SubmarineChannel.com

Be afraid! This is hands down the best immersive, online, fictional game thingy we have seen yet. Like, ever. It maxes out on the use of interactive gimmicks which - when you think about it - seem like obvious tools for non-linear drama. We're talking web-cam (to make sure you are playing in the dark! And for chilling / thrilling visual tricks), mic (for super-creepy vocal interactivity), cell phone, and such-like to create a frenzied, nightmarish trip through the haunted hotel, cleverly customized to freak YOU the hell out. It's a gripping ride and a super-fun challenge peppered with visual shockers. FYI the patience-testing login process and upload time are totes worth it.

Six months ago the Etappes published a superb video of the making of the Oscar-winning short on Vimeo. Very worthwhile even if you don't speak French. There are clips of the animatic and character studies. Logorama creators Ludovic Houplain, Hervé de Crécy et François Alaux of H5 discuss logos and reappropriation. Come to think of it. The Academy awarding a short that takes intellectual property reappropriation to a whole new level is no less than a major breakthrough. Hollywood acknowledges that reappropriation can actually be a good thing.

The man behind Jawbone.tv - where non-linear dreamz are born - just shared this intrigueing oeuvre-in-the-making with us: a dark, gory and compelling crowd-powered, interactive graphic novel-type project in which you get to kill and kill again the world's deadliest killers. Keyword: kill :-) The project is *transmedia*-tastic, combining gaming, books, animation and live action in its production and distribution approach. You even get scary text messages on your phone! We strongly recommend you help make Rekill a re-ality by becoming a Facebook fan (FYI they need 1 million). Death is just the beginning apparently! And on that cheery note, here's the trailer.

Collapsus is the name of SubmarineChannel's brand-new interactive fiction project currently in its final production stage. Directed by Tommy Pallotta of American Prince (director) and A Scanner Darkly (producer) notoriety, the project is designed to raise awareness regarding our imminent transition to alternative energy resources in the coming decades. With fictional characters, existing documentary footage, rotoscope animation and interactive features, the audience will be treated to a compelling online experience. English version will released this Spring. Dutch version in March.

These artists really worked their asses off to get your attention with their impressive animated music videos. Witness the meticulously constructed landscapes in the cross-country road trip of a couple of pairs of boots in Poon and Makarenko's stop-motion promo for Zeus. Or the Gorillaz-inspired animated narrative for Spanish hip-hopper El Chojin, who envisions himself as a rugged but tormented superheroe. Paul Murphy's flabbergasting line animation for The Fumes is the icing on this weeks 2Pause cake! We asked Murphy how he did it in this interview.

How come France is the undisputed gold medallist of le web documentaire? In the past 2 days, they've spouted not one but two corkers: Le Challenge and Havana-Miami. Applying two very different approaches (visually and interface-wise), the former is an interactive investigation that maxes out on the "choose-your-own-adventure" possibilities of non-linear storytelling, while the latter gets wiggidy wild with the immediacy of our old friend the World Wide Web. Our balls of crystal predict a brilliant 2010 for web docs from France and beyond. Btw France, if you're listening, please sort out your subtitling - this is INTERNET broadcasting, not national television (you know who you are). Merci! x