Hazard have just completed a major piece of work for the BBC’s Knowledge & Learning department. Focusing on the Natural History genre, we examined the best approach for a dual-screen application development. A review of the current companion app world with some thoughts about how to balance automation with curation to appeal to a broad audience.

We used examples from a number of landmark series to illustrate our thinking, and demonstrate how a formatted approach would work across the genre.

The BBC are delighted with the work, remarking:

“…you are now, by any standards, leaders in the field of dual screen and its development.”

“I’d like to say how impressed I was with the quality of the work you put into the document and demonstrations, both in terms of thought and execution. For me, this has brought factual dual screening to life for the first time and will allow us to show people (finally) the kind of thing we mean when we talk about it. So thank you.”

The development work which Hazard undertook for one of the BBC’s major brands has been given the go-ahead for production. The dual-screen app is now in production and should be unveiled in the Autumn.

You can now read an extract from the White Paper which Matt wrote during his extensive research on interactive drama. It is just a small snippet of the knowledge and experience Hazard have in this area. We hope that it sparks your imagination.

We are currently creating some examples which build on these ideas and do new things in new ways, as we have had some exciting offers from leading drama directors in the last few weeks.

We’ll keep you posted.

Matt and Ben are currently doing development work for a large, publicly funded broadcaster.

It’s interesting work, and we hope that some of it will come to fruition in future programmes.

Well, Hazard are just about to close up shop for the Christmas break. It’s time to sit in front of the fire instead of the computer, knock back a couple of glasses of gluhwein, and play with the techno-toys we’ve asked Santa for!

We hope you all have a great Christmas, and we look forward to hearing from you in the New Year.

The kids worked hard on their snowman last year. Please let it snow again!

Hazard took part in the BBC’s training day on dual screen experiences. Hazard presented their latest Workflow Tool, which allows for rapid prototyping of two screen solutions.

The play-along Secret Fortune game

Hazard are delighted to see CBBC’s Staring Contest go live. This project was conceived by a member of Hazard while working at the BBC, and the code was re-written by Hazard. The game uses the webcam to track the players eyes – blink and you lose. It creates an powerful link between the players and the characters/presenter who you stare against. It really feels like they are talking directly to you, because you are so focused on them.