Because of new disruptive streaming companies, the cinema industry has had to reinvent itself. Disney asked us to create a groundbreaking innovation for the French release of the movie “Moana”.

The notion and intent behind the innovation was to make the experience be more interactive, engaging and intense.

This was achieved by creating a crowd AR interactive experience. Through the game, they were plunged into the heart of the Polynesian ocean and needed to move their arms together to paddle and navigate through the seas. Before they started, the screen showed them their challenger and rival… The cinema room next door!

Once the race started, both rooms were moving in rhythm with the Polynesian music to paddle and win the competition. The movements and rhythm of the audience were detected and analyzed by our technology and then translated into the augmented reality game to determine the winner.

To achieve the cinema experience, we have different technological as well as psychological components working together simultaneously.

For the technological part, we make use of image processing and gesture recognition. We combine the processed and received information with our AR and introduce a gaming element. This happens to the separate cinema rooms. Those rooms get connected to one another, allowing the players to view (not just themselves but also) each other on the screen. These technological feats allow the audience to interact with our tool, our screen and (even though they aren’t necessarily in the same room) each other.

This is also where the main bulk of our psychological/mental elements come into play, specifically storytelling and groups psychology. Good storytelling will push the success of the tool forward and ensures that the crowd indulges in the experience, making them and the client reap the benefits and elements of group psychology. This is especially interesting for our clients as these benefits are things like: a better receptivity towards the brand, positive associations, stronger connection and awareness of the brand etc. In terms of needed physical items we have: a minimum of 2 cinema rooms, screens, specialized equipment and a crowd.

What we have created can help the cinema industry to reinvents itself. It allows them to remain competitive against the new disruptive streaming companies. This new cinema experience offers a unique experience to moviegoers and offers a new communication tool that can be implemented on a larger scale, allowing a larger reach. Which is to the benefit of the brand, companies and associations that would use the product.

In the case of Disney, the two connected rooms were next to each other. However, the connected rooms don’t have to be adjacent. Now we can expand this experience national and even internationally, allowing an audience in a Parisian cinema room to duke it out against a Cinema room anywhere else in the world.

This could change not only the cinema industry but also the communication and marketing industry, especially with new product launches, premieres, trailers, brand awareness campaigns, etc.