Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/14320
Interactivity ■ ■ ■ ■ At the beginning of the online interactive adventure featurette “Dark Ride,” a warning pops up on the screen: “T e following action is based on fantasy, not reality.” While the plot line makes that seem obvious enough, there is far more to the story than meets the eye. T e fi lm, which is available on www.lexusdarkride.com, is intended as a marketing piece for the automaker’s new Lexus CT 200h, which will be released early next year. But, it is so much more. In fact, the fi lm, a little more than 12 minutes long, is a high-quality production, shot in high defi nition. T e objective is to pique user interest in the new 200h premium-compact hybrid, touted as the fi rst of its kind. So, what better way to extol the virtues of the car than with a campaign that is a unique hybrid, as well—on more than one level. T e Web movie—which can be viewed at full screen—plays out like a scene from a feature fi lm or game cinematic, with high-octane car chases that unfold during a drive that takes viewers on a trip along a deserted stretch of highway to dark city streets. Yet, integrated into the fi lm are a number of interactive decision points, whereby you, the viewer, are prompted to make choices that will drive the action in a certain direction and even aff ect the outcome. In a number of scenes, you also have the ability to extend the fi rst-person camera point of view to pan farther to the left or right for a more immersive experience. T e fi lmmakers added even more depth to the narrative by allowing you to insert your picture and voice into the sequences. From a technical point of view, the featurette was shot live action, with actual actors in the roles of the various characters. T e scenery is real, too. What isn’t real, though, is the star of the movie: the Lexus CT 200h. T at’s because the car had not yet been manufactured, and an exterior production model was unavailable for this project. So, the deci- sion was made to create the vehicle using computer graphics. Action! “With ‘Dark Ride,’ we are creating a unique visual test-drive oppor- tunity so consumers can experience this hybrid [vehicle], which is like no other, months before it is available at dealerships,” says Dave Nord- strom, Lexus vice president of marketing. “In [the movie], consumers play a co-starring role, as the fun-to-drive CT 200h is put through its paces. By guiding the driver and the vehicle through a series of adven- tures, customers will be exposed to ‘T e Darker Side of Green,’ which is completely diff erent than the way hybrids are usually portrayed.” Driving the concept and creative direction for this unique fi lm- meets-game experience was Skinny, with James Brown directing. Stink handled the digital production, with Aris McGarry (Gone in Sixty Sec- onds, Kalifornia) for Stink serving as producer. Speedshape did the vi- sual eff ects and postproduction. Without question, this is not your father’s automobile, nor is it your mother’s advertising/marketing campaign. In addition to combining the thrill of a high-production fi lm with the latest in interactive tech- nology, the movie taps into today’s popular social media and uses the latest computer tools to immerse you in the adventure. According to Jonas Hallberg, chief creative offi cer at Skinny, Lexus is positioning this car for a new audience and a new market segment. “T ey wanted a fresh, new approach to reach this younger audience, compared to what they currently have,” he says. To this end, the car- maker was looking for an innovative way for a young, technology-savvy, progressive audience to experience the CT 200h months before the vehicle was available to the public. Before embarking on the mission, you are prompted to link the ex- perience to your Facebook photo (located automatically through under- the-hood technology). You are also asked to pose so your Webcam can snapshot a photo, and your voice is recorded while answering a handful of questions—all under the guise of providing you with the proper doc- umentation for this mission. Your information is later integrated into the fi lm’s story line. If you choose not to perform the above tasks, then the experience still progresses, although your handler, who is prepping you, comments on your unwillingness to provide these identifi cation sources. T en, at certain points throughout the drive, personal touches are insert- ed—for instance, your photo appears on the car’s audio console screen as your voice recording begins—based on the culled information. Behind the scenes, the personalized imagery and sound are pulled into the fi lm using Adobe’s Flash. Two servers run in the background: one for the fi lm experience and the other for storing the person’s image and recorded lines. Flash is resident on the Lexus site where the experi- ence lives, and calls for the image and recordings as needed. After the initial prompts, the movie begins—and the action is already in overdrive. You are inside a moving helicopter when the handler’s voice informs you that earlier that day, the opposition has tried to steal the company’s hybrid technology, then asks for help, adding that Tony, an independent driver, has been brought in to assist, too. You are implored to make all the decisions so Tony can concentrate on what he does best, drive, and get the car to Los Angeles in one piece. After this briefi ng, the helicopter lands, and you make your way to a waiting vehicle. Tony or- ders you to get in, and with your new partner behind the wheel, you’re off . T us, the adventure begins. “All the stunts were done for real,” says Hallberg of the featurette’s live action. You also assume a major role in the production, riding shotgun beside Tony (played by actor Norman Reedus) as you head from the Nevada desert to a Los Angeles safe house, trying to protect the car’s trade secrets from several tough guys who want to get their hands on the new prototype. July 2010 63