Client – Mediabox/Channel 4

Sector – Youth Arts/Commercial

Year - 2008

Brief – RollingSound secured project funding from Mediabox to produce ‘Soul Control’ a youth created 3D computer game about the dangers of knife crime. Channel 4 then commisioned RollingSound to produce a professional version, ‘Dead Ends’ to publicise the 2008 ‘Disarming Britain’ campaign.

Budget -£30K











Project – The idea came from two young people, Adam Brown and Steve Mazonis, who were categorised as NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training). After successfully completing a RollingSound computer games design course, they designed Soul Control as a way to reach other disaffected young people and talk about the two key issues they feel most strongly about: gang culture and gun/knife crime.

With the help of a grant from Mediabox work on Soul Control began in December 2007 – with three teams of young people working on the project to design and build the game, film cut-scenes to carry the games story, and compose and record the soundtrack. The resulting game achieved widespread media coverage when released as a free download, with a special feature on BBC 6 o’clock news, and coverage in the London Paper and London Light.

As a result of the publicity, RollingSound were approached by Channel 4 to produce a similar game for their Disarming Britain campaign. Dead Ends was made by professionals with young people shadowing them. Young people also took a key role in story development and voice acting. The game also notably featured Channel 4 news anchor Jon Snow as a 3D character in the game, earning it national press on release.











Project Outputs –

1 young person is now working professionally as a games designer as a result of the project.

5000 downloads of Dead Ends

National press coverage

What the young People say – “We wanted to show what it’s like for young people, as well as showing how easy it is to get trapped in this kind of lifestyle”. In Soul Control, like in real life, the more criminal behaviour you take part in, the more your choices and options eventually run out. Working on Soul Control has been a great experience for all of us.” Ben (17)

What the Client says – “Soul Control was a fantastic piece of work – a genuinely innovative and forward thinking project, that delivered great results for the young people involved.” Nick Dossiter, Mediabox

Website Link – http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/D/disarming_britain/deadends.html