Mobile Apps - Apollo Mapping | The Image Hunters

Mobile Apps

Trigger LLC used high resolution satellite imagery purchased from Apollo Mapping in their mobile app for Cybergeddon, a major 2012 Hollywood film. This question and answer series was completed in October 2012 just after the launch of the Cybergeddon app with Shawn Grover, Digital Producer at Trigger.

Question 1:  Can you tell me a bit about Trigger?  What do you do and who do you work with?

An animation of the 6 Cybergeddon loading sequences that incorporate WV2 imagery purchased from Apollo Mapping.

Trigger is a digital agency that specializes in entertainment and youth-brand interactive marketing. We frequently work on the websites, apps, games and more that make up the digital campaigns for some of the year’s biggest films. Trigger has offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai and we frequently work with companies such as Sony Pictures, CAA, 20th Century Fox and Sesame Street.

Question 2: How did you find us at Apollo Mapping?

We reached out to DigitalGlobe, who we discovered via Google when searching for satellite imagery companies; and they put us in touch with Brock McCarty at Apollo Mapping.

Question 3: Could you describe the process of working with Apollo Mapping and what you ordered in the end?

The ordering process was really smooth and Brock was very helpful in answering all of the questions we had. We knew exactly what 6 satellite images we would like to use in our game, so we provided reference photos and latitude/longitude of each, taken from Google Maps. That helped us get the exact shots we wanted. In the end, we ordered natural color 16-bit 50-cm WorldView-2 (WV2) imagery per Brock’s suggestion.

Question 4: How did you process and utilize the WV2 imagery for your mobile app?

Our game features 6 chapters that take place across different major cities around the world. From the start, we wanted to use satellite imagery as part of the drill-down loading sequences that appear before a level starts. Players see a full view of the Earth and then see it zoom in on a particular location within each of the 6 cities that are being attacked in the game. We simply had to color balance the WV2 data and then add some user-interface (UI) and other designs that appear over the satellite imagery.

Question 5: Was purchasing imagery more cost effective for you than trying to hunt down free data that may or may not have met your needs? How did the imagery add value to the mobile app?

We were fortunate to know exactly what we were looking for, and knew it was not really possible to get free high-quality satellite imagery. The imagery we purchased from Apollo Mapping made for really cool loading animations that also help focus the narrative on the key locations that players have to protect in the game.

Question 6: Was the imagery difficult to incorporate into your loading sequences?

The satellite imagery is the primary focus during the loading sequence, so it was relatively easy for us to make sure it looked and functioned as we intended it to. Ultimately, you see the imagery before the game loads a level; and while waiting, it’s a place where the user can read a randomized, interesting fun fact from Norton, who is one of the game’s sponsors. We think the loading sequences turned out quite nicely!