Cinekid Play

Fostering Global Citizens Through Multicultural Exposure When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, it necessitated a rapid transformation of the traditional format of Cinekid, a physical children's film festival. In response, our team undertook a swift and strategic four-month development process to build a robust, online content platform. This platform was designed with an interactive, game-like interface, providing an engaging user experience that would encourage children to explore various types of content. The design concept was akin to a virtual universe, with different 'planets' serving as thematic content hubs. Each of these hubs was populated with a wide array of curated content relevant to its specific theme. The platform was developed with the dual objectives of maintaining the engagement factor of the physical festival and ensuring accessibility for children during the pandemic. It demonstrated a successful, on-the-fly adaptation to a digital format in response to unforeseen circumstances.

Tags: Strategy, Ideation, Concept, Business model, Design, Development, Iteration, Maintenance

www.cinekidplay.nl

Cinekid

Cinekid has made it its mission to make every child a world citizen. This is quite an ambition. They do this through the very careful and well thought out selection of content (films, workshops, interactives and Q&A’s) where no themes are shied away from. Either it being feeling different, or the loss of a close one. Cinekid also is a multi content festival, meaning they normally hold films, shorts, interactives (Medialab), Q&A’s and workshops.

Corona

When the festival got gutted to a mere 10% of the normal visitor numbers, they needed to figure out what to do next. After some thought an opportunity was seen in these crazy times. Through the use of a content filled website Cinekid could potentially reach the whole of the Netherlands and with that spread it’s mission much wider.

Setting

We live in times of extreme polarisation and the so called “fabeltjes fuik” / the self full-filling wormhole of narrowing content that happens on social media is something that needs to be countered. On the other hand there are the Disney’s and Netflixes of this world, they offer very little context and very much applaud binge watching. And they serve content - though beautiful sometimes - to serve the masses. So when plotting all players within the field on a diagram we came to the conclusion there is an opening for us. It is a viable proposition. A world of content where parents can be at ease that the wormhole is not a sinkhole and that all content is of the highest quality.

Idea

Through various strategy sessions we came to the insight that there is no direct competitor for Cinekid. So this gave birth to Cinekid Play! A playful surrounding where children can “fly” through and explore the content they like. Gathering trophies, finding space-junk (just for fun), seeing other kids flying around in their avatars and all with a play-full space-esk soundscape.

Mentions

Cinekid Play has received numerous mentions and nominations from blogs and awards all over the world. Both for it’s innovative and playful interaction with a content filled world and also a couple of flattering mentions and nominations for it’s design. The latest to mention Cinekid Play in the category “best website design” is Design Rush, see their thoughts here.”

Business model

Using the festival as a launching event we decided to on board all visitors as as trial subscribers until the end of 2020. For all others we are charging a small fee of €4.99 per month and Cinekid Play promises to have steady stream of new content.

Head On Display (HUD)

Credits

Client: Cinekid

Agency: Next Empire

3D Art & Motion Direction: Motion and Animation studio Woodwork

Sound: THNDR

In collaboration with Jean Jacques Warmerdam