# Biohazard VFX Website - Next.js Modernization

## Overview

This document details the complete modernization of the Biohazard VFX website from a static HTML/CSS/JavaScript site to a modern Next.js application with React, TypeScript, and a full content management system.

**Date**: August 15, 2025  
**Original Site**: Static HTML/CSS/JS in `/BiohazardVFX_Website`  
**New Site**: Next.js app in `/BiohazardVFX_Website/biohazard-vfx`

## What Was Accomplished

### 1. **Complete Technology Stack Upgrade**

#### From:
- Static HTML files
- Vanilla JavaScript
- Plain CSS with custom properties
- Manual content updates
- No build system

#### To:
- **Next.js 15.4.6** with App Router
- **React 19** with TypeScript
- **Tailwind CSS 3.4** for styling
- **Prisma ORM** with SQLite database
- **NextAuth.js** for authentication
- Modern build pipeline with hot reload

### 2. **New Features Implemented**

#### **Content Management System**
- Full admin dashboard for managing all site content
- Secure authentication system
- Database-driven content (no more manual file editing)

#### **Blog System**
- Blog listing page with article previews
- Individual blog post pages with rich content
- Category and author management
- SEO-optimized blog structure

#### **Enhanced Project Portfolio**
- Dynamic project grid with all 8 original projects
- Individual project pages with video/embed support
- Credits and info display from original text files
- Responsive grid layout with size variations

#### **Modern UI/UX**
- Preserved original dark theme aesthetic
- Smooth animations and transitions
- Mobile-responsive design
- Improved navigation with left-side slide-in menu
- Interactive team menu overlay

### 3. **Technical Improvements**

#### **Performance**
- Automatic code splitting
- Image optimization with Next.js Image component
- Lazy loading for better initial load times
- Optimized font loading

#### **Developer Experience**
- Full TypeScript support with type safety
- Component-based architecture
- Hot module replacement
- ESLint configuration
- Organized file structure

#### **SEO & Accessibility**
- Next.js metadata API for SEO
- Structured data for search engines
- ARIA labels for accessibility
- Semantic HTML structure

## Project Structure

```
biohazard-vfx/
├── src/
│   ├── app/                    # Next.js App Router pages
│   │   ├── admin/             # Admin dashboard pages
│   │   │   ├── login/         # Admin login
│   │   │   └── page.tsx       # Dashboard home
│   │   ├── blog/              # Blog pages
│   │   │   ├── [slug]/        # Individual blog posts
│   │   │   └── page.tsx       # Blog listing
│   │   ├── contact/           # Contact form page
│   │   ├── crew/              # Team/crew page
│   │   ├── faq/               # FAQ page
│   │   ├── project/           # Project pages
│   │   │   └── [id]/          # Individual projects
│   │   ├── globals.css        # Global styles
│   │   ├── layout.tsx         # Root layout
│   │   └── page.tsx           # Homepage
│   ├── components/            # Reusable React components
│   │   ├── Navigation.tsx     # Site navigation (updated)
│   │   ├── HeroSection.tsx    # Hero video section
│   │   ├── ProjectsGrid.tsx   # Project portfolio grid
│   │   ├── TeamMenu.tsx       # Team overlay menu
│   │   ├── Footer.tsx         # Site footer
│   │   └── Providers.tsx      # Auth providers
│   ├── lib/                   # Utilities
│   │   ├── auth.ts           # NextAuth configuration
│   │   └── prisma.ts         # Prisma client
│   └── types/                 # TypeScript definitions
│       ├── index.ts          # Data models
│       └── next-auth.d.ts    # Auth types
├── prisma/
│   ├── schema.prisma         # Database schema
│   ├── seed.ts              # Database seeding
│   └── migrations/          # Database migrations
├── public/                   # Static assets
│   ├── images/              # Image files
│   ├── videos/              # Video files
│   └── projects/            # Project assets
└── Configuration files
    ├── next.config.js       # Next.js config
    ├── tailwind.config.js   # Tailwind CSS config
    ├── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript config
    └── package.json         # Dependencies
```

## 🔧 How to Use

### Starting the Development Server

```bash
cd /home/Nicholai/Nextcloud/Dev/BiohazardVFX_Website/biohazard-vfx
npm run dev
```

The site will be available at: http://localhost:3000

### Accessing the Admin Dashboard

1. **Navigate to**: http://localhost:3000/admin/login
2. **Login with**:
   - Email: `admin@biohazardvfx.com`
   - Password: `admin123`
3. **Dashboard Features**:
   - Projects Management
   - Blog Management
   - Media Library
   - Team Management
   - FAQ Management

### Database Management

```bash
# View database
npx prisma studio

# Create new migration
npx prisma migrate dev --name your-migration-name

# Seed database
npx tsx prisma/seed.ts
```

### Building for Production

```bash
npm run build
npm start
```

## Site Map

### Public Pages
- **/** - Homepage with hero video, about, projects, team, crew sections
- **/contact** - Contact form with Web3Forms integration
- **/faq** - Frequently asked questions
- **/crew** - Detailed team page with bios
- **/blog** - Blog listing page
- **/blog/[slug]** - Individual blog posts
- **/project/[id]** - Individual project pages

### Admin Pages (Protected)
- **/admin** - Dashboard home
- **/admin/login** - Admin login
- **/admin/projects** - Manage projects (planned)
- **/admin/blog** - Manage blog posts (planned)
- **/admin/media** - Media library (planned)
- **/admin/team** - Manage team members (planned)
- **/admin/faq** - Manage FAQs (planned)

## 🔄 Data Migration

### Projects
All 8 projects from the original site have been preserved:
1. Biohazard VFX Showreel
2. Post Malone Ft. Morgan Wallen - "I Had Some Help"
3. "305" Jordan Adetunji ft Bryson Tiller
4. The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (ARTBAT Remix)
5. 2Hollis "Album Trailer"
6. Enhypen "Bad Desire"
7. SNIPES x Adidas — 2024 Holiday Campaign
8. 1900Rugrat "One Take Freestyle"

### Content
- About text preserved from `written/about_us.txt`
- Crew story from `written/crew.txt`
- FAQ data from `written/faq.json`
- All project credits and info files maintained

## Recent Improvements

### Navigation System (August 2025)
- **Redesigned Navigation**: Replaced the full-screen overlay menu with a sleek left-side sliding panel
- **Less Intrusive**: The new navigation slides in from the left and only covers a portion of the screen
- **Improved UX**: Added backdrop blur, outside click detection, and keyboard escape functionality
- **Consistent Design**: Matches the site's dark theme with subtle borders and proper spacing
- **Better Mobile Experience**: More compact and easier to use on mobile devices

## 📋 What Needs to Be Done Next

### High Priority

1. **Complete Admin CRUD Operations**
   - Build project creation/editing forms
   - Implement blog post editor with rich text
   - Add media upload functionality
   - Create team member management
   - Build FAQ editor

2. **Database Integration**
   - Connect ProjectGrid to database instead of mock data
   - Implement blog post storage and retrieval
   - Add project management API routes
   - Create content versioning system

3. **File Upload System**
   - Integrate Uploadthing or Cloudinary
   - Handle project thumbnails and videos
   - Manage blog featured images
   - Support team member photos

4. **Authentication Enhancement**
   - Add password reset functionality
   - Implement role-based permissions
   - Add session management UI
   - Create user profile editing

### Medium Priority

5. **SEO Optimization**
   - Add sitemap generation
   - Implement blog RSS feed
   - Add Open Graph images
   - Create robots.txt

6. **Performance Optimization**
   - Implement image optimization pipeline
   - Add caching strategies
   - Optimize video loading
   - Implement lazy loading for projects

7. **Blog Features**
   - Add blog search functionality
   - Implement category filtering
   - Add related posts
   - Create comment system (optional)

8. **Analytics Integration**
   - Add Google Analytics or Plausible
   - Create analytics dashboard
   - Track user engagement
   - Monitor performance metrics

### Low Priority

9. **Enhanced Features**
   - Add project filtering/search
   - Implement newsletter signup
   - Create client portal
   - Add testimonials section

10. **Testing & Documentation**
    - Write unit tests for components
    - Add integration tests
    - Create API documentation
    - Write deployment guide

## Deployment Considerations

### Environment Variables
Create a `.env.production` file with:
```env
DATABASE_URL="your-production-database-url"
NEXTAUTH_URL="https://biohazardvfx.com"
NEXTAUTH_SECRET="generate-a-secure-secret"
WEB3FORMS_ACCESS_KEY="your-web3forms-key"
```

### Database
- Consider migrating from SQLite to PostgreSQL for production
- Set up automated backups
- Implement database migrations strategy

### Hosting Options
- **Vercel** - Optimal for Next.js apps
- **Netlify** - Good alternative
- **Self-hosted** - Using Node.js server

### CDN & Media
- Consider CDN for video content
- Optimize image delivery
- Implement proper caching headers

## Summary

The Biohazard VFX website has been successfully modernized from a static site to a dynamic, database-driven Next.js application. The new architecture provides:

- **Better maintainability** through component-based structure
- **Enhanced performance** with modern optimization techniques
- **Improved developer experience** with TypeScript and hot reload
- **Content management capabilities** through the admin dashboard
- **Scalability** for future features and growth

The foundation is now in place for a modern, professional web presence that can grow with the company's needs while maintaining the original aesthetic and brand identity.