Kinetix is a start-up that was supported by the TF1 MediaLab at the Station F campus in 2020. The fledgling Paris-based venture has since raised $11 million to develop a platform that transforms 2D video into 3D animations, by using deep learning algorithms to create avatars. The collaboration has paid off: in December 2022, Kinetix deployed its expertise in linking TV shows to the metaverse with the launch of “Next Dancer”, a Web3 dance game platform inhabiting the universe around the flagship “Danse avec les Stars” licence.

Dance is at the heart of a move into NFTs

Kinetix offers dance fans a trip to the metaverse with “Next Dancer”, a dance-off platform where you can “dance with the stars”. This video game, imagined in conjunction with TF1 Licensing, uses Kinetix’s 3D motion capture technology. Players can collect iconic dance steps from the TF1 show, and buy exclusive moves in the form of NFTs. The aim: build your own dance routines to compete with other players. This video game, co-produced by Next Dancer and Kinetix, marks TF1 Licensing’s first steps into NFTs, in the universe around “Danse avec les Stars” – a programme brand screened in more than 42 countries.

During its time in the TF1 MediaLab accelerator program in 2020, Kinetix made its technology available to the TF1 news desk, facilitating the integration of 3D animations into studio bulletins.