Kc. details her well-thought-out immersive media project from Rookie Awards 2023. As the Immersive Media Category's Rookie of the Year 2023 and a recent graduate of The One Academy of Communication Design, Kc. offers a valuable framework for beginners in immersive design.
In this three part series, Tan Kai Ching, known professionally as Kc., shares details of her extremely well-thought-out immersive media project entered into the Rookie Awards 2023. Kc. was the Rookie of the Year 2023 of the Immersive Media Category and is also a recent graduate of The One Academy of Communication Design. If you are embarking on your first immersive design project, Kc.'s articles share a framework and process you can add to your toolbox.
"Unfold: Beyond the Unknown" was born from my passion for movies and curiosity about what goes on behind the camera. It started with overlooked details, from end credits to teaser trailers, and grew into the "Unfold" concept, which aims to lead the audience to explore movies with a deeper appreciation.
This led me to create a film promotion campaign that blends smart design and AR technology, designed to offer a deeper understanding of each film. It enhances everyone's movie experience and allows them to savour every detail to the fullest.
Now, let's dive into the 1st chapter of our “Unfold” series, where we explore Research and Creativity Development.
In my last college semester, from January to July 2022, I undertook the challenging task of completing my Final Year Project (FYP) within just 6 months. This marked the start of my “Unfold” journey:
Brainstormed over 10 ideas > Selected 4 to propose > Out of 4, I chose “Rewind.”
Both film and fashion are businesses where the audience doesn’t feel or see the work that goes on behind the scenes. -Tom Ford
Closing credits in movies and dramas go unnoticed, posing the challenge of how to make moviegoers watch them. "Rewind” tackles this by revealing the hidden filmmaking process within these credits.
If you did not watch the credits, you did not finish the movie.
Inspired by both Interactive Films and Pixar's use of graphical elements in end credits has inspired me to enhance GSC (Malaysia's cinema) app with AR:
Research has shown that the biggest moviegoer group falls in the 18-24 age bracket, with Gen Z young adults as the main audience focus. I conducted user interviews, covering general info, movie preferences, closing credits, and behind-the-scenes insights.
The findings? Their cinema choices lean heavily toward English and action-adventure genres, which influenced the movie choice I later made to demonstrate this project concept.
However, this proposal concluded here because, despite good intentions, there are no anticipated business benefits.
With no released posters, teasers, or trailers, many are unaware of Avatar 2’s return, set 13 years after its first film. To raise awareness, "Avatar (2009)" will be re-released at GSC for a 3-month run, offering an enhanced post-credits experience that connects the audience with Avatar's future in 2022.
The user journey has been subtly adjusted from the previous proposal:
Scan a QR code > Watch a video > Uncover hidden Easter eggs with in-app AR during closing credits, and make a wish upon the Tree of Souls > Earn points for staying till the end and claim interactive poster gifts.
However, given the limited information available about Avatar (2022) to fully bring this idea to life, I decided to switch to a different movie.
Marvel/ Disney was chosen due to their frequent teaser trailer releases, I laid out a concise comparison chart with shortlisted movie details.
Unwind with Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse (Part I):
Unfortunately, I had to pivot to "MoM" (Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness) instead due to the limited information available.
Revised Concept & Idea for MoM:
I explored global cinema insights across different age groups to understand what drives people to choose the cinema. This process included gathering survey insights to create a Validated User Persona and map out the User Journey in a second round of surveys.
Unfold the Unknown with MoM:
Fun fact: I was a casual Marvel fan before this project, mainly into Avengers. But for the project’s sake, I watched all the ones I’d missed. When Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness finally came out, I was able to appreciate every single detail!
Content of Unfold the Unknown:
With these extracted dialogues, a storyboard draft is developed for the interactive trailer, which will be discussed in the next series.
Let’s wrap it up for now. Read Part II and Part III where we’ll dive into the design process for all the experiences we’ve covered so far!
Link to my full project on The Rookies and Behance.