This document outlines lessons learned from various creative projects. It discusses what worked, such as promoting new forms of storytelling and engaging super fans, and what failed, like losing users at sign-in steps and not planning for project maintenance. Interactive theater projects showed people want agency and to experience everything through multiple viewings. However, the experience needs to clearly communicate what it is. Hackathon models can work to quickly prototype projects but the code may not be suitable for production. Social media engagement and usability of interactivity are also important.
6. WHAT WORKED
‣ Promoting a new form (“social film”) as opposed to just a project
!
‣ Him, Her and Them was covered in Fast Company and other publications
!
‣ Pulling people’s photos into the narrative really freaked them out, that was
the “special sauce”
7. WHERE WE FAILED
‣ Video doesn’t want to be in a box, looks like a stamp and is not cinematic
‣ Lost half of our audience at the Facebook connect button - should have
placed more experience before forcing user to Facebook connect
‣ Gave users too many options to interact, after 3 or 4 opportunities they
didn’t engage
‣ Didn’t plan for success - we weren’t able to bring this audience to our next
project
‣ Didn’t plan for ongoing support and sunsetting project
‣ Missed the special sauce
8.
9. WHAT WORKED
‣ User Generated Content program engaged with “super fans” and gave
them something to share and promote
!
‣ Social Music Video premiered on Rolling Stone - a first for the band
‣ Created a special poignant video that could be personalized
10. WHERE WE FAILED
‣ Created a tool that only true super fans used - what about casual fans or
new fans?
!
‣ Despite clear instructions users still uploaded garbage - could only use
about 30% of the photos that were uploaded
11.
12. LIVE IMMERSIVE / INTERACTIVE THEATER EVENT
‣ ACT 1 - Non-linear exploration, like a carnival or party
!
‣ ACT 2 - Live Theater performance of secretive cult ritual with audience
agency
‣ ACT 3 - Interactive Feature Film that responds to the audience.
16. WHAT WORKED
‣ The audience wants to play, they want agency
!
‣ Each run is an incubator for testing new ideas, highly iterative
‣ Unique business model for a film - theater licensing model
‣ Games as interface on fictional world
‣ People want to come back, multiple viewings to experience everything
‣ Designed for groups - with various levels of interaction
17. WHERE WE FAILED
‣ Better communicate to the audience WHAT EXACTLY this experience is
!
‣ “Where’s the movie?”
‣ Still seeking a non-intrusive method to add interactivity to a cinema
experience
!
!
18.
19. WHAT WORKED
‣ Hackathon model works!
!
‣ Prototype created in POV Hackathon, project launch 2 months later,
selected to be in Tribeca Film Festival 2 months afterwards.
!
‣ Much larger audience exposed to the story (tens of thousands for the
online component vs. hundreds for the film)
‣ Seasonal release/episodes worked to re-engage people
‣ Linear audio with non-linear image slideshow/interactive experience
works
‣ Aatsinki Perspective in Finnish helped support it was their perspective
20. WHERE WE FAILED
‣ Social media must engage
!
‣ Don’t use Hackathon code for production - start over
!
!
!
25. LESSONS LEARNED SUMMARY
‣ Web video wants to be full screen/bleed
!
‣ Make interactivity special, limited and important
!
‣ Plan for success
‣ Plan for support/maintenance and project sunsetting
‣ Give context to new types/forms of narrative experience
‣ Social media must engage
‣ Don’t use hackathon code for production