Here’s a quick note to plug BCM’s newest site, BigBrownbox.com.au’s Shoot And Win Contest.

It’s an interesting case study as BigBrownBox.com.au is a new brand so there was a significant opportunity to make an impact - and an obvious requirement that we deliver the message in a memorable fashion.

I’ve done my best to balance the excitement of a competition site with the potency of the brand icon and display the key messages in a friendly and intuitive fashion. Have a look and tell me what you think - after the jump is a brief discussion of some of the key screens and technologies used… yes, we’re talking Papervision3D… you know me too well.

Breaking with tradition, I’m going to give you the link now - go and check out the site and then come back for a read:

Link: http://www.bigbrownbox.com.au/competition

Go!…

.. ok, moving on.

Below is a grab from the final frame of the preloader sequence. I implemented this device to introduce the box icon, create a sensation of curiosity and suspense, and to suggest that something magical is approaching. The staged reveal of the logo reminds me of watching sky writing… where everyone stands around, eagerly waiting for the moment when they know what the message is. If you didn’t follow my advice above you’ve now missed the fun… you’ll listen to me next time! :)

The preloader finishes, the music kicks in and the scene disolves into an intro sequence. Here you’ll get your first taste of Papervision3D and meet the competition messages.

Then we’re back to 3D - you’ll see the box unfold and the site navigation becomes apparent. Click on one of the panels to investigate.

Some of the more interesting technical tips are:

• When you zoom in on a section, I stop Papervision from rendering and align the side content MovieClip above everything else. This makes sure each section animates at a reasonable speed. One of my favorite features is that when you leave the section, this MovieClip is then rendered back to the box side model - keeping everything smooth and consistent.
• I may have invented a new concept - we all know about Hyperlinks (I’m loving that I’ve hyperlinked the word ‘Hyperlink’ to the wikipedia entry for ‘Hyperlink’!) well… until proven wrong… I’m claiming to have invented ‘HyperMaps’ (note: no wikipedia entry exists for that one!). Whenever you see a link on the site you’ll notice that it jumps off the page. I’ve done this by creating a library symbol that I can place over any MovieClip that then accepts a URL. When the user rolls over the symbol, it takes a photo of the region underneath it and enlarges it for the user… dynamic bitmap goodness = a HyperMap! I should write a paper :)
• The other bit I’m fond of is that each box panel consists of a number of independent textures that are switched and swapped in a novel way. Notice that when you hover, the texture underneath the side lid contains a shadow… click and it’s gone. When the lid is closed, all textures are combined into one to minimise rendering overhead.
• Finally, I’ve used Papervision3D particles for the stars that appear from under the side lids. You’ll see that they always face the camera. I really like this addition to the site and think it dramatically adds to the fun factor.

So - enough from me… if you’re an Aussie you should really have a crack at the competition. A $10,000 shopping spree and eternal glory awaits!

As the comp is still in very early days, there aren’t stacks of videos to wade through yet… you can check out what has been done so far on the Video Gallery panel and at the YouTube groups page.

Oh… and a shameless plug… Aussies can also grab a bargain from the actual online store - www.bigbrownbox.com.au - free delivery is pretty sweet deal.

Hope you enjoy it - let me know how you go. That link again…

Link: http://www.bigbrownbox.com.au/competition

P.S. Have you met Davo yet? Check this out.