Last year I developed and produced an Alternate Reality Game for Microsoft The Netherlands together with Indie and game designers Bas Haas and Jelte van der Maat.
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Interview with Tim Kring, creator of Heroes and Knight Rider. He talks about Alternate Reality Games and Transmedia production.
I've been back for a bit in Amsterdam working on my new job since being at the DLD conference in Munich. Gabe Bauer and I got to go there and make some more videos this year. They've been published on the DLD site and I'll be adding more of the next days. However, I usually get to have one really great interview with someone I really admire at the DLD. This year I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Kring. Tim Kring is the creator of the popular tv series "Heroes". The number one illegally downloaded show. But he doesn't get to pissed at me when I admit that in the interview. But Tim does talk about the trans media approach to creating Heroes. From TV to websites to mobile and Alternate Reality Games planned for June in England. And of course his favorite super power he would like to have. Enjoy the interview!
Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)
Many people wonder how Viral Campaigning works. Many beleive that all you have to do is make a funny video woth a cat and that will spread the message. Sorry, that was about 2-3 years ago. The truth is nowadays you have to create a Multi Media Alternate Reality Game. Otherwise known as an ARG. There are puzzles spread over the internet, areas to communicate with other players, real world phone calls and emails. This is how you create a Viral. Not just a 30 sec. clip but an allround Media experience, puzzle and immersion. These are the types of projects that my students have been developing over the last few years. One of the first of my DVTG students created on his own, with no budget, an alternate reality game that spread from temples in Thailand, lockers in London, phone calls from New York and the Vatican. Using the tools available all over the internet with free sites, this is how Alternate Reality Games are spread. Below we see a video of the Dark Night Campaign, and there are 2 of the Transformers virals that were spread. Those videos spread from the transformers is called, "The Rabbit Hole". Or the first video trigger that leads one into the Alternate Reality Game.
I really loved the new campaign that Universal Music Group has put out. It starts with a segment from Lady GaGa "Poker Face". When you see the video on youtube it explains very easily that you must try to play the game. What is the game?
Watch 20 sec. of Universal Music Videos of artists and answer a trivia question of what you saw.
There are some great roots in the Viral and I suspect that the agency saw some viral hits like this awareness test video.
Test Your Awareness: Do The Test
Did you enjoy that? UMG feels it can capitalize on that idea and sell records. Great, do it. However It would be a HELL of a lot easier to spread this if they allowed people to at least embed the first video (the entry level) onto thier blogs, facebooks, etc. I'll put it in old school marketing terms for ya UMG so you understand. The first video in this sequence of interactively linked Youtube videos which create a game needs to have a point of entry. Not just people search Lady GAGA on youtube. Allow the mebed and it turns into an old school banner! You will not endanger the copyright more, you will not be loosing out. You will gain by opening up. Of course I admit I am proud of you for taking these first steps. Very good, you have your training wheels on now. Time for dad to take them off and push you down the hill. What are you afraid you will get hurt UMG?
