Deep Voodoo, the new company of “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, has raised $20 million in a new funding campaign through Connect Ventures — the partnership between CAA and VC firm New Enterprise Associates.
The pair’s AI entertainment startup, under their Park County holding firm, aims to contribute to the incorporation of deep fake technology — the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to change character faces — into the entertainment industry through creation of a new platform for artists, creators, producers and others to explore the developing processes.
Parker and Stone have previously used deep fake technology in their web series “Sassy Justice” to parody Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump and other public figures.
Deep Voodoo’s work also appeared earlier this year in Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5” music video.
“We stumbled upon this amazing technology and ended up recruiting the best deepfake artists in the world,” Stone said in a statement. “We are psyched to share their brilliance with the Hollywood creative community.”
Deep Voodoo began under the Park County umbrella alongside “South Park,” “The Book of Mormon” musical and the Casa Bonita restaurant. Connect Ventures’ latest round of financing marks the VFX studio’s first external source of funding.
“Deep Voodoo has established itself as a leading synthetic media technology platform that has already impacted traditional entertainment,” said Connect Ventures’ Michael Blank, who also serves as head of consumer investments at CAA. “Deep Voodoo uses artificial intelligence to support productions in innovative ways that are faster and more cost-effective than traditional VFX technology.”
Variety first reported the news.