Episode Two of The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator
Ground breaking Internet Explorer production clocks up over 3,000 audience submissions in the first episode
Today Internet Explorer announces the release of episode two of The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator, the interactive animated series directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards (Marvel and Lucas Films) that puts the audience in the driving seat by allowing them to submit story lines, characters and prose.
The second episode of the noir inspired series, which has been optimised for Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), is now available to watch by visiting www.brandongenerator.com and those who have submitted ideas may find their characters, prose or creatures incorporated into the story.
The online animated story, which follows Brandon as he struggles to explain the changing world around him following a caffeine fuelled blackout, has had over 3000 audience submissions since episode one launched in April. The overwhelming interest in the series and high level of audience participation highlights an appetite for this new storytelling experience which combines film, comics, and computer games into a unique new genre.
Narrated by Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh) with music by David Holmes' new project 'Unloved' (a collaboration between David Holmes, Keefus Green and Jade Vincent) the second episode sees Brandon come face to face with his caffeine addiction as the world around him begins to unravel. Brandon is left wondering whether a mysterious girl is the heroine he’s been hoping for and the audience are asked to help decide his fate by uploading a photo of themselves at the end of the episode for a chance to be illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards and penned into the adventure in later episodes.
Viewers are transported to the driving seat of Brandon’s car where they have more power than ever to affect the story. A misty windscreen invites the audience to help Brandon, drawing him out of trouble by sketching his escape route to the next scene. A trapped piece of paper on the windscreen encourages viewers to suggest what happens next by writing storyline ideas, while the phone and business card allows users to leave voice or Skype messages for Brandon. Audiences can view all the images, plotlines and messages left for Brandon andIE9 users also benefit from exclusive content, notifications and instant access to social feeds via the unique Pinning and Jump List functionality.
Harnessing the power of HTML5 web standards and IE9, the story is designed to be one of the most visually rich and immersive experience on the web. World class story telling combined with the power of IE9’s hardware-accelerated graphics give a smooth and engaging experience that allows the user to lean back and enjoy or lean forward and get involved.
Edgar Wright says, “I am very pleased by how well Brandon has been received, especially since it is a something of a personal cry for help that I drink too much coffee. 24 hours after the first episode launched we had several hundreds of content submissions and tens of thousands of people were watching it. The level of creativity and imagination has been incredibly impressive and people seem to have adopted Brandon’s world and carved characters and plotlines around it. We’ve had people of all abilities getting involved from school children to Hollywood scriptwriters who’ve been inspired by the story. I think people are going to love the second episode, because we have managed to weave in the work of some 69 contributors, none of which I have ever met. It’s exciting because this is where the action really starts and the audience see their ideas brought to life by Tommy and myself.”
The visuals have been an exciting challenge, as we never know what's going to inspire Edgar while going through loads of submissions," says Tommy Lee Edwards. "Episode two features elements from nearly 70 different pieces of submitted artwork, voice messages, and prose. We're adding more layers to the user content by asking people to submit an image of themselves for the chance to be illustrated into Brandon’s world. I'm personally most excited about the way we will need help from all the artists out there at the end of #2. Brandon's fate in #3 truly depends on the creativity of the users."
Gabby Hegerty, Internet Explorer UK says, “We couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction from people who have watched the first episode through IE9 and taken advantage of the hardware acceleration and unique graphics processing. We’re also starting to see some great content possibilities through the Jump Lists and Pinning functionality. I encourage everyone to see how beautiful the web can be by checking out Episode 2 of Brandon Generator.”
To watch Episode Two and get involved, visit www.brandongenerator.com. There will be four episodes in total between April and June. Use Internet Explorer 9 and pin to your taskbar for the best experience and exclusive updates and content.
Designers, illustrators, and people of all shapes and sizes are invited to feature in an instalment of Brandon Generator. Internet Explorer’s Facebook page recently launched a competition asking the audience to send in their suggestion of ‘which comic book character’ they would be, with the winner being illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards onto the cover of a comic book in the final episode of The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator.
Find out more about the project by following Internet Explorer on Facebook.com/
