“The stage has no front or back. Nor does it have the stacks of amplifiers that have been a rock concert fixture since the early days of the Grateful Dead. Instead, the speakers are embedded in four legs that rise 164 feet to support a cylindrical video screen,” Fast Company magazine reported.

“Lovingly dubbed the Claw by the band and the army of crew members needed to erect it on a nightly basis, the stage — anchored in the middle of the field — features a giant 360 video screen, flowing silk screens and a light show that would make Pink Floyd jealous.” - Rolling Stone

The video screen is in fact 888 individual tiny LED screens that covers 3,800 square feet, weighs 60 tons and changes shape during the performance. The set was designed Hoberman Associates; Innovative Designs, which specializes in stage architecture; and Buro Happold, a structural engineering firm.

Take the interactive tour of the Claw at U2’s official Website

The Obama/Biden presidential campaign won both the Titanium and Integrated Grand Prix, thanks to the effort’s digital savvy, its success in community-building and its willingness to allow the Obama brand to be created by consumers rather than top-down communications mandates.

The Grand Prix winner in the viral category went to 42 Entertainment’s “Why So Serious?” Jurors praised the campaign for multiple reasons, including its ability to take ARG (alternate reality games) and storytelling in general to the next level. Through multiple websites, user generated content, live events and variety of other vehicles, the game unfolded its own storyline parallel to the Batman film over a period of 18 months. “We made a joke that at a certain time you hoped when the film finally arrived it should have been as good as the game, which is a striking conclusion,” notes Belgium juror Samuel De Volder, creative director at These Days. “Luckily for them the film was as good as the game.” Jurors also lauded the reach of the campaign, in both metrics and geography. “This was actually the first global campaign that was really global,” said Brazilian juror and Wunderman Creative VP Eco Moliterno. “Every time you see these ‘global’ things they don’t actually come down to Brazil. This one did.”

Details and video here. Via Creativity-Online

A scene where Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska, greets talking rose blossoms at the entrance to what seems to be a forest of giant mushrooms. “But as in the book, her size shrinks and grows throughout her journey.”

Below you’ll see the first promo banners – one for Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), one for the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), one for the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), and one for the White Queen (Anne Hathaway).

Via Firstlook and USAToday

A fantastic stop motion sequence taken over a period of an hour - 653 frames on a Canon 5D camera at five seconds intervals with an exposure of 1 second per frame at F8 and ISO100. Pity about the music selection.  ;)

To be perfectly honest, the dream of publishing one post a day is completely unrealistic. Rather than posting stuff just for the sake of it, expect to see quality over quantity this year. My goals for 2009 are pretty hefty, so with a focus on personal development and creativity, I’ll do my best to document the journey and share what I’ve learned (and the mistakes that I’ve made).

Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts talks about this in his book entitled “Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands“ in which he states that without some kind of emotional connection to a brand, the relationship will dry up like a generic raisin in the sun.

One of the oldest and most effective ways to communicate an idea is through telling a story. The online environment has evolved, and it’s the ideal place to take the user on a journey (that they can control) and weave a story around a brand or product.

A fantastic example of this is a new campaign for Dove. It’s called “Waking Up Hannah” and here’s a brief summary courtesy of Creativity-Online:

With “Waking Up Hannah,” visitors can choose from three storylines–Energize, Refresh and Cool Moisture–then watch the adventures of the title character as she recovers from a drunken night and gets ready for a blind date. Each of the narratives corresponds with different Dove deodorants and body washes. Within the interactive film experience, visitors can click on Hannah’s phone to view her pics and text messages, hear commentary and get Dove coupons. In fact, each scene offers four different views and there are seven different endings overall to Hannah’s day.

Additionally, you can send the film to friends, learn more about the products and participate in forum discussions.

It’s INSANE! A very girly example indeed, but a great one none the less. Even though this example happens to include a crazy amount of video and no doubt has a seriously large budget behind it, an online experience need not look like a big-budget movie in order to hinge around a story. All a website needs to do is take the user on a journey.

Our objective as people creating online experiences for brands should always be to MAXIMISE the length of time users spend interacting with the brand. So next time you have the opportunity to create something truly amazing, think about how you can weave a story into the experience. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

We aim to achieve a number of goals with our work:

1. Produce work of international standard
2. Create exceptional value for our clients
3. Push the boundaries of the medium and experiment with new technologies
4. Have fun doing it.

If you share these values, and you’re keen to join a dynamic, innovative company full of people you can learn from and produce some outstanding work, apply now! Here’s a short rundown of what we’re after:

• Interactive Motion Designer
  Are you an After Effects and Flash junkie who gets off on visual effects and constantly downloads showreels? Do you have an eye for animation and see video as the future of the web? This job is for you. Get in touch! Send a link to your showreel / portfolio as well as your CV to designer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Actionscript Guru
  You’re object-oriented by nature, and you communicate in classes and functions (). You’re not scared of conceptual thinking, and you know what Papervision 3D, Sharikura, and WiiFlash are. Don’t miss this opportunity. Send your CV and work samples to developer[at]stonewall.co.za
• HTML/CSS Programmer (Code Ninja!)
  You’re presentation layer is separate from your content, and you validate when interrogated. What are you waiting for? CV and work samples to developer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Senior Interactive Designer
  Photoshop is your playground and Flash is your friend. You so over the Web 2.0 look, and you eat complex design problems for breakfast. You make the most of every opportunity to create, and your portfolio speaks for itself. Come on - send it on to designer[at]stonewall.co.za
• Production Manager
  You’re a compulsive list-writer and you’re a natural born leader. You understand the web inside and out, and you’re able to bring out the best in people. Send your CV to studioproduction[at]stonewall.co.za

Peaked your interest? Maybe, just maybe this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Get in touch - what do you have to lose? Oh, and if you know of anyone who fits the above descriptions, we also offer a R5000 referral commission. Go on then!

Here’s just a handful of the amazing stuff I came across today:

Let It Bleed: http://www.letitbleedbook.com/
Absolutely first class example of what can be achieved within the boundaries of a mostly HTML-based site.

Epsonality: http://epsonality.com/
This site just blew me away. Big Spaceship and BSSP really created something incredible here. And this isn’t just a big budget splurge on Epson’s part - this is a truly engaging experience for the user. I’m sold.

Red Issue: http://www.red-issue.com/
Beautiful and engaging website that allows you to browse by using mouse gestures. Why didn’t I think of that?!

Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think.