We broadcasted 9 live streams in 5 countries during a 2-month world tour. Together with the client, we researched each location to prepare each individual set and evaluate local internet networks. With a small team we flew to all locations to set up the scenario, instruct the person to whom we strapped on all the gear, get the hardware up and running, ensure multiple solid internet connections and shoot press photos and film.

The full live experience could be seen via our custom build WebGL video player. Shot in first-person, and by using several sensors, we measured their heart rate, emotions and sweat level. The data was translated live into audiovisual effects using WebGL and Web Audio technology.

Based on the EEG (brain sensor) data the footage becomes warmer and brighter when the avatar is happy, and colder and darker when the avatar is sad.

The start of each of these effects could also be recognized by the colored border of the broadcast which would triple in size during the effect. Increasing the border size also helped focusing even more on the experience.

Before we started each live stream we had to calibrate the sensors based on each person by letting them read, draw, talk and run.

Getting ready for the shoot with female drifter Noor Daoud at the Dubai Autodrome.

We built a backpack with a custom 3D-printed rig for all the hardware, including a custom circuit board to collect and process all the footage, audio and sensor data. Camera footage was sent to a color grading box in the backpack, which we fine-tuned per location, to improve the footage quality.

The footage then got sent, scaled down and compressed, to a streaming service together with the audio and sensor data. All the material included timestamps, so it arrived synced up for the user in their browser on either desktop, tablet or mobile.

All the gear in the backpack: Rode Video Microphone, Teradek Vidiu, Xtorm Power Bank, Galvanic Skin Response Sensor, Fan, Tele2 Modem, Raspberry Pi 3, Teradek Colr, Battery, GoPro Hero 5, iPhone 6S, Muse headband, Polar Bluetooth HR monitor

A 60 second highlight video of the full live experience with Joel Kinnaman, preparing for his new film in Vancouver, Canada

Throughout the website we used similar WebGL effects and interactions to prepare the user for the live experience. For example panning an image with different angles by moving your mouse or holding your finger from left to right.

On each location we had to set up a control room to manage the live video, audio and data streams via our custom dashboard app. The dashboard app enabled us to set data thresholds for each person’s experience. It also allowed our client to make changes past the live event, should they want to alter the archived video.

Each broadcast was archived and available immediately after the live event. Users could also set SMS reminders to get notified minutes before a broadcast was going live.

We followed 9 people from all over the world. Each photo was used in press and social media to announce each individual live broadcast.

Before each film we shot and retouched a scenario photo to be used on the website for wait, finish and error screens.

We entered the lives of many different people, for example body hacker Amal Graafstra injecting RFID chips in Seattle, USA. Drifting in Dubai with drifter Noor Daoud. Business woman Cristina Stenbeck with her friend Steve Angello in the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Or climbing a clock tower in Stockholm with high-altitude instructor Anna Lundh.

We received 36,5 million earned media reach. More than 36 million reach in social media. And hundreds of thousands reactions in social media.

Find out more about the UX, UI and Tech of this project at our Medium article