3 min read

Boris in the Boreal Forest interactive adventure video

An entertaining and immersive adventure through Alberta's Mackenzie Region with Boris the Spruce Tree

Boris in the Boreal Forest adventure map includes 360° VR bear den and helicopter experiences!

What do you do when you're named the Forest Capital of Canada for a year and want to leave a lasting legacy that celebrates your region's rich forestry heritage? Our answer: create an adorable animated tree character and an interactive adventure video set in the boreal forest!

When the FCC 2024 committee approached Long Sleeve Productions in late 2023 seeking video content ideas, we proposed Boris the Spruce Tree and his interactive journey as a creative way to engage the local community with their forest environment while educating them about what makes the northern Alberta boreal so unique and vital to the Mackenzie Region.

Introducing our latest project, Boris in the Boreal Forest & his interactive adventure video! 👇

Boris the Spruce Tree is a wise and adventurous animated white spruce from the Buffalo Head Hills near La Crete, Alberta. Seeking adventure and curious about smoke in the area, he decides to pick up his roots and journey north to explore his neighborhood, trekking through the stunning and rugged Mackenzie Region.

The Boris in the Boreal Forest interactive adventure video combines animated segments featuring Boris with live-action footage of local forest experts and knowledge-keepers. Using cutting-edge interactive video technology, viewers can choose their own adventure by selecting from map stops or animated menus. Whether following the sequence or creating their own path through the boreal, every stop is both entertaining and educational!

Here's a quick summary of Boris' interactive adventure video stops:

▶️ Start

🌲🗺️🧭Meet Boris and set out on the adventure

Boris the Spruce Tree gets his map — Boris gets his boreal map delivered

1️⃣ Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre

2️⃣ Boreal History and Language Spotlight with a Dene Tha' Indigenous Elder

3️⃣ Get Directions

4️⃣ Tree Health Check

5️⃣ Explore Machesis Lake

6️⃣ Building homes with Luke

7️⃣ Learn Tree Planting

Meet one of Blue Collar Silviculture's tree planters, Clarkey, along with some of his friends who spend their summers plantings hundreds of thousands of trees in the Mackenzie Region.

Tree planting demonstration west of High Level — Clarkey gives tree planting instructions

8️⃣ Wildfire Centre

9️⃣ Dozer Defence

⏹️ Finish

Our approach to Boris' interactive adventure video

Boris' interactive adventure was designed as a children's edutainment video, filmed from a first-person perspective to immerse viewers directly into the boreal environment, allowing them to engage with Boris and the hosts. Using a cinema camera, handheld gimbal, drone, and 360° VR camera, we created a fully immersive experience. The hosts were largely unscripted, adding a relaxed, conversational tone to the content.

We originally created Boris' adventure for 8-year-olds, but the engaging hosts and rich content have drawn in an unexpected audience—adults! In fact, Boris has even earned a spot on the activity calendar at a retirement residence in Calgary (🙋‍♀️Hi, Mom!).

Boris in the Boreal Forest is the first of two interactive videos Long Sleeve is producing this year. We're excited to show people what's possible by combining video with technology that makes it more engaging and educational. Nearly all aspects of the project was produced in-house, with the exception of the final character design, animation, and voiceover.

We hope you enjoy meeting Boris and the friendly and knowledgeable people of the Mackenzie Region, as well as learn a few things more about northwest Alberta's boreal forest.