The Brief
In 2010, BBC Wales aired a landmark series, Snowdonia 1890. The show followed two Welsh families as they went back to the 19th century to experience life as it would have been for hillside farmers. The show involved lots of preparation to recreate the cottages, clothes and lifestyle so that the families got a really authentic 19th century Snowdonian experience.
BBC Wales asked us to create the website that ran alongside the series, offering background information about the production, and insights into the characters and storylines. The site had to build anticipation for the series, so we had to meet a really strict deadline to get it launched in time.
The Challenges
We worked closely with both the BBC, and independent production company Indus Television to define the creative approach for the site. It had to tie in with the existing branding to ensure the show and the website had a cohesive feel.
As a BBC site, we had to ensure the site worked within their existing CMS, integrated with iPlayer, and adhered to their strict accessibility guidelines.
The Process
Alongside content reflecting the unfolding drama of the series, we needed to include resources that would teach the audience more about the real history of farmers in 19th Century Wales. To really immerse viewers in the time period, we used innovative Flash tools to show off the great assets we had from the show and historical archives.
These included virtual panoramas of filming locations, an interactive timeline of events, and a DeepZoom archive of historical content. For added value, we developed each of these so that they could be reused by the BBC on future projects.
The Results
The finished site went live on schedule, and was a great destination for fans of the show and 19th Century Welsh history alike. It was really well received, and was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru award in the New Media category.
The creative collaboration between Indus and Sequence resulted in the delivery of dynamic and interactive content, offering exciting opportunities for the BBC's online users. Sequence were simply brilliant, and it was a pleasure working with such a talented and creative team.
Paul Islwyn Thomas
Creative Director, Indus Television