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HBO assembles Mosaic app

Mosaic stars Sharon Stone

US premium cablenet HBO has launched an app that allows viewers to create their own storylines for the forthcoming Steven Soderbergh series Mosaic.

The free app introduces users to two key characters, with viewers then left to make their own choices in deciding whose perspective to follow, meeting other characters along the way.

It has been produced by media technology company PodOp and developed for HBO by Soderbergh and Casey Silver, in conjunction with the show’s writer Ed Solomon. The app is available for Apple devices, with an Android version coming soon.

HBO said the launch “comes at a time when consumers are looking for new forms of mobile-first entertainment. Mosaic aims to give this growing audience a mobile experience unlike any they’ve had before.”

The app also allows users to watch the content in full-screen immersive mode, as well as offering ‘choice moments’ when users must select which character’s perspective they want to adopt.

Users can also explore ‘discoveries,’ looking closer at additional content such as voicemails and emails between the characters, and ‘look again’ to review missed perspectives to get the full picture.

The Mosaic app has been in development for three years and meant Solomon had to produce an array of scripts to deal with the numerous perspectives, while Soderbergh had to shoot scenes from multiple angles throughout filming.

The technology developed to support the product resulted in PodOp filing 14 new patents, including script-management tools for user selection-driven narratives and new forms of data mining to inform content experiences.

“While branching narratives have been around forever, technology now allows, I hope, for a more elegant form of engagement than used to be possible,” Soderbergh said.

“At no point were we reverse-engineering the story to fit an existing piece of technology; the story was being created in lockstep with the technical team. The fluidity of that relationship made me feel comfortable because I wanted it to be a simple, intuitive experience.”

Viewers will be able to see how their versions of the story on the app compare to Soderbergh’s when Mosaic starts airing on HBO from January 22. The six-parter stars Sharon Stone, Garrett Hedlund and Frederick Weller.

Earlier this year Netflix released an interactive episode of its animated series The Adventure of Puss in Boots, allowing viewers to choose the direction of the story.

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