To call …In The Woods a documentary would be like calling Donnie Darko a family drama. Experimental filmmaker Jennifer Elster directs the mysterious film that has actors, scientists, and other prominent professionals go just where the title says. To match the mysteriousness of the film’s premise, an online experience has been created to let the audience join the journey.
The film has a several people (Terrence Howard, Rufus Wainwright, Will Shortz, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, Liya Kebede, Temple Grandin, Famke Janssen, Moby, Kent Cullers, Debra Winger, Dave Matthews, Jorgen Leth, Rosie Perez, Alan Cumming, Karen Black and Will Oldham) individually journey into the woods and follow clues. None know what awaits them, and none no what the film is about. Yoko Ono provides vocalizations for the score, the first time she’s ever done that.
You can have your own journey by following clues across the Internet, starting at ITWPathway.com, created by Webby Award winning website design companies Champagne Valentine and Random Nu. Once you enter the site, you are presented with a first person viewpoint of woods that you can navigate through with your mouse. By going through, you randomly gain access to footage from the film, and to be honest, it’s all quite creepy.
If you’d like to play along, get caught up with these clues already revealed:
Yoko Ono reveals Clue Number One on the Imagine Peace website via a Twitter status entitled “I did something I’ve never done before…”.
Will Shortz reveals Clue Number Two on WillShortz.com, leading you into the woods to find a hidden-puzzle; the answer will open future pathways.
Bob Mankoff Clue Number Three at Headville.net. The key word is a pass code that will be necessary to proceed.
So, there’s how to start your journey if you dare to continue. For more information on the film and game experience, check out InTheWoodsExperience.com, and follow …In The Woods on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. There are no details on how the film will be released, but Spring 2011 is the official date given, and the main site promises an April 15th date for the store and a tour TBA. Let us know what you think about this whole thing in the comments below.