MOBILE EXPERIENCESwhat they can do for your story
This slideshare is adapted from a workshop run byAwkward Hug for The Tribeca Film Fellows in April of 2012.
Mobile offers a unique storytelling opportunity.
As a tool, phones allow creators to design
experiences that are contextual to the user.
ANATOMY OF MOBILE AS A TOOL
Physicality
GPS location
Audio
Photos
Video
SMS
Time
MOBILE
Audio
Photos
Video
SMS
Time
Inputs
Outputs
RSS/Social
RSS/Social
Think of your story as inputs and outputs; start by thinking about user’s actions and desired reactions.
Physicality
GPS location
Audio
Photos
Video
SMS
Time
MOBILE
Example: With the Facebook app the inputs are GPS location (checking in), photo, and video. These enter the social network’s feed, which is the output.
Audio
Photos
Video
SMS
Time
Inputs
Outputs
RSS/Social
RSS/Social
Ro
le o
f M
ob
ile
in S
tory
Tell a Story - Using mobile as the primary platform for story delivery
ROLE OF MOBILE IN STORY
Propel Story - Using mobile as a platform among others
Extend Storyworld - A mobile experience that immerses the user in the storyworld rather than injecting the user as a character.
Promote - Acts as “bonus” material for a story’s audience
YOU
A user can play a variety of roles - the main character, a character among many, a witness along for a ride, or an empathetic bystander.
Main Character
Character
Immersed in Storyworld
Relate
THE USERS ROLE IN THE STORY
case: TELL A STORY
Zombies, Run!
GPS LocationAudioTime
Tell a Story Main Character
ZOMBIES, RUN!
“Zombies, Run! is about making the
thrill of running even better with a
game and a story delivered through
your headphones. We’re making
running more fun, more exciting, and
more addictive for everyone... And
Zombies, Run! works anywhere - in a
park, along a beach, in the city, even
on treadmills!”
- Six to Start’s Promo Blurb
Tell a Story Main Character
GPS LocationAudioTime
ZOMBIES, RUN!
Gyda Arber
case: PROPEL
Red Cloud Rising
SMS
Propel a Story Character
RED CLOUD RISING
“‘Red Cloud Rising’ is theater outside
the theater. It unfolds like real life,
especially in the way we deal with
people these days, not just in person but
through phone calls, texts and e-mails.
But it is more personally engaging than
traditional theater. You can’t just sit
back and watch (or fall asleep) during
the performance...
SMS
Propel a Story Character
RED CLOUD RISING
SMS
Propel a Story Character
In short, the main character in ‘Red Cloud Rising’ is you.”
- New York Times
RED CLOUD RISING
Lance Weilercase: EXTEND
Pandemic 1.0
GPS LocationPhysicalityPhotosVideosTime
Extend Storyworld Neighbor
PANDEMIC 1.0
“A Storyworld experience.”- Lance Weiler, creator
GPS locationPhysicalityPhotos
VideosTimeExtend Storyworld Neighbor
“unites film, mobile and online technologies, props, social gaming,
and data visualization...”– Sundance Film Festival program description.
PANDEMIC 1.0
50 phones were circulated throughout the festival in biohazard bags with the hand cranks to charge them. When activated, the phones presented a series of morality questions; they were then asked to
"shoot a photo with your eyes closed."
When the phones made their way back to Mission Control, users could set them on the Microsoft Surface table located in the center of the room to access the media on the phone.
GPS locationPhysicalityPhotos
VideosTimeExtend Storyworld Neighbor
PANDEMIC 1.0
case: PROMOTE
Pretty Little Liars
SMS
Promote Guest
Texts from Pretty Little Liars:
• Remind the audience to watch; and
• Allow viewers to relate to the characters
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS - SMS
RSS/Social
Guest
The Pretty Little Liars App:
• Viewers have easy access to story info and;
• Can tout their loyalty by playing the trivia game with their friends
Promote
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS - APP
BUILDING MOBILE EXPERIENCESdesign + process
How involved is your mobile app to your storytelling experience?
How does your user fit into your story?
NeighborMain Character Character Guest
Extend StoryworldTell a Story Propel Storyline Promote
BASIC MOBILE/STORY DESIGN
Design
Prototype Test
Boom!
BASIC PRODUCTION PROCESS
• Figure out what you want your mobile component to do, then explore the features that would best accomplishes this goal
• Check out what other creators have done for inspiration (always ask how it could have ben done better)
• Build a prototype that mimics the actions and reactions; inputs and outputs (remember, your prototype doesn’t have to be digital)
• Test, test, test.
• Refine, refine, refine.
ARE YOU A PROGRAMMER?
NO YES
DO YOU KNOW A PROGRAMMER?
NO YES
YOUR PRODUCTION PROCESS
HACK IT! User Journey Design
Resource Assessment
Hack it Together Test
Feature List
Prototype
Test Iterate
Feature List + Stories
Wireframes
DO IT THE TRADITIONAL
WAY
• User Journey: Describe, in words and doodles, what the user will do with your tool from the time they pick up the phone to the time they put it down
• Feature List: Use this to list each action and reaction... this is what you have to build (keep it literal)
Example: connect to Facebook, take photos, upload photos, share photos...
USER JOURNEY + FEATURE LIST
File Naming
BAD
Good :)
Convert YouTube and Vimeo Videos
to MP4 format fast at keepvid.com
•No Spaces
•No Caps
• Just Underscores
TIPS FOR USING ONLINE TOOLS
1¢ per SMS or Call
SMS / CALL-IN - TWILIO
Twilio makes telling stories with calls and text messages easy and scaleable
FREE (for 1 year)
MOBILE SITE - GOMO
GOMO is an easy to use tool that makes an already existing site into a super slick looking mobile site.
Kind of FREE
ANDROID & iOS APP BUILDER - RED FOUNDRY
Red Foundry allows you to build your app for free, but you have to pay to publish it to the iTunes store.
ANDROID & iOS APP BUILDER - RED FOUNDRY Kind of FREERed Foundry has built software that simplifies the production process with widgets, or bits of code that already do things and can be customized.
FREE FREE FREE
ANDROID & iOS APP BUILDER - APPSBAR
AppsBar is the only totally free app building and publishing tool that requires no coding. The trade-off is a limited ability to customize the look of your app’s interface.
Real-Time Audio
Real-Time Video
Real-Time Blogging
RSS Feed
Push new content to
users with your blog!
Photos
Videos
Images
Text
Surveys + FormsSubmitted forms are
emailed to the creator...
Social Media Feed
Audio
Photo + Video Galleries
Social Media Pages
Audio Adventures
ANDROID & iOS APP BUILDER - APPSBAR
Be creative with what you have....
{StaticContent
{DynamicContent
Jim@jimbabb
Julie@awkward_hug
YOUR HOSTS