My favorite project for McGraw-Hill. A huge series of partially animated, fully interactive "Listening Maps" delivered on CD-ROM for classroom IWB or individual PC/tablet use. As music plays, screen elements change to show what is going on in the music, and user can also skip to or replay sections and manipulate certain other options. Design work was done in Photoshop, creating from one or two to up to 50 or more screen states as layer comps. These were then passed to the developer, ShearSpire Media, where animation and interactivity were added in Flash and audio tracks overlaid. Individual LMs were created by a team of designers including myself; the base interface frame was designed by Rachel Smith.
This one was fun because the editors had hoped to use stills of particular scenes from the movie, which proved unviable. Instead we researched stock photos that would work for the mood of each section of the music.
Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth, one of my favorites. Using rights-managed photography.
One of the more elaborate ones with dozens of screen states. A movie of the animation is below. With commissioned illustration by two amazing artists: musical instruments by Hima Pamoedjo, characters and backgrounds by Carlo Molinari.
This is how the Listening Maps work. Animation (only a few poses per movement were possible) was done in Flash by Shearspire Media. Note how the characters' movements, costume changes, and background events, and other changes in screen state indicate events in the music: in particular the instruments panel, scrolling notation, and buttons, which the user can also use to skip to a particular section in the music.
