The German television channel ZDF together with gosub launched an interactive version of their detective story Rosa Roth.
One interesting aspect is that they show the complete strucuture of the interactive story in the navigation panel. This is probably not that good for the suspense but it really gives the user a feeling for the interactivity.
When the story splits up into two branches, you can see both of them (one in a bigger frame, the other in a smaller one), which is a little confusing.
Another aspect i like about it are the little information icons on the side. When a new character enters the story you can get some information about him by clicking on this symbol.
The HBO Voyeur Project is an Alternate Reality Game which gives you an inside look on different stories happening in different flats in NYC. There are two interesting facts about the project.
First it’s heavily using spatial montage to show connections between the different stories. There is an option on the website, which shows these connections by highlighting certain flats while dimming others. This technique gives some interesting new options for spatial storytelling.
Second interesting aspect is the marketing claim “Do you like to watch?”. For me it seems like HBO uses the Voyeur Project as an research tool to find out more about coverging media usage of it’s viewers. It’s not only the questions if you like to watch but where (or in which medium) you like to watch.
Get some backgrund information on the project’s blog “The story gets deeper”.
“The HBO Voyeur Project is a collection of multi-media stories that HBO has built around the theme of voyeurism.
See what people do when they think no one is Watching
is the tagline that they have used to describe the experience that starts in the streets of New York City, behind the countless windows that we pass everyday. It comes together in a silent film that will be projected on the side of a building, and extends to the HBO channel, HBO on Demand, and online at HBOVoyeur.com. There are also “artifacts” of the characters everywhere, pieces of story which have been sprinkled around the web and in the real world to heighten the experience for those who like to get involved. However it is experienced in whichever medium, the point of the HBO Voyeur Project is to get the viewer to confront the uncomfortable question: “Do You Like To Watch?”
Link via Bewegungsmelder.
The Little Deviant site is so mean and brutal, I can’t believe that this a marketing campaign of the major car company Scion.
In terms of storytelling it’s an quite interesting site. The setting of the story is intense and the visual appearance really gets you into it. The small games are quite simple but entertaining.
It’s a trend for some years now that computer games get closer to movies in terms of storytelling.
The new GTA IV seems to reach a new level in these terms, the development of the protagonist seems very detailed.
Trailer 2 is out today!
I doubt that there is a single car manufacturer left, who uses no video content on his website. The reasons them to be clear: First, video on the web signalizes progressivity, that’s an image that every car brand wants to radiate. Second, video helps to transfer emotions, to create the atmosphere of the brand.
But here we touch an important issue in car marketing - Cars are products which are situated between two contradictory poles: Yes , cars are very emotional products, customers often buy a certain brand because they think it matches their lifestyle or because a certain status is connected to the car. But the second important issue for buying decisions are the technical facts. Cars are high-technology goods, many customers know the fact sheet of their ‘baby’ by heart.
So which direction to go for car marketing? Emotion or Information?
Many car companies safeguard against this problem with detailed product websites, which list all the technical details of all available models on hundreds of sites. Of course, only ready-to-buy costumers browse these sites and search for detailed information. Video-driven micro-sites have become more and more important to create awareness for new models. But which is the direction to go with these micro-sites? Concentrate on the affective, emotional and entertaining actions of the video? Or integrate some informational parts?
Many car-microsites try to do both: Create entertaining and thrilling stories and integrate some product features into the story. Let’s see some of their approaches:
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (german)
A very nice idea for the new C-Class. A C-Class owner picks up strangers who walk by his car. On the drive it turns out that the unknown passengers know more about the car than the protagonist. Therefore the talk about some of the product features blends harmonically into the story.
Nice usage of split screens (for example different emotions on the faces of the driver and the passengers). Also good interactive parts – on some points the user has to choose between two story path. There is a tight countdown (10 sec.) for this decision, what evokes the users attention.
Audi R8
The success of the Audi-microsite is mostly resulting from its stunning visuals. The sportswagon races over an artificial 3D-track. On some points the movement is freezed and phrases of product features appear. Although the quality of information is quite low, it’s a very subtle integration of product details, not disturbing the atmosphere of the video clip.
The Volvo site is a good example, what web designers can learn from filmmakers. Here, the product features are integrated into the story very well. You have a dramatic story, great acting, suprises, nice photography. On the other hand, the interactive integration into the site is quite poor. You notice easily, that the story has originally been crated as one coherent spot and than has been split up into parts to give it an interactive touch.
A really nice idea of the Volvo site is to have a second storyline by integrating some interviews with the 3 protagonists. All of them have their very own (and very different) view onto what happens. That gives the story an intelligent humoristic atmosphere.
Axe has a new Interactive Video Website online.
It’s beuatifully shot (very raw, digital) and has a very nice fullscreen option. But as many video sites these days it lacks real interactivity. The only choice for the user is to click on “Let the game continue” once in a while. Therefore he story gets boring, because the plot gets repepitive (boy meets girl). What rescues the site from being odd is the very ironic tone know from all Axe campaings.
Hey Everyone! moving web is online! But what is it all about?
about movingweb.
moving web is place to share thoughts about all forms of moving content on the web. As bandwidth keeps growing, the internet will converge with the moving media: film, tv & video.
Therefore the Internet as a textbased information medium seems to be the past – moving web explores the future possibilities of the internet as a more immersive entertainment medium.
We choose a rather broadly based perspective on the theme of motion on the web – Flash Video, Mobile Web, WebTV, Viral Video, Interactive Narration – discussed with the emphasis on how moving content will change the web.
the articles.
Besides the daily posts there will be some deeper obrservations on various moving subjects in the articles section. If you’re interested in writing an article for moving web, get in touch with us.
the people.
moving web is a project of Berlin based CrossMediaDirector Simon Ruschmeyer - working on the interface between classical moving media (film&video) and new interactive forms (web/media art). For more information and project inquiries see his website www.ruschmeyer.org.
Thanks to David Hoffmann for setting up the blog.
so get moving!
Blogging is about exchange. If you’re interested in participating as an author write us an email with a short summary of what you do and what are your interests in the moving web.