ion's garage

Crossroads

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:51:02 +0000

Crossroads: the Reality Games Engine

Imagine adding the magic of fiction to the streets that surrounds us. Turning the physical environment into a mystery to be unraveled. Never knowing for sure what is real and what is not…

On this edge between reality and fiction there are games to be played. Stories to be told. Crossroads is a toolbox for exploring this new direction in urban entertainment, where the player is immersed in actual surround sound and the best 3D engine of them all: The real world.

Crossroads is the flexible solution for storytelling across multiple media channels, using technology already a part of the player’s life, such as cell phones, web pages and news feeds, to make the story come alive. Literally.

Player tracking
The Crossroads engine tracks the player’s progression through the game, and serves up the right dialogue or media asset at the right time and place:

Dialogue-driven interaction
The player’s interaction with the game is in part based on dialogue between the player and the fictional characters of the game. This pushes the momentum of the story literally out in the streets, where the player’s tasks are played out. SMS is used for this communication, allthough MMS, email and voicemail is also supported.

Common Technology
This use of common technology strenghtens the game’s grip on the player, and makes it accessible without installing any software or hardware.

Mission control
A game can also be provided with a web-based dashboard to help the player keep track of current missions, real-time story progression and character profiles. Utilizing a user-friendly interface the mission is visualized through innovative use of Google maps, and media playback and management. This dashboard can be provided for both browser-based and mobile platforms.

Live events
Crossroads also enables scripted in-game events and live performances. These events can be triggered by the player’s presence in a sertain location, by using RFID and AR-technology to track the player’s movement in the physical evironment.

See more:

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Lead back-end developer: Jo havik
Lead front end developer: Victor Nystad

Currently released Crossroads prosjects: Fall of Varg Veum

Fall of Varg Veum

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:01:36 +0000

The private eye Varg Veum is in serious trouble. He is charged with a murder he did not commit, and needs your help to clean his name. You are heading towards an unique experience, where you must step outside, into the narrow streets of Bergen, to solve this crime mystery on your own.

You are investigating the crime scenes in person, and follows suspicious clues throughout the city, by cellphone, and on the Internet.

The Fall of Varg Veum is an exciting Reality Game that combines mysterious action in the streets with interactive challenges by cellphone and the web. The game is strongly connected to the geography and culture of Bergen, and represent a totally new way of experiencing the city.

Within the framework of a Varg Veum mystery, the player is investigating the utban landscape looking for clues. These clues are places in physical locations as well as in local media such as news stories and art galleries. The player interacts with the game through sms-dialogues with fictious characters, and by inverstigating online sources such as websites, intranets, email accounts, blogs and surveillance footage.

The game is developed by Mediacircus E in cooperation with Bergens Tidende, Gunnar Staalesen and Mediecenteret HiB.

Read more at bt.no
developed for mediacircus

Image gallery:

Websites
Task map-view
Character profiles
Mediabank
MMS dialogues

Video:

Video presentation

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Lead Programming: Jo Havik
Lead Graphic design: Frode Nilsen
Lead Front-End developer: Victor Nystad

Illumination

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:03:05 +0000

Norges blindeforbund lanserte nylig nettstedet altomsyn.no. I den anledning har Mediacircus E utarbeidet en interaktiv belysningstest.

I et samfunn som stort sett designes av unge, fremadstormende med normalt syn, blir hensynet til riktig belysning fort glemt. Blindeforbundet har sammen med Mediacircus E utviklet en belysningstest for å sette fokus på hva som er optimal lyssetting.

Lys og syn hører nøye sammen. Men visste du at en normalseende 70-åring trenger nesten tre og en halv gang så mye lys som en på 20?
Belysningstesten viser deg hvordan du kan lyssette stue, kjøkken og trappegang på best mulig måte.

Visit Alt Om Syn
Developed for mediacircus

Flash application:

Illumination

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
3D design: Fabian Schnuer
Front-End developer: Victor Nystad

TrygVesta Innovation

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:14:26 +0000

For TrygVesta, innovation is important for keeping both company and products on edge.

To feed this demand, TrygVesta has launched an innovation portal for the entire corporation. This portal is an inspiring toolbox that provides its users with the broad range of corporate methods and tools for innovation.

Balancing the user’s need for consentration as well as inspiration has been paramount while working on the design and navigation of the portal.

For information-heavy pages, simplicity and quietness is the essence. Allthough, intermingled in the quiet, the user will find themed pauses, rich with inspiring quotes and photographs.

Developed for mediacircus

Image gallery:

Innovation portal design
Innovation portal design

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Lead Graphic design: Jon Skivenes
Lead Front-End developer: Victor Nystad

Krimkommisjonen

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:32:39 +0000

Med Krimkommisjonen bragte Mediacircus en ny type kiminalteknisk kompetanse til Norge for å se på uløste drapssaker: Eksperter på gjerningsmannsprofiler. Mediacircus E har bidratt med seriens visuelle identitet, vignett og andre grafiske elementer.

Bakgrunn

En profiler jobber med å tegne et psykologisk bilde av gjerningsmannen, ofte basert på funn fra åsted, labtekniske funn, etc. Et slikt helhetsbilde skal kunne si noe om hva som motiverer gjerningsmannen, hvilke ofre han velger, og hvordan han opererer. Tilsammen gir dette profileren en anledning til å forstå hvordan gjerningsmannen tenker, og ideelt sett også kunne tenke som gjerningsmannen.

Konsept

Utgangspunktet for det visuelle uttrykket for Krimkommisjonen er idéen om at etterforskning av spesielt drapssaker er en kamp mellom to personligheter, forbryter og profiler/etterforsker. Deres roller er tilpasset hverandre, og de deler ofte en dedikasjon og et manisk detaljfokus på det de holder på med. Den gode og onde tvillingen som jager hverandre.

Disse to personlighetene gir basis for to distinkte uttrykk: Profilerens trekk uttrykkes gjennom en blågrønn, kjølig, klinisk stil , mens forbryterens synsvinkel vises gjennom sepia-toner, uforutsigbarhet og kaotiske flater. Dette gjenspeiles i seriens to modus, nåtid, representert ved etterforskerens synsvinkel, og rekonstruksjon av hendelsen, representert ved forbryterens synsvinkel.

Logo og typografi

Ved utformingen av Krimkommisjonens grafiske profil har det også vært viktig å underbygge seriens saklighet og autoritet. Dette er blant annet gjort gjennom refereranser til ulike etterforskende institusjoners formspåk og symbolbruk, og gjennom bruk av fysiske objekter fra etterforskningen som tavler, kart og mapper for å presentere visuell informasjon.

Krimkommisjonens logo henter sitt uttrykk fra moderne skandinaviske riksvåpen. Typografien er handlekraftig og moderne, et uttrykk som er typisk for genren.

Client TV Norge
Developed for Mediacircus

Image gallery:

Concept HQ
Concept Manila folder
Concept Map

Video:

Krimkommisjonen intro

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Graphic Design: Frode Nilsen
Motion Graphics: Lasse Michelsen

Hei TV

admin — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:23:06 +0000

HeiTV is an independent web-tv channel lanched by the fashion photographer Svein Bringsdal, the man behind Fashion Images and SVA Magazine.

With HeiTV, Svein is is inviting along other independent producers, making it the place to find fresh stuff from the Bergen area, such as short film, documentary, music videos and animation.

Client Hei TV
Developed for Mediacircus

Image gallery:

Logo design
Mediaplayer design

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Graphic Design: Frode Holst
Code: Victor Nystad

Krafttaket

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:57:52 +0000

Krafttaket (Power Play) is a 6 episode TV-series produduced for NRK. The show is a competition between two of Norway’s largest cities in reducing carbon footprint, represented by two families, the local soccer clubs, and the city councils.

A team of experts provided good advice on reducing power consumptions while maintaining quality of life both at home and at work. During the show it became apparent that bad habits can change, and that the participants was more content with their new low-emission lifestyle.

The accompanying interactive aspect on the web made the effort to reduce carbon footprint national, with the challenge of reducing the carbon emissions equal to a coal-based powerstation during the course of the program. This collaborative effort was visualised online by an animated carbon calculator, deconstructing the powerstation piece by piece as the national footprint diminished.

Visit krafttaket
Read more at nrk
Developed for mediacircus

Image gallery:

Logo design
Carbon calculator: Intro
Carbon calculator: Input
Carbon calculator: Visualize

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Lead Graphic design: Frode Nilsen
Illustration: Frode Holst
Lead Front-End developer: Victor Nystad
Flash development: Petter Sundnes

Maretind

admin — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:56:57 +0000

Maretind (working title) is a interactive media project currently in preproduction.

The Maretind project is a gothic underwater computer game for kids that aims to bring the fantastic, yet largely unknown, life of the deep ocean ridges to life, in a setting that mixes fascinating facts with an engaging story of humor, absurdity and gothic chill. The preproduction team was put together of game developers, script writers, visual artists, programmers and science consultants.

The concept is set to manifest itself through a range of media channels. In the pipeline is a multiplayer racing computer game, an animated tv-series, and a major science centre installation.

Jon worked as lead concept developer and game designer on the project’s preproduction phase, outlining the overall setting and expression of the Maretind world, the framework story, the characters and the gameplay for the scalable computer game production, as well as outlining the main interplay between the storylines of the different media channels.

Image gallery:

Concept & character study

Credits:
Project owner: Nina Svane Mikkelsen
Concept: Jon Skivenes and Kjersti Steinsbø
Illustrators:Gustav Kvaal og Haakon Lystad
Installation lead: Hanne Hilt
Tech lead: Tomas Ekeli

AGR Group

admin — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:57:14 +0000

During 2006, AGR went through the strategic process of focusing their brand as they approached listing on the Oslo Stock Exhange.

The new corporate identity for the AGR Group captures the modern, dynamic and innovative spirit of the company, and reflects the global nature of their operations.

The fresh new design, embracing their global aspirations, will influence how they are seen and appreciated. As CEO Sverre Skogen puts it,

“It is a badge of pride – for the way we work, the services we provide, and the benefits we bring to the world’s oil and gas industry, as well as the wider community.”

But a new identity is much more than a new logo and corporate colours. As a fast growing company they require a brand that is easily recognisable for all our activities and clearly distinguishable from other companies. AGR is very much their own brand. It was clearly the identity of choice.

Read more at agr.no
Developed for Oktan Publicis

Image gallery:

Logo
Website
Annual Report
Profile manual I
Profile manual II

Credits:
Concept & direction: Jon Skivenes
Communication strategy: Christian Overaa & Jon Skivenes
Photography: Tom Haga
Web development: Avenir

Republic of Phobos

admin — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:23:11 +0000

Tired of the crowd?
Visit Beautiful Phobos this summer!

Do as the poets and painters: Revitalize your spirit in blissful solitude. Find your true inspiration in our deepets and darkest craters, or challenge your very ego at the top of furious Mt. Howl. Either you are a newbie or a seasoned explorer, Beautiful Phobos offer you all the juicy adrenalin your heart can desire, and more. Much, much more.

Phobos might seem like a shy place, but don’t be fooled by its modest appearence. What we are offering is a rock to stand on while you see all the rest of creation. And that is the most spectacular view of them all. Only on Beautiful Phobos.

Order your trip to Beautiful Phobos today. Come as you are, or bring the family along. This is the trip you will never forget.

Read more at Republic of Phobos

Gallery:
Greetings from Phobos
Passport
Come see beautiful Phobos
Burn baby, burn.
The Black Sun Parade