9, coming out on 9-9-9, is something I've been anticipating. Especially the movie site because I figured it would be something along the lines of the awesome Coraline site. But while it has some interesting marketing gimmicks, the site as a whole is leaving a little to be desired. Well let me step back, the ACTUAL SITE is just a section on the FILM IN FOCUS site (Focus Features?). They've done it a little blog/profile page style with some videos and ad space.

The interesting stuff is the "Before the movie takes place" scenario stuff around the Internet. For example, you can "Join the Rebels" on Twitter and you can "Meet the Scientist" on Facebook. I find it interesting that these tactics really haven't changed, they've just changed location. Years ago I signed up to receive updates from the movie LOST SOULS (starring Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin). At the time those updates came in the form of an e-mail or several from "Maya Larkin" (Winona Ryder's character) telling those of us on the list that the end was near. The Scientist is saying the same thing on his Facebook page. And I kinda want something more since it's all a rehash of the same ol' smart machines take over the world thing.

The "something more" comes from the 9experiment.com site and the "talisman" site. The intention of the former is to be like an exploration of The Scientist's lab ... it feels a bit like I'm playing Myst or BioShock though it's narrated and introduced by Elijah Wood (as himself).

There are a couple of things that take me out of the experience of the site. The first is the poor color contrast on the bottom menu - I can't read the navigation callouts.



Another is the diagrams and things that I'm supposed to interact with but I can't really see clearly. That is IF I'm supposed to be seeing something important at all.

The Scientist's book is full of backstory and thus an interesting read for prior to the movie viewing but little things like this annoy me:



I'm NOT LISTENING!! I'm READING!! Eek!

But other than the pet peevy stuff, there is some interesting propaganda art on the site.





Then we go to the Talisman site. I think the idea is interesting... being "The world is ending so let's make a time capsule of memories" sort of thing. But implemenation is a little odd. All I really seem to be able to do is upload pictures and then comment on them. Then they do that "fun" thing where I zoom into my picture and it is seemingly made up of more of my pictures like a photo mosaic. Ok...... 10 bucks says this Talisman isn't going to be on the web long enough to really be a time capsule anyway.

Plus my internet is lame so every time I get loaders of doom I get annoyed.



The site ambience is good though. I've had it on in the background for an hour or more and it hasn't bugged me once.

Another interesting promotional gimmick is the 9 bar code posters. Apparently if you see these around, download an app for your smart phone (if you've got one) and then "scan" these with your phone camera - you can unlock some video content. This is cool though unfortunately something that proves we Americans are behind the times technologically. In Japan you can scan your phone on a vending machine for a Coke! Let's catch up with that!

Here's some video about that 9 code:



Overall I grade the 9 site (and I'm counting the 9Experiment.com site as THE site) at about a B. Better than many but not as clean as things like Coraline or as immersive as the District 9 experience.

Labels: movie site review