Smart Screen
Vast Media Smart Screen Round-Up: ‘Stranger Things’ and Interactive Karaoke
Story Highlights
Here’s a run-down of recent second screen-related entertainment items, via Berlin-based research and consulting company Vast Media.
• In anticipation of the second season of “Stranger Things” (Oct. 27), Netflix has launched a customizable video offering online. Dubbed “Welcome to the Hawkins Experience,” the feature (available at welcometohawkins.com) allows fans of the show to upload a photo of themselves, and customize it to make it appear as if they’re in the alternate reality of the show, The Upside Down. The finished product can then be shared across social media.
• For the nature documentary “Jacques Mayol, Dolphin Man,” European culture channel ARTE released a three-part VR series, “Dolphin Man VR,” which allows VR viewers to act as a freediver in the ocean. The documentary itself explores the life of French diving legend Jacques Mayol.
Available on the ARTE360 app, the VR experience features three, five-minute-long videos that follow different freediving experts, with each sharing tips on breathing techniques, and what goes into diving with dolphins and sperm whales.
• For the return of new seasons of “Empire” and “Star,” Fox created a karaoke Facebook camera effect, which allows users to sing along to the song “You’re So Beautiful” from “Empire.” The camera effect puts either golden or purple headphones on the user, and features the lyrics of the song displayed on the bottom of the image as viewers sing along.
• CNBC partnered up with online community Bustle to create a new short-form video series, ”Young Money,” which offers up financial advice to younger people. Co-produced by CNBC’s finance-oriented media division Make It, the series shares financial tips for dealing with everything from a night out on the town with friends to cheap roommates.
• In mid-September, truTV partnered up with social community site Reddit to offer an interactive viewing experience for the variety program “The Chris Gethard Show.” Streaming live on the show’s Reddit profile page, the interactive experience allowed fans to chat with others and post comments and questions that were shared on the show.
