A Web 2.0 video community that’s way ahead of the field

Horse Hero approached us with the idea that they wanted to educate and connect people with a passion for horses using video delivered via an online community. Before commissioning Sequence, Horse Hero had already shot professional films with high profile horse competitors at leading stables and venues across the UK. Using these films, it was our brief to leverage the video content for the user and create an interactive platform that would fully engage the targeted audience.

Throughout the project we continually upheld the importance of the user experience and knew that the site would have to make a personal connection with the equestrian community. It was vital to expand the experience beyond the editorial films by integrating user generated content (UGC) such as blogs, forums, and videos uploaded by members of the community.

With a detailed specification in place, our production team set to work, weaving a high level of creativity and contemporary style into the technically rich solution. A custom Flash video player was built for users, whilst a bespoke batch video converter was integrated into our Content Management System (CMS), allowing Horse Hero to automatically convert and publish user’s videos to the site; much like YouTube. The site also features a secure payment mechanism for users to purchase premium content, blogs and straw polls.

Horse Hero was launched in the summer of 2008 and is a best-of-breed example of how Web 2.0 concepts can help connect and educate a community of users; as confirmed by The Sunday Times four out of five rating.