South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are getting deep into the “deepfake” business.
The pair have spun out a new company called Deep Voodoo from their Park County holding firm, hoping to create a new platform for artists, creators, producers and others in the industry to incorporate deepfake technology into their work.
Deep Voodoo has raised $20 million in a new funding round led by Connect Ventures, the joint partnership between CAA and VC firm New Enterprise Associates.
Deepfakes use 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, in which it was used to parody Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, among others. Kendrick Lamar also used Deep Voodoo technology in a music video this year.
“We stumbled upon this amazing technology and ended up recruiting the best deepfake artists in the world,” said Stone in a statement. “We are psyched to share their brilliance with the Hollywood creative community.”
Added Michael Blank of Connect Ventures, “Deep Voodoo has established itself as a leading synthetic media technology platform that has already impacted traditional entertainment. Deep Voodoo uses artificial intelligence to support productions in innovative ways that are faster and more cost-effective than traditional VFX technology.”
While Deep Voodoo began as part of Park County (which houses South Park, musical The Book of Mormon, the Casa Bonita restaurant and other projects), it is being spun out as its own entity, with the Connect Ventures fundraising round being its first external financing.