Pyralume
Posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
Pyralume is a dedicated space designed for film lovers and filmmakers to connect, discover, and engage with independent cinema. More than just a platform for viewing films, Pyralume is a thriving community where emerging filmmakers can showcase their work and reach passionate audiences beyond traditional film festivals. By bridging the gap between creators and viewers, we empower filmmakers to gain visibility and recognition for their artistry.
We worked closely with our client to understand their vision and goals for Pyralume. Through ongoing discussions and feedback sessions, we tailored our development approach to align with their expectations, ensuring that the platform would effectively serve both filmmakers and audiences. By maintaining open communication with our client, we were able to refine key features and make strategic design adjustments that enhanced usability and engagement, ultimately delivering a functional and compelling final product.
Building Pyralume was an ambitious endeavour that required overcoming several technical and design challenges. Initially, we planned to integrate an existing backend solution to manage user data, film uploads, and streaming. However, we encountered limitations with the APIs that hindered the scalability and functionality of our platform. These limitations ultimately led us to develop our own custom API with Node.js and PostgreSQL, ensuring full control over data management, authentication, and video streaming. This shift was a major challenge, requiring in-depth research and implementation of a thorough backend framework, database structuring, and storage solutions for media.
Our team also worked tirelessly on our UI/UX design within Figma. Early iterations of our interface lacked the intuitive navigation and visual appeal necessary for a smooth user experience, but later conducting usability testing and gathering feedback, we made significant design refinements. We improved accessibility, streamlined navigation, and enhanced the overall visual hierarchy to make content discovery and community interactions more engaging. These adjustments allowed us to create a more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing platform.
Key Features are:
Exclusive Independent Film Library – Watch unique films from local creators in your community.
Social Network for Filmmakers & Fans – Follow directors, screenwriters, and producers to discuss films and stay updated on their latest projects.
Film Events & Festivals – Discover upcoming film festivals, networking events, and exclusive screenings.
Reviews & Discussions – Share insights, rate films, and help great projects gain traction.
Through this project, our team gained invaluable experience in mobile development, UI/UX design, and problem-solving. We learned the importance of adaptability when technical roadblocks arise, and the significance of user feedback and research in refining an application. Developing an API pushed our backend development skills to new heights, and improving our UI based on user testing strengthened our design sensibilities.
This project was a lesson in collaboration, iteration, and problem-solving. By addressing each issue head-on and refining our approach, we built a strong, scalable foundation for Pyralume, ensuring it can evolve to meet the needs of filmmakers and film lovers alike.
As we move forward, we are excited about the potential growth of Pyralume and its impact on the independent film industry. This experience has solidified our passion for creating meaningful digital solutions, and we look forward to continuing our journey in technology and innovation.