience able to experience the performances and make their assessment? The answer is simple. Just like the viewers at home, the judges and audience members also watch the performances on the screens. They even interact with the contestants’ avatars through their screens.

A number of monitors are installed in the studio and below the judges’ desks; that is where the CGI-generated avatars appear. The placement of these screens is done in a way that it looks like the judges and audience are looking at the stage and reacting to the performance in real-time. Therefore, the people present in the studio are essentially watching visual effects aided act on their monitors.

For viewers at home, the footage is supplemented with shots from backstage that give them a look at the contestants as well, while the judges are only able to see the Alter Egos. Only after a particular participant is eliminated, their real identity is revealed to the judges and studio audience. That is when the contestant appears on stage in person for a final performance alongside their avatar, but the latter is only visible on the screens. Typically, throughout the show, the judges and studio audience are merely watching a projection of the participants’ digital counterparts on a screen.

Read More: How Does Alter Ego Show Work? Does Alter Ego Show Use Holograms?