MY THREE YEAR OLD daughter is growing up in a house full of books, some Beta tapes from her mother's days as an animator and a lot of new technology that she knows best by tapping. So when I see her world come to a complete halt and watch her undivided attention focus on a single activity, I know something special has happened. In this case, Mr Morris Lessmore has entered her world.
The story of Morris Lessmore is a story about old books, old films, old scores, and new technology. It's a presentation of a simple storyline, but one that allows readers to change its shape, depending on mood. This is remarkable and one of the best pieces of homage I've ever seen.
Morris Lessmore takes parts of old stories and amplifies them, often with the reader's help. Morris Lessmore lives inside a digital book with seemingly endless expressiveness.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore has jumped directly onto the creative multimedia curriculum of LIT-Clonmel as a transmedia set piece. It is one of the best short films I have ever seen, the best interactive books I have read, and a totally excellent storyboard that you can view through the iPad application.
My wife, the animator, appreciates the distinctive style used by former Pixar animator William Joyce. He blends miniatures, 2D animation, and Pixar-style movements. The combination of these effects creates an animation that flows from the dusty old books and yet looks fresh and lively. It is a remarkable creative achievement.
We bought Morris Lessmore from the Apple Store and hope that we can follow his adventures into a feature film, a DVD and a hard cover book.
Moonbot Studios -- "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore"
Watch at http://vimeo.com/17164728
