KNIVES OUT

Murder mystery film, Knives Out, grabbed everyone’s attention, and so did the fun website that promoted it. Oblio tells Tom May how it created its innovative 3D navigation

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Although you can’t see it in print, this is no ordinary flat and static homepage. View it on your phone, tablet or computer screen, and you discover a dynamic, moving, 3D diorama, mixing up various elements of the movie in an evocative and atmospheric manner. (1) A 3D knife serves the function of a Thrombey family tree. (2) Ornamental pieces on the homepage are populated with family portraits; clicking on them links through to more information on each character. (3) The main navigation for the website. Clicking here opens a panel with the various site destinations: Gallery, Posters, Commentary, Accolades, Shop, etc. (4) A rotating carousel links through to various features and sections within, and outside, the site. (5) A call to action prompts users to scroll down the page, to reveal more of the scene and other characters. (6) The full 3D scene with a LUT applied for accurate colouring and blurring, to show the depth of it all.

One of the big commercial and critical hits of 2019, Knives Out takes the classic Agatha Christie-style whodunnit and gives it a modern twist. Directed by Rian Johnson and boasting an all-star cast led by Daniel Craig, it’s one of the most original and inventive movies of modern times, and so demanded a website that could pull off a similar trick (https://knivesout.movie).