Overview
Empowering short filmmakers
As Screen Ireland continues to build out their digital ecosystem, one of the core needs that emerged was a digital solution that would support short filmmakers. We worked closely with Screen Ireland to spearhead the creation of a dedicated platform designed to support short films throughout their life cycle facilitating private and then public viewing. The solution needed to be user friendly, easily searchable and designed to enhance the films with a real focus on amplifying the voices filmmakers.
View the site
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Effortless exploration
The platform ultimately needed to promote the back catalogue of short films to audiences - from teachers in the classroom looking for Irish language content to those curious to watch the first film of an established filmmaker - while also allowing Screen Ireland, as an agency, to privately promote their latest slate of short films to industry professionals. Knowing that there was at all times going to be an array of films to promote, one of the key features of the platform was ease of browsability. It was important that Screen Ireland had the ability to categorise each short film with various tags, genres and themes and further to this, for the platform to have a powerful search system. These filtration options would ultimately allow users to find short films by director, actor, cinematographer and other key contributors - the “story makers” that make up the industry.
Creating a platform that was an extension of the brand
With every project we always start off with a research and discovery phase. Given the short film player was a new concept, there wasn’t data from an old platform that we were able to look at to gain insights so we needed to rely on our own outward research and interviews with stakeholders to really delve into what the right solution was. The design brief was to fit the shorts player platform as seamlessly as possible into the current Screen Ireland brand, while also making sure the short films were the key focus of the website, prioritising the search functionality and film viewing experience as much as possible.
Optimising video experience with the power of Vimeo
Tapping into the Vimeo API, we crafted a compelling video experience that highlights movie clips on both the homepage and listing pages with an engaging hover-triggered display. We strategically integrated dynamic animations beyond basic content viewing to enhance the user experience. The seamless integration of the content repository with site speed guarantees optimal functionality, maximising Vimeo's streaming capabilities for superior performance. Our approach using the Vimeo player introduces customisable features, offering a streamlined solution for an authentically immersive user experience.
What we did
- UI / UX design and development
- Information architecture
- Content strategy and development
- SEO analysis and implementation
The results
Pioneering innovation for industry insiders and enthusiasts
The Short Film Player is a standout addition to Screen Ireland's digital ecosystem, securing finalist positions at both the 2023 Spider Awards and the National Digital Awards. Serving as a unique repository of Irish short films, it offers open access to the public and exclusive gated content for industry professionals. This allows for early access, reviews, and special requests for industry or festival-level privileges, providing a tailored and optimized viewing experience. The Screen Ireland Shorts website solidifies its position as a premier platform for Irish filmmakers, celebrated for its innovation in the digital cinematic realm.
