THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

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From the 7th Annual Shorty Awards

The Strain - Subhumans of NY Tumblr

Finalist in Tumblr Campaign

Objectives

"What's your beat?"

"The end of the world."

As New York descends into the night eternal in Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse's The Strain, a lone photographer has taken to the streets to document the virulent vampire outbreak. Subhumans of New York is an atmospheric companion site to cable's #1 new drama in 2014 and features stunning original photography and storytelling detailing the fall of NYC from a perspective not seen in the show.

Strategy and Execution

Using the Tumblr platform, Subhumans mirrored The Strain's narrative to show a different side of the decay through the eyes of a normal photographer. The journey begins with photos of average New Yorkers who sense something isn't quite right with their beloved city. They've encountered rats flowing up from the sewers. They now keep kitchen knives with them for protection. With new photos released in step with each episode, the photographer captures the rapid descent of the city as it fully succumbs to the vampire takeover.

26 “To dismiss the eclipse as anything less than providence is pure foolishness. I cannot say if this omen is for good or ill, but rest assured it is an omen, and one we are meant to witness. Look up, I implore you. Tell everyone to look up! Fear makes you turn your head. Real men must not look away.“


FX derived inspiration from the story line of the show to create 100% custom content to tell a unique set of stories that could not be shown on TV. To achieve the proper look and tone, FX organized a custom shoot to help design beautifully terrifying high quality images, images that aimed to create an authentic and layered story within the story. FX also created atmospheric copy to accompany the images to give them a backstory, bring the images to life, and narrate the fall of NYC from a first person perspective. Subhumans of New York's unique narrative experience expanded The Strain's universe and delighted its fans.

The Strain Stats

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