Myths Storybook
BBC
Goals
The Myths Storybook was commissioned by BBC Wales as part of an overall content support vehicle for their Merlin TV series. The aim of the project was to create a storybook ‘engine' which could be used to deliver four Arthurian legend myths in the first instance, in English and Welsh. The brief asked for the development of a dynamic, free form solution that delivered a modern way of listening, reading and viewing stories online.
The main goal was to create an opportunity for BBC viewers to find out more about the classic Arthurian myths that influence the Merlin series story-lines. To do this, the requirement was to create audio visual stories that retain the magical element of the myths, but are written and presented in a contemporary style and bring these stories to life through beautiful illustration and simple animation.
The book had to reach young and old audiences interested in Welsh myths and legends by creating compelling content delivered in an experiential way to enhance the viewers' journey. Additionally the project needed to create educational and entertaining resources that could be extended to cover additional pan-UK myths and legends.
Solution
Everyone had big ambitions for the site, with a desire to deliver an engine that could act as a platform for bringing the myths to life, providing a rich user experience that could accommodate different illustration styles, animation elements, languages and story lengths. We focussed our initial efforts on the integration of the initial four stories, but the engine has the flexibility to deliver a wealth of additional languages and additional story content.
For the Storybook engine, we built a lightweight, configurable book allowing the BBC to develop bespoke stories from a commission-able set of assets. Flash technology was considered the best and quickest way to deliver a configurable engine and the best way to deliver an engaging experience for the target audience.
For the stories themselves, the BBC commissioned voiceover talent in the form of actors Ioan Gruffudd, Ruth Jones and Sharon Morgan. We commissioned four contemporary illustrators to provide diverse visual styles for the stories. Illustrations were storyboarded matched to the voiceover and animated to bring the stories to life.
Each story was accompanied by a game, designed to capture the essence of each story in engaging and compelling gameplay created for a young audience to enjoy.
Whilst the brief asked for an interactive storybook, it was important that the results did not just emulate a book online. Rather we created an environment where the story is told through images, animations and audio with a consistent and easy to use control panel, allowing simple intuitive and effective user experience throughout.
Results
The storybook was featured on the BBC homepage and has proved to be a real hit amongst the younger audiences. We also presented the project at a BBC Showcase session at MIPTV to a global audience.