We have been dying to share this with you but until now, have been sworn to secrecy. But, we’ve been given the green flag, so off we go!

Mattel challenged us to create an interactive, choose your own adventure video experience for a new Hot Wheels product. The response was…well…to say we were excited would be a huge understatement.

We have been producing interactive, non-linear videos for a while now. Heck, we even worked with Pointroll back in 2005 to create an industry nomenclature for interactive video: Pause-to-Play; Relational Hotspotting; Choose Your Interactive Adventure; and, of course, Green Screen Overlay (see it here ). However, the Hot Wheels challenge was different. We set out to produce this entire experience using stop motion photography. Best of all, the video was produced to live on YouTube’s Annotation Platform (NOTE: YouTube is also a client).

The experience has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Filmed on location in our DotLot studios, we produced the videos using three cameras, capturing more than 9,000 still frames, used 85 pounds of sugar (how else can we make it snow on Whiteout Mountain?!) and 100 pounds of sand. Our motion graphics team created explosions, avalanches and crashes that all help feed play-time imaginations. The custom sound design enhances the users’ immersion into the thrilling racing experience.

The video showcases the new line of Hot Wheels Custom Motors toys by enticing users into a series of Custom Motors Cup racing circuits. Players compete as Pit Crew Chief and race three courses in a chase for the Cup. After selecting one of two cool new Custom Motors vehicles, the key to victory then lies in choosing the right vehicle configuration for each of the three different tracks. The tracks start with a traditional racetrack and then progress to more treacherous off-road tracks. The game’s many permutations make it fun and challenging, so users want to play again and again in an effort to lead their team to victory.

We couldn’t be more proud of the end result. And because we know you are probably just as geeky about the “how to” as we are, look for a making-of video in the coming weeks to see how it all came together.

To get hooked on the Hot Wheels Custom Motors Cup game, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/HOTWHEELS.

Buddy Squirrel Buddy Squirrel is The Buddy Group's man-about-town. He's a little skittish, so he is hard to spot. But, come to a TBG Happy Hour and you might just spot him sipping on some Acorn Ale.

This post is the author's opinion and not necessarily that of The Buddy Group™ (unless it's about ice cream - they never disagree about that).