| Syfy's The Expanse is a science fiction thriller set hundreds of years in the future, where mankind has colonized Mars and the outer asteroid belt. The Expanse marked a huge initiative for Syfy in the premium, scripted category. With amazing production values and an IP beloved by hardcore science fiction fans, The Expanse presented unique challenges. In the digital space, how could we offer something new and special for existing fans, while elucidating the complicated storyline for those new to the show and the genre. Our goals with Enter the Future were two-fold: To present a dynamic, interactive means to introduce the world of The Expanse while showcasing its epic storytelling and, in season, provide a companion experience to help viewers keep track of the wonderfully rich, complex narrative that plays out. |
For this experience, we partnered with interactive design firm North Kingdom, who created an interactive and dynamic solar system model to showcase the ever-evolving future, and the events of the show. Even before the show launched, viewers could explore the solar system as seen in The Expanse. By manipulating 3D representations of the various planets, ships and locations, they learned more about the characters and organizations introduced in Season 1. Additionally, visitors could tour the solar system that explains how mankind got from present day to the future seen in The Expanse, narrated by series lead Steven Strait. Once Season 1 began, visitors were able to access episode specific views of the entire experience. There, they could follow the various story threads, by character or location, on an episode-by-episode basis, as well as track the Julie Mao mystery, a greater conspiracy that weaved in and out of the first season. Because this narrative was woven so circuitously throughout Season 1 we knew that offering users an opportunity to digest the information on their own terms was vital in our offering of a second screen activation. No information was revealed until an episode aired, so the ability to view by episode ensured that visitors had the power in their hands to learn as much _or as little about any given episode once it went live. Enter the Future is accessible on a desktop, tablet or mobile device. |
| The Expanse's Enter the Future Second Screen experience earned a total of 1.2MM page views, 83K uniques, and 106K visits with a time spent of nearly 4.0 minutes per visit. We were particularly proud of our engaged audience and the time they spent on the site, which not only showcased how interesting the show is, but the intuitive interface we created. Enter the Future ranked as the #1 content type for The Expanse show site on Syfy.com in page views. Beyond the stats, we enjoyed hearing from users how using the Enter the Future site clarified questions they had about the show in a slick, fun way! |
