The ultimate Bofori story

Bofori is a transmedial children concept, that started as a TV game show and an online game in fall 2011. It is targeted for schoolchildren, aged 7-12. The online game plays an integral role in the overall concept, having more than 30.000 registered players after three months of existence. It is all about being an agent and solving crimes in the sci-fi city of Bofori. It is kind of a role playing game, as the players create characters for themselves. The characters have a level system, which limit how much content the players are able to access. The online game expands all the time, mostly through weekly crimes, which the players need to solve to get points to be able to rise to higher levels. The overall concept has a lot of special features, such as AIVO-codes, which are 2D barcodes that can be read with a webcam. They take Bofori into physical media as well, bringing a range of storytelling opportunities.

Technically Bofori utilizes own Magicast technology. It makes it possible to upkeep hours of interactive audiovisual narrative and easy to create new content or test out new ides. Magicast is also used in the sets of Bofori's TV game show.

Background: Magicast

Magicast (magic + broadcast) is technically an interactive audiovisual content scripting language and a player for it. It is built using Flash (ActionScript 3.0), which works in web, desktop (PC and Mac) and mobile/tablet (Android and iOS) devices. Magicast comes with best practices and tools that help develop different kinds of contents through common administrative and debugging interfaces. The Magicast way of handling content is essential in keeping gigabytes of audiovisual content files and thousands of lines of content scropt in order. Magicast is not tied to any specific content type, as it can be extended through custom Flash code.

This project is one of three Demola projects that work with Magicast this spring. The focus on the technology is strong, because Magicast is in the process of being open sourced. One aspect of the projects is to test Magicast, provide feedback and maybe help in writing Magicast Wiki.

Project description

Bofori has a lot of possbilities from techical and story telling point of views, the most interesting being the AIVO-codes. The problem with endless possibilities is that it blocks creativity, it is difficult to see what moves to take. Yle knows how to make TV, but role playing games and collectibles are not in Yle's core. This project is about seeing Bofori from many different, maybe more effective angles. The idea is try to learn how transmedial storytelling works, using Bofori as the concrete testing ground. This project is not about throwing ideas, anyone can do that. This project is about being able to execute the ideas and evaluate how effective they were. The ultimate goal would be to discover the "format" of Bofori.

The project group will get help in creating content, maybe even for TV, but it is very likely the project group can create everything by itself. The content should focus on the online game, but if the concept takes Bofori to the streets for example, the online game can be less important. Expensive TV production is not likely to happen in the scope of this project.

Skill requirements

- ActionScript 3.0 helps in creating more complex concepts, but Magicast does not require coding

- Design skills: Interface design, graphic design, video editing, audio design

- Scriptwriting for Finnish children

- Basic understanding of children is always a plus

References

- Bofori, the first major Magicast project: http://yle.fi/bofori/ (registration required)

- Pikku kakkonen Demola project 2008: http://yle.fi/pikkukakkonen/#elainkarnevaalit

- Pikku kakkonen Demola project 2009: http://yle.fi/pikkukakkonen/#leimu

- Pikku kakkonen Demola project 2010: http://yle.fi/pikkukakkonen/#aikakone