HBO Max

HBO Max
Orbit

Best Responsive/Adaptive Design for Mobile / People's Voice Winner

HBO Max

Best Responsive/Adaptive Design for Mobile

People's Voice Winner

"HBO Max Orbit recognized intuitive inputs including body movements and voice recognition to match user actions with content. For example, saying “I’m happy” pulls up content that reflects those words and emotions." HBO Max

Q: Can you describe your project and the concept behind it?

A: The HBO Max Orbit showcased the breadth of HBO Max’s content library using the power of machine learning and 5G. In AT&T flagship locations and a digital web extension, users were able to explore more than 85,000 clips from library. HBO Max Orbit recognized intuitive inputs including body movements and voice recognition to match user actions with content. For example, saying “I’m happy” pulls up content that reflects those words and emotions.

Q: What influenced your chosen technical approach, and how did it go beyond past methods?

A: When we began work with HBO Max, we knew that pulling from their existing content would be essential to creating a dynamic experience. We leveraged the creative power of machine learning to process the brand’s rich library of content and create new interfaces for users to engage with. We often pull data from clients for projects but it is rare that we are able to play with content as recognizable as film and TV, which was an exciting challenge.

When did you experience a breakthrough or an "a-ha" moment during this project?

The Covid-19 pandemic had forced brands from all sectors to reimagine experiential marketing and create a new normal. The HBO Max Orbit experience, both web and in AT&T flagship stores, enabled users to explore the HBO Max catalog and interact with their favorite moments and characters just by moving their body and using their voice.

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Q: What web technologies, tools, and resources did you use to develop this?

A: To create The Orbit we made a custom content ingestion pipeline which uses machine learning to go through hundreds of thousands of shots from HBO Max content. These clips are processed, analyzed and then served to the user based on their skeleton and facial tracking as well as speech recognition. Finally, users have a custom takeaway video generated in the cloud. We used many tools including hundreds of AWS instances, three.js and Touchdesigner.

Q: How did you balance your own creative ideas and technical capabilities with a fair representation of the client’s brand?

A: For The Orbit, we wanted to build a unique experience that demonstrated the breadth of HBO Max and the relationships that its content has with viewers. During concept development, we identified that we were interested in making something that felt different from what already existed in the world of entertainment marketing. Through our technical choices, we were able to promote interactivity as a new, novel and fun way to engage with TV and film.

Q: How did the final product meet or exceed your expectations?The HBO Max Orbit experience exceeded expectations. The Orbit set a new bar for uniqueness, quality and inspiration for brand experiences. It became a destination-worthy retail experience in AT&T flagship stores, while the web version helped fans experience the magic from anywhere in the world.

A: The HBO Max Orbit experience exceeded expectations. The Orbit set a new bar for uniqueness, quality and inspiration for brand experiences. It became a destination-worthy retail experience in AT&T flagship stores, while the web version helped fans experience the magic from anywhere in the world.