INTERACTIVE

PRESENTATIONS

CDs and DVDs have mostly become relics of the past, with Blu-ray—their successor—also slowly fading into obsolescence.

Let’s go back to the year 2000, before cloud storage, HD and 4K streaming, and solid-state drives revolutionized our workflows. Back then, optical laser discs were the go-to medium for quick-access storage, as external hard drives were rare and USB flash drives offered only a handful of megabytes. From documents to music, video, and interactive media, our workspaces were often cluttered with jewel cases housing these discs.

Among these media, Multimedia Applications stood out. While today’s interactivity happens mostly online or through gaming, the early 2000s saw a boom in interactive 3D media used for marketing purposes—especially in niches like real estate, automotive, and product showcases. This approach gave users a way to “experience” a product or space virtually, often as part of a marketing strategy.

For example, during my time as a small business owner from 2001 to 2003, I worked on a project for a real estate client who wanted to showcase properties before building physical models. Today, virtual tours are standard and easily accessible online, but back then, we packaged these experiences on mini-CDs—compact discs that doubled as business cards and were easy for salespeople to carry and distribute.

The highlight of this project was the interactive functionality we added to the 3D models using Cult3D, a now-defunct application by Cycore Systems. This tool allowed users to rotate models, zoom in and out, remove roofs, change colors, and even navigate the interiors virtually. Such features, while common today, were revolutionary at the time, especially in a format that could be delivered within a short turnaround.

For a similar experience, you can explore Sketchfab.

I developed these Multimedia Applications using Macromedia Director, an application that didn’t survive Adobe’s acquisition of Macromedia. Director allowed for multimedia-rich presentations, including support for video and interactive functionality, and could output multi-OS versions for both Windows and Mac. Unlike Flash, which was geared for online use, Director handled offline applications seamlessly, making it ideal for these projects.

Looking back, it’s fascinating how these technologies shaped the way we delivered interactive experiences. Even my 2014 YouTube demo feels dated now, reflecting an older aspect ratio and simpler designs.

What’s next for me in this field?

I would love to work on Virtual Reality projects using VR headsets. Immersive experiences have always been a passion of mine, from early experiments with anaglyphs (red and blue 3D images) in the late 1980s to interactive 3D environments and anamorphic 3D art. I’m constantly seeking the next big project that challenges my creativity and allows me to learn something new.

P.S. If you ever wonder HOW MUCH to charge for a FREELANCE project like this, check out my “Project Budget Calculator“. It can provide a helpful reference for pricing your work.

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