Bringing theatres home

Raising the curtain on a bold new identity.

Creating a compelling product identity for Dramox, a brand-new VOD platform specializing in theatrical performances, was a challenge we embraced wholeheartedly. As a platform targeting a broad and diverse audience, spanning all age groups without strict limits. It was crucial to design a brand that was both eye-catching and universally approachable.

Our work included developing a striking yet highly legible product brand identity that resonates across generations. The Dramox logo, its accompanying icon, and the thoughtfully selected color palette serve as unifying elements, woven seamlessly into every touchpoint. These assets were meticulously applied across all materials, ensuring consistency and recognition, whether viewed on a mobile app, a smart TV, or promotional materials.

The result? A brand that not only captures attention but also reflects the accessibility and inclusivity at the heart of Dramox, positioning it as a trusted home for theater lovers worldwide.

Building a seamless online platform for theater lovers.

Dramox offered a unique challenge, as it didn’t follow the typical expectation of being predominantly accessed through mobile devices, a common trend for most digital products. While Dramox does include a mobile app that sees regular use, the desktop version of the website takes precedence, driven by one clear factor: the preference for larger screens when enjoying theatrical performances.

The UI and UX were crafted around the principles of purchasing VOD and similar online services, with a strong emphasis on efficient product delivery. Recognizing that Dramox launched during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when theaters were closing rapidly, we had little time for experimentation. Instead, we leveraged our extensive experience and moved swiftly into a flawlessly executed solution.

The result is a web experience that combines the intuitiveness of modern VOD platforms with a tailored focus on delivering the best possible performance and usability across devices, especially for desktop users seeking an immersive viewing experience.

From stage to screen! A Flawless experience the world of theater closer, one performance at a time.

Dramox is fundamentally a VOD (Video On Demand) platform, delivering seamless access to theatrical performances anytime, anywhere, on virtually any device. Users can select a specific play and enjoy it without restrictions. To achieve this, we implemented a robust Content Delivery Network (CDN), paired with advanced encoding and packaging workflows to support a wide array of formats. This ensures smooth playback across all supported platforms while drastically reducing latency and buffering times, even under high traffic loads.

Our infrastructure is built entirely within the AWS (Amazon Web Services) ecosystem, enabling predictive scalability and dynamic resource allocation. This not only optimizes operational costs over time but also ensures exceptional performance during peak periods. For instance, launching Dramox in new markets after major marketing campaigns, where audience reach and traffic volume were unpredictable, was made effortless thanks to the platform's built-in flexibility and resilience.

Dramox stands shoulder to shoulder with industry standards, thanks to a range of advanced features designed for both audiences and administrators. The platform ensures smooth and uninterrupted viewing with adaptive bitrate streaming, automatically adjusting video quality based on internet speed. Its multi-language support caters to global audiences, offering subtitles and audio tracks in several languages. Robust digital rights management (DRM) keeps content secure. Built on AWS, Dramox is highly scalable, effortlessly handling traffic spikes and expanding to new regions. To top it off, a comprehensive analytics provides insights for administrators to optimize performance and engagement. Dramox isn’t just a streaming platform, it’s a user-focused experience that brings the magic of theater to a global stage.

Effortless playback. Tailored for every platform.

During the design and implementation of the Dramox player, we identified the need for a clear and intuitive interface that allows users to enjoy theatrical performances with ease. At the same time, we aimed to minimize the redundancy of business logic implementations, particularly for tracking playback and collecting statistical data, across the diverse range of platforms where Dramox operates. These include the web, Tizen, webOS, Google TV smart TVs, and Android and iOS mobile platforms, along with support for Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay where applicable.

To manage this complexity, we segmented the player into three distinct instances deployed across six platforms. This modular architecture reduces system complexity, simplifies maintenance, and ensures the interoperability and integrity of the solution. By doing so, we’ve positioned ourselves to handle future feature requests, modifications to analytics requirements, or shifts in user behavior with greater agility.

Bringing performances to life through typography. Navigate hundreds of shows with clarity.

As the project evolved, Dramox shifted towards producing its own content, with their internal team focusing primarily on directing and filming theatrical performances. However, the visual and digital representation of this work became our domain. To enhance the user experience, we created over 300 custom logotypes, each tailored to individual performances.

These bespoke typographic headers were designed to help viewers easily identify performances at a glance, reducing confusion in the vast library of hundreds of productions. By blending unique typography with the essence of each performance, we ensured that the visual identity of every show stood out, making the browsing experience both intuitive and visually engaging.

Theater to the big screen. Bringing drama to your pajamas!

Unlike mobile or web applications, Smart TV apps must account for users viewing content from approximately three meters away, often in a relaxed setting. This necessitates a focus on legible typography and intuitive navigation. We prioritized a clean and straightforward UI, ensuring that users could easily interact with the app using directional keys or pointers.

Given the limitations of traditional TV remote controls, we designed the app to highlight a single active element on the screen at any time. This approach simplifies navigation, allowing users to move efficiently through content using minimal input.

Recognizing the limited processing power of Smart TVs compared to other devices, we focused on optimizing performance. This included efficient memory management and reducing unnecessary computations to ensure smooth operation. We also conducted extensive testing across different TV models to identify and address performance bottlenecks.

These principles were applied in the development of Dramox's Smart TV applications for Tizen, webOS, and Android TV platforms. Each version was tailored to meet the specific requirements and capabilities of its respective ecosystem while maintaining a consistent and seamless user experience across all devices.

Theater in your pocket. Performances at your fingertips.

For Dramox, the vision naturally included covering mobile platforms with the ability to stream content via Chromecastand AirPlay. To achieve this efficiently, we utilized Google’s Flutter framework, a cross-platform solution that reduced development costs by at least 40% while maintaining high quality and performance across both iOS and Android.

Flutter's capability to combine cross-platform and native components allowed us to implement the video players natively. The rationale behind this choice was simple: we wanted to provide users with the best possible experience where it matters most, within the player itself. Since viewers spend the majority of their time in the player, we aimed to deliver the smoothest and most immersive playback experience possible.

The mobile app stays true to the Dramox brand identity, aligning seamlessly with the entire ecosystem and platform. It serves as another convenient touchpoint, ensuring that theater lovers can discover, enjoy, and connect with performances wherever they are, right from their pocket.

From spotlight to headlines. Dramox’s Impact on theater and media.

Dramox received widespread media coverage following its launch. As a groundbreaking and unprecedented service, Dramox has remained true to its promise: returning 55% of all revenue back to theaters from the very beginning.

Prominent media outlets such as Forbes, CzechCrunch, E15, Reflex, iDNES, and many others highlighted the platform’s unique mission and innovative approach. Each mention was a cause for celebration, as it brought an increasing number of potential viewers to Dramox. Thanks to our end-to-end delivery of services, we ensured these audiences had a seamless and enjoyable experience, helping bring theater closer to people’s lives in a modern and accessible way.

Behind the Curtain. A Custom CMS that runs the show.

For Dramox, we knew a custom designed Content Management System (CMS) was the only way forward. The design and implementation were driven entirely by the platform’s specific business needs and goals. While many perceive a CMS as the final piece of the puzzle, it is, in fact, a critical foundation. A well-crafted CMS dictates what content is visible on the platform, which markets have access to specific content, and even the real-time status of encoding and packaging for CDN delivery.

We needed to manage key elements like the Homepage, Performances, Cast, Theatres, and Video Library all in one place, across four language variations and markets. To achieve this, we leveraged the Ant Design framework, which allowed us to structure the entire content management workflow effectively. This included essential functionalities such as user management, voucher generation, and other administrative tasks.

Our decision to build a custom CMS ensured long-term flexibility and agility. We could respond quickly to Dramox’s evolving needs without being constrained by the limitations of off-the-shelf solutions. This approach empowered us to provide a scalable, efficient, and reliable system that meets both the current and future requirements of Dramox, ensuring seamless content management and operational efficiency.