April 20, 2023
The Prometheus Method in Practice – from Development through Release
SITUATION & TASKS
Prometheus Digital Studio utilizes an Insights Enhanced Creative process that involves testing content and utilizing data to mitigate the performance and viewership risks associated with content development and creation. The team also creates and distributes content using tested and proven insights to understand and relate to the creative challenges of clients. The process is iterative, and data testing is integrated throughout the entire creative process – from concept to premiere.
One example of the Insights Enhanced Creative process is the creation of Prometheus Digital Studio’s award-winning animated short called Tech Witch. The team aimed to create animated science fiction and fantasy content that was affordable enough to be distributed across social media while still telling compelling original stories. After some brainstorming, the team narrowed down their choices to three potential concepts that seemed most exciting.
ACTIONS
To test the concepts, the team created loglines, brief descriptions, and key art/posters for each concept. These creative assets were tested to help prioritize which project should be the inaugural animation project for Prometheus Digital Studio. The goal was to understand the audience’s demographics, preferences, and behaviors and concurrently start building a core fandom before money had been spent on production. The winning concept was Tech Witch, a blended Science Fiction and Fantasy series about a pair of twin witches who find out that they can control both nature and technology.
Before committing to the project, the team tested the actual story in a low-cost format such as text stories, web comics/graphic novels or podcasts. In the case of Tech Witch, they used a podcast. The podcast allowed the team to test the story without investing a significant amount of money in animation production. This approach also helped the team to identify and address potential issues with the story before committing to full animation production.
RESULTS
Throughout the development process, Prometheus continued to test the story and what made audiences interested. The result was an original story that not only captured the attention of audiences but also garnered the adoration of creatives. The animated pilot was nominated for 5 international film festival awards, including Best Animation, Best Pilot, Best Short, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Eventually, Tech Witch won the title of LA Webfest Best Animation in 2023.
