VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 7, 2023 / AMPD Ventures Inc. (CSE:AMPD)(OTCQB:AMPDF)(FRA:2Q0) ("AMPD" or the "Company"), a next-generation digital infrastructure provider, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Departure Lounge's immersive VR music video "The Dark VR," co-produced with Monstercat artist WHIPPED CREAM, will be premiered as an official selection in the XR Experience Competition at the highly prestigious South by Southwest® ("SXSW") festival. Visitors will be able to experience the immersive music video at the "The Dark VR" exhibition booth between March 11 and 14, 2023.

This highly innovative mixed reality project is a collaboration between Departure Lounge and Monstercat producer / singer-songwriter WHIPPED CREAM working with rapper and songwriter Jasiah and producer Crimson Child for their genre-bending masterpiece "The Dark," which will appear on her forthcoming EP Someone You Can Count On (March 8, 2023).

Departure Lounge used its volumetric Metastage to capture the artists' performances as photorealistic, digital 3D ‘holograms' which were then brought into beautiful, photorealistic digital 3D environments built by the Departure Lounge creative services team. The ability to shoot holographic performances on ‘digital location' radically enhances the creative options available to artists and production teams while reducing the cost, time, and logistical headaches associated with shooting in real world locations.

A 2D version of "The Dark" music video was released last week on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.

Now "The Dark VR" is set to further elevate the experience as a full 3D reimagination of the music video, utilizing many of the same assets that were captured and built for the 2D version, but enabling fans to immerse themselves completely in the artistry and power of WHIPPED CREAM's creative vision. Next-generation VR immersive storytelling techniques further enhance an emotional story about a toxic relationship, set against a unique and powerful blend of electronic and operatic musical influences.

"The Dark Music Video and The Dark VR projects showcase the studio technologies and creative teams at Departure Lounge coming together in the cohesive way we envisioned when we started the company," said Adam Rogers, VP of Creative & Head of Studio at Departure Lounge and Executive Producer for "The Dark." "It was a thrill to work with WHIPPED CREAM to help her explore the evolution of her amazing creative vision using these new approaches and it's gratifying that a festival of the calibre and prestige of SXSW has chosen to recognize the technical and creative achievement that has gone into this project."

"As a designer at the intersection of emerging tech, I'm excited to work on projects that bring the best from all industries. Working with Departure Lounge and Monstercat on "The Dark" offered this unique experience, collaborating with talents from music production, opera, theater, video game development, and VFX. This is the future of our industry," said Will Selviz, director of "The Dark". "I think volumetric technologies will revolutionize the future of audiovisual content and it's great to have made what we believe is Canada's first volumetrically produced music video together."

Founded in 1987, SXSW, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious Music and Media Conferences and Festivals. SXSW celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture and brings over 150,000 visitors, including industry professionals, creatives, artists, and leading filmmakers, to Austin, Texas every year. This year's SXSW takes place between March 10 and 19, 2023.

Adam Rogers will be available for Mentor Sessions during the SXSW events for those interested in XR, Metaverse and Immersive Storytelling.

About WHIPPED CREAM

Whether on the ice or on the decks, WHIPPED CREAM's talents for expressing herself through music are undeniable. Born in Toronto as Caroline Cecil, she spent her formative years as a competitive figure skater before a fateful accident brought a new passion for production into focus. Now, WHIPPED CREAM is living proof that everything happens for a reason. there is no limit to WHIPPED CREAM's creative ingenuity. Originally debuting "The Dark" at her mind-blowing Coachella set in 2022, WHIPPED CREAM has since been on a streak of major festival plays and headline dates in preparation for her EP tour this spring. Taking the stage at renowned events like Lollapalooza, Tomorrowland, ADE, and Coachella, she's given fans a taste of her dynamic live performances in multiple cities across the US. Sharing art that feels true to herself and this next evolution of her project, 2023 is indisputably the year of WHIPPED CREAM.

For more information, please visit https://www.monstercat.com/artist/whippedcream

About Will Selviz

Will Selviz is an accomplished director with a background in immersive media technologies including 3D animation, VR, AR, and volumetric capture. His work explores themes of belonging and the immigrant experience, drawing inspiration from his Afro-Caribbean heritage and his own childhood memories. Selviz uses tech and design to transport audiences to surreal and thought-provoking worlds, making him a leading figure in immersive storytelling. With a passion for innovation, he is a director to watch for in 2023.

For more information, please visit https://www.willselviz.co/

About Monstercat

Monstercat is one of electronic music's most influential independent record labels. Founded in Waterloo, Canada in 2011, Monstercat has since expanded its global footprint with offices in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Singapore. Backed by passionate employees, driven artists, and the dedication of fans worldwide, Monstercat proves that independent labels have the ability to reshape and reimagine the music industry landscape.

For more information, please visit https://www.monstercat.com/

On behalf of WHIPPED CREAM:

Alexandra Greenberg, Falcon Publicity
Telephone: 213-216-1755
Email: agreenberg@falconpublicity.com

About Departure Lounge Inc.

Departure Lounge Inc. was established in June 2021 to combine the founding team's expertise to capitalize on the massive opportunity represented by the ongoing transition to the Metaverse. The company offers innovative tools and technologies to facilitate access to the Metaverse, a creative services team to help build the Metaverse, and a Web3 consultancy team to monetize the Metaverse. Departure Lounge's main facility occupies over 6,000 sq ft of space at Vancouver's Centre for Digital Media ("CDM") and houses the Metastage Volumetric Capture Stage and Move.ai motion capture rig, alongside its creative services team.

For further information about Departure Lounge Inc., please visit http://www.dlxr.ca. For Media Inquiries, please contact Kajol Bhatia, Telephone: +1 (604) 916-5823, Email: info@dlxr.ca.

About AMPD Ventures Inc.

AMPD Ventures Inc. ("AMPD") is building the world's best suite of tools and technologies for digital content creation and distribution. Through its operating subsidiaries, AMPD Technologies Inc. and Departure Lounge Inc., AMPD is advancing the way that digital content is created and consumed. By combining the power of a high-performance-edge approach to cloud computing with world-leading media production technologies, AMPD enables companies to enter the next era of the internet. The team at AMPD has been leading technological developments within the games and digital media industries for nearly twenty years. AMPD was listed as a public company in 2019. Additional information about the company is available on SEDAR and on our website at http://www.ampd.tech.

For further information about AMPD Ventures Inc., please visit http://www.ampd.tech or contact Neil Simon, CEO, Investor Cubed Inc., Telephone: +1 (647) 258-3310, Email: nsimon@investor3.ca.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

/s/ "Anthony Brown"

Anthony Brown
CEO & Director
AMPD Ventures Inc.
Telephone: +1 (604) 332-3329
Email: ir@ampd.tech

SOURCE: AMPD Ventures Inc.