Battle for the Bronchs!

www.battleforthebronchs.com.au

This is a perfect example of how the digital side of design can be used in a new and interesting way, an interactive website utilizing video footage and flash gaming to create awareness about Asthma. Above is the teaser trailer for the website.

The main concept behind this website is a campaign by GlaxoSmithKline and Asthmascore to create awareness about the issues surrounding Asthma. Tequila (Australia) developed a video comic strip with characters such as Alvie Olie, Deep Bref and Hack Wheezer set in the fictional city 'The Bronchs'. The narrative involves the 'hero' Alvie Olie and his 'mentor'Deep Bref battling against the evil Hack Wheezer and his Trigger gang (The Trigger gang all have names of things that can set-off a person's Asthma). The purpose of this site is to reach young people who may be unaware of the symptoms of Asthma without boring them with facts and figures.

I really like the use of the comic strip format because it is naturally set out into scenes and has a narrative story throughout. This lends itself well to film; each box can have a different camera angle and show the perspective of the surrounding area in different ways. The actors have been filmed infront of a green screen and then still illustrations have been super-imposed as the background. The film sequences begin as stills (above) like a page from a comic strip but then each box will increase to full size (in turn) and play the section of film allocated to that box (as shown below). The end result is a flow of film in a narrative order as well as some secondary animation - sound effects and scaling as a visual aid. Although the narrative is weak and the characters not very interesting it still gets a definate message across and is alot more successful in delivering the message than a leaflet would be.


Also, the film/ comic strip is split into four main chapters, each one covering the idea of breathing and the need for air. Even the controls can be powered by the sound of your own breathing down a microphone. This enhances the level of interactivity with the story and allows the audience to engage with the concept on another level.