A LUNAR ART ADVENTURE

Oscar Nomination Announcements: Moonbot Reacts

2012-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

2012-01-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

For more information:

JenniferSmith

H3OCommunications

(415)882-8802

jennifer@h3ocommunications.com

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. MorrisLessmore” Nominated for Best Animated Short in 2011 Oscars

Moonbot Studios’ first original animatedshort film moves ahead in race for Academy Award

SHREVEPORT, LA – January 24, 2012–Moonbot Studios announcedtoday that its animated short film, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. MorrisLessmore,” directed byWilliam Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, is one of five animatedshort films thatwill be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84thAcademy Awards,® which take place on February 26, 2012. The newly opened Moonbot Studios is based inShreveport, Louisiana and The FantasticFlying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is the company’s first released animationproject.

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, BusterKeaton, The Wizard ofOz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a poignant, humorous allegory aboutthe curative powers of story. Using avariety of techniques, including miniatures, computer animation, and 2Danimation, award-winning author and illustrator William Joyce and co-directorBrandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back tosilent films and MGM Technicolor musicals.

“’The Fantastic Flying Booksof Mr. Morris Lessmore’ overwhelms me every time I watch it and it is exactlythe kind of film I want to be a part of helping discover every year,” said MichaelRabehl, programming director of Cinequest. “It is a story that completely entertains and simultaneously focuses onthe strength of its characters and story to reach our minds and ourhearts. It’s an incredible visual journey that must be seen by everyone.”

“We made Morris Lessmorewith passion, sweat and every nickel we could rub together,” said William Joyce,managing creative partner of MoonbotStudios. “To see it embraced by the Academy is thebiggest smile imaginable.”

In tandem with the film,Moonbot Studios also created a best-selling, interactive “Morris Lessmore” iPadApp available on iTunes for $4.99 in the App Store.Moonbot is also working on a hard copybook version of the story with Simon & Schuster that is due out in late2012.

“‘Morris Lessmore’ has pavedthe way for a whole new class of storytelling,” said Brandon Oldenburg, co-founderof Moonbot Studios. “We envision a future where stories transcendboundaries between traditional film and written text to transform the art ofstorytelling into a seamlessmultimedia experience.”

Film Awards Won by “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”

To date, “The FantasticFlying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” film has drummed up fans all over theworld taking home the following awards:

Cinequest Film Fest: Best Animated Short
Cleveland International Film Festival: Best Animated Short Film Award
Florida Film Festival: Audience Award for Best Short Film
Nashville Film Festival: Special Jury Prize for ImaginativeStorytelling
Seattle International Film Festival: Golden Space Needle Award
Palm Springs International ShortFest: Audience Favorite Award
SIGGRAPH: Best in Show
Rhode Island International Film Fest: Grand Prize Winner
BurbankInternational Film Fest: Curator’s Choice Awards
TacomaFilm Festival:Best Animated Film
AustinFilm Festival: BestAnimated Short and Audience Award Winner
ChicagoInternational Children’s Film Fest: 1^st Adult Jury Prize and 2^ndChildren’s Jury Prize in the Animated Shorts category
Traverse City Film Fest: Best Short Film for Kids

What People Are Saying About “Morris Lessmore”

"It was a pleasure and an honorto have ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,’ as part of the2011 SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival. Chosen as Best-in-Show out ofroughly 1,000 submissions, by the 2011 Computer Animation Festival Jury, ‘TheFantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore’ was a beautiful story, wrappedin an elegant package of visually stunning animation."

– Joshua Grow, Program Director, 2012SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival

“We were delighted to presentthis moving, inventive film as part of the 2011 Chicago InternationalChildren's Film Festival. The artistryof its animation and its clever use of film referencescreated a depth of setting and character, opening eyes to a love ofliterature for the Chicago children who became part of the wondrousjourney of Mr. Morris Lessmore.”

– AnnVikstrom, Programming Director, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival

Academy Award Details

Forty-fourfilms originally qualified in the animated short category and the winner of thetop five will be announced live at The 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, February26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, andtelevised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also willbe televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

About Moonbot Studios

Founded in 2010, MoonbotStudios is an animation and storytelling company based in Shreveport,Louisiana. Moonbot Studios wasco-founded, by award-winning artists and filmmakers, William Joyce, BrandonOldenburg and veteran film producer Lampton Enochs. Moonbot Studios’ philosophy is to develop ourstories as books, interactive applications, games with a compelling emotionalnarrative and exciting visual aesthetics. For more information, visit www.moonbotstudios.com, interact with them on Twitter@moonbotstudios, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moonbotstudios or on their blog at moonbotstudios.blogspot.com/.

Who is “The Numberlys” audience?

2012-01-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

The simple answer is Numberlys is for children. We intended it as a fable about the formation of the alphabet, but as with our favorite fabulists, we had a little more on our mind. Our instincts were that even the youngest children would follow our narrative if we made the world, the characters, and the story simple and compelling.

We're all parents and in our experience we've found that children enjoy (even need) a narrative that challenges them. We tested Numberlys with children three and up and have heard from parents with children as young as two that they follow and enjoy the App. In fact they demand to play the App repeatedly when finished. We were prepared to simplify the App but research confirmed that our hopes were correct and our instincts not lunatic.

As with Morris we designed the App so that children, parents, siblings, grandparents – whole families –could enjoy it together. On the surface Numberlys is about making the Alphabet. We assume that most of our audience has already mastered or nearly mastered the ABCs. But we crafted the alphabet section to make the audience feel that they are almost complicit in its creation. That they are helping the Numberlys succeed. The alliterative text that introduces the letters gives them just enough of a hint that they tend to excitedly shout out, "I bet I know what the next letter is gonna be!" We chose a mix of vocabulary that they would already know with words we thought they would like to know or should know or words that are just fun to say; to introduce them to the richness and possibilities of language.

To us, interactivity isn't just what's on the screen, but should also lead to the most ancient form of interactivity: talking to others. “What is jujitsu mom? What is a knickerbocker grandpa?”

We made the gameplay of the letters purposely easy. Silly. Whimsical. Daft. To us, this section was less about gaming prowess and more about emotionally involving the audience as they help the Numberlys succeed.

Children feel empowered by knowing more than the Numberlys and guiding them. They relish Numberly Number 1's attempts to repeatedly name the wrong letter "Z". When he correctly names “Z” they feel relieved and happy for the little guy. After all, most of them are very nearly at his intellectual level.

So we made a story App about the invention of the ABCs. We weren't really trying to teach the ABCs. We wanted children to experience the power of language. We wanted to teach them about courage and determination without them knowing it. We wanted them to experience these ideas on an emotional level, in their bones.

We think the future of Apps as a story telling medium is just beginning. The future holds amazing possibilities and we are trying to be thoughtfully adventurous in discovering what those possibilities can be.

And we think kids can handle more than we realized.

Thanks for asking and listening.
Bill Joyce
Brandon Oldenburg
Lampton Enochs

Animation Workshop with Jamil Lahham

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Join Moonbot's Jamil Lahham on Saturday January 28th at 10 AM for a 2 hour introduction to 3D Animation. The class takes place in the LSU Shreveport Technology Center, Room 255A. We hope to see you there!

Sketch Tuesday 01.17.2012

2012-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Adam Volker

Joe Bluhm

Nolan Baker

NUMBERLYS now on the App Store!

2012-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

The Numberlys presents a fanciful depiction of the origins of the alphabet and is the newest interactive epic from Moonbot Studios, the creators of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. The Numberlys is a story App celebration of the early fantasy epics King Kong, Metropolis and Flash Gordon with a dollop of the Marx Brothers, a splash of the Fleischer Studios technicolor Superman and a little bit of the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

The Numberlys is huge in scope. It's an adventure! A mystery! A game! And a story!

It's a new way to entertain, learn and rediscover our storytelling "golden age".

Sketch Tuesday 1.10.2012

2012-01-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Today is the first Sketch Tuesday of 2012! We are including a sampling of special sketches to celebrate another first: TOMORROW is the debut of our next interactive story app.

The wait is nearly over: Numberlys will be available on the App Store on Wednesday!

Joe Bluhm

Beavan Blocker

Kenny Callicutt

Adam Volker

Vanesa Del Rey

Fast Company

2012-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Moonbot is featured in Fast Company's February 2012 issue!

The Making of Morris Part 10

2012-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Morris Lessmore Contest

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

The official Morris Lessmore Dress-up Contest begins today! Create a costume based upon Morris or any other character from the short film. To enter, send photos of you or your child in-character to contests@moonbotstudios.com We are accepting entries between now and January 30th, 2012. The winner will receive a Morris Lessmore movie poster autographed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg.

The Numberlys on the WWW

2011-12-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Sketch Tuesday 12.20.2011

2011-12-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Good morning everybody! We invite you to enjoy these last few sketches before we take a brief hiatus from the moon. Have a wonderful holiday, see you in 2012!

Christina Ellis

Joe Bluhm

Vanesa Del Rey

Sketch Tuesday 12.13.2011

2011-12-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Beavan Blocker

Joe Bluhm

Kenny Callicutt

LPB+Moonbot

2011-12-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Louisianians can tune in to LPB next Thursday December 15th at 7 PM Central to view "Morris Lessmore & the Amazing World of Moonbot- With William Joyce". This hour long special ventures behind the scenes at Moonbot Studios and will feature the making of "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" short film and iPad app. Night owls take note: the program will repeat at 11:30 PM the same day.

12 Drawings A Day

2011-12-07T09:17:00.001-08:00

Animator Denis Chapon did 12 drawings a day over the course of 3 years. We think the resulting animation is hypnotic, inspirational... and pretty awesome. We would offer a description, but that would spoil the experience- just watch it!

Sketch Tuesday 12.06.11

2011-12-06T08:40:00.001-08:00

The Oscars and more

2011-12-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

If you were anywhere within a 100 yard radius of Biospace 1 yesterday afternoon, you would have heard a whole lot of noise- specifically, the sound of a studio full of Bots cheering.

Why?

Because "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" has made the Academy Awards shortlist! "Morris" is listed among the ten films selected to advance in the next level of the voting process. The final nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

Meet William Joyce this weekend at Barnes & Noble (map) in Shreveport. That's right, it's time for another book signing! Beginning at 1 PM this Sunday December 4th, William Joyce will be on-hand signing copies of The Man In The Moon and Nicholas St North and the Battle of the Nightmare King. We hope to see you there!

If you think "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is a great app, tell the world by nominating it for a Crunchie Award in the Best Design and Best Tablet Application categories and sharing with your friends! We would also be quite flattered if you voted us Best Overall Start Up of 2011.
The Crunchies Awards nomination period runs through December 13th and you can submit one nomination per category per day until the deadline. Finalists are selected from the top nominees. Past winners in various categories have been Facebook, Spotify, and Github.

The Making of Morris: Part 9

2011-12-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sketch Tuesday 11.29.2011

2011-11-29T08:04:00.001-08:00

VDR

2011-11-28T10:06:00.001-08:00

A nice Cyber Monday deal: for today only, our apps "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" and "Bullseye" are $1 off the regular price in iTunes.

Sketch Tuesday 11.22.11

2011-11-22T10:37:00.001-08:00

NEED SOME GIFT IDEAS?

2011-11-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

"Morris" goes International!

2011-11-18T07:46:00.001-08:00

Finally! We're happy to share this long-awaited news with our International fans- "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" short film is now available on iTunes worldwide!

Sketch Tuesday 11.15.2011

2011-11-15T08:12:00.001-08:00

in a bot voice "LOCALIZATION ACTIVATED"

2011-11-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is now in 9 additional languages!

-Mandarin
-German
-Dutch
-Spanish (European)
-Spanish (Latin America)
-French
-Japanese
-Korean
-Turkish

plus

YOU CAN NOW STREAM THE ANIMATED SHORT FOR FREE IN THE APP!

... but wait! that's not all!

There's a new book on the book handout page.
Tapping Humpty on the piano page turns him into a metronome.
Snow falls on the changing seasons page.

operators standing by...

Sketch Tuesday 11.08.2011

2011-11-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Five dared to change the equation...

2011-11-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a peek at our next App. Enjoy!

The Making of Morris: Part 8

2011-11-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy another installment of "The Making Of Morris", our monthly behind-the-scenes Morris Lessmore video series (also available as a podcast).

And don't forget, The 2011 Animation Show of Shows continues this month. Upcoming screening info is listed below.

11/02 - School of Visual Arts, ASIFA East, NYU, Parsons, Pratt, FIT (7:00PM),
please rsvp@acmefilmworks.com,
you must receive a confirmation
11/03 - * SMFA/Mass Art/North Eastern/AI, Museum of Fine Arts (2:30PM)
11/03 - * Emerson College (7:00PM)
11/04 - * Harvard University, Carpenter Center (1:00PM)
11/04 - * Rochester Institute of Technology (8:00PM)
11/05 - * Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI (7:00PM)
11/07 - *University of the Arts, Philadelphia (9:00AM)
11/07 - *Philadelphia University (2:00PM)
11/08 - Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta Campus (TBD)
11/09 - Savannah College of Art and Design, Lucas Theater (8:00PM)
11/14 - Santa Monica College - Academy of Entertainment and Technology(6:30PM)

* All screenings marked with an * are open to animation professionals, students and fans on a first come first served basis. All other screenings are closed to the public.

Sketch Tuesday 11.1.2011

2011-11-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Film Fest Updates!

2011-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" has been awarded Best Animated Short in the 2011 Austin Film Fest! "Morris" will screen this weekend in Chicago International Children's Film Fest! See it Saturday 10.29 11 AM in Pass it On, Center on Halsted-Hoover-Lepen Theatre.

The Animation Show of Shows continues. Screening info is listed below:

10/27 - DreamWorks Animation, Glendale (11:30AM)

10/27 - * Chapman University, Orange (7:30PM)

10/28 - Walt Disney Animation Studios, Burbank (12:00PM)

10/28 - Disney Television/WDI/ARL, Burbank (4:00PM)

10/28 - ASIFA Hollywood (7:00PM)

Sketch Tuesday 10.25.11

2011-10-25T07:12:00.001-07:00

VDR

Photoshop Friday 10.21.2011

2011-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Weekend Events

2011-10-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Austin, Texas is the place to be this weekend! You can catch "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" at Austin Film Fest on Saturday at 5:15 PM at Hideout Theater, and Sunday at 3 PM at Regal Arbor.

Plus, meet author William Joyce at Texas Book Fest on Saturday! He will be signing copies of The Man In The Moon in Texas State Capitol:Capitol Extension Room E2.010 beginning at 2:15.

Continuing this weekend: The Animation Show of Shows. Screening times and locations are as follows:

San Jose State University, Friday 10.21, 7 PM

Hess Vineyards, Gallery Theater, Napa Valley, Saturday 10.22, 1 PM

Both of these Show of Shows screenings are open to animation professionals, students and fans on a first come first served basis. See our Morris Lessmore festival page for more details.

Introducing The Morris Lessmore DODOcase

2011-10-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Morris Lessmore DODOcase is now available for purchase!

“We are a multi-platform storytelling company – partnering with DODOcase to bridge the digital to tangible divide and give Mr. Morris Lessmore the book cover we’ve always envisioned, was a natural progression of our vision.” – Brandon Oldenburg

Moonbot En Plein Air

2011-10-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Moonbot artists step away from their computers from time to time. Here they are enjoying a beautiful October Sunday afternoon.

Photoshop Friday

2011-10-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Petter enjoying his Thursday tradition: Buffalo Wild Wings.

Show of Shows

2011-10-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is participating in the Animation Show of Shows, which begins 1 PM today at Laika in Portland, OR. The Show of Shows will tour the Pacific Northwest all weekend, visiting Seattle on Sunday & Vancouver, BC on Monday. A full schedule of screenings, which occur almost daily until November 9th, is available here.

Sketch Tuesday 10.11.2011

2011-10-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Tacoma Film Fest

2011-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" has been selected Best Animated Film in the 2011 Tacoma Film Fest!

2011-10-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Kotaku's Gaming App of the Day is our interactive music video app for The Polyphonic Spree's single Bullseye.

Released today: Nicholas St. North

2011-10-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Released today: the first chapter book in William Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series, Nicolas St. North And The Battle of the Nightmare King. This is also The Man In The Moon's second week in the New York Time's Top 10 Bestsellers list for picture books!

Sketch Tuesday 10.04.2011

2011-10-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

VDR

Adobe MAX Awards

2011-10-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Our Morris Lessmore iPad app was nominated for an Adobe MAX Award in the digital publishing category. If you loved the app, please help Moonbot take home the win! Voting is open to the public and closes tomorrow. Vote here, and tell your friends!

THE DODO IS COMING!

2011-09-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sketch Tuesday 09.27.11

2011-09-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

Vote Morris!

2011-09-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

We've been nominated to receive an Adobe MAX Award in the Digital Publishing Category. If you've enjoyed our Morris Lessmore iPad app (the first book app to hit #1 in the iTunes iPad App Store), we encourage you to vote for us here!

2011-09-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Video via Simon & Schuster.

Videofest Dallas

2011-09-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

VideoFest opens tonight in Dallas. Listen to Brandon Oldenburg discuss our "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" iPad app here.

Sketch Tuesday 9.20.11

2011-09-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

VDR

Somewhere in the skies above Shreveport

2011-09-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

UFO Collides With Author William Joyce from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Lone Star Film Society Morris Screening

2011-09-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lone Star Film Society recently screened "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" during their The Modern Kids - Summer Flicks Series. These photos (courtesy William Behr Photography and LSFS) were captured during the event, hosted by The Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth.

The Modern is one of the gems of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, definitely worth a day trip for our readers in the Shreveport area... especially Saturday September 24th, when Morris screens again during the 4th Annual Day In the District. This FREE event is for one day only, 10 AM-5PM, in Ft. Worth's Cultural District.

Sketch Tuesday -9.13.2011

2011-09-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Christina Ellis

Joe Bluhm

Vanesa Del Rey

On Sale Today: The Man In The Moon

2011-09-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

The first picture book in William Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series & Amazon's spotlight pick for best picture book of the September, The Man In The Moon is on sale today!

The Making of Morris: Part 6

2011-09-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Making Of Morris: Part 6 (Full Circle Of Exploration) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

September Morris Screenings

2011-08-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

September screenings of "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" are as follows:

SIFF Cinema Sunday Sept 4th, 4:30 PM

LSU-Shreveport University Center Theater Wednesday September 14th, 7 PM

Burbank Int'l Film Festival Saturday September 17th, 3 PM

Be sure to sign up for our monthly Moonbot E-Newsletter, check morrislessmore.com and the Moonbot and Morris Facebook pages for all the latest screening news and announcements!

Flying Book Sighting

2011-08-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Via Patrick Buckley of DODOcase:

Flying books spotted in SF! I ride my bike past these almost everyday. They are in north beach, the little Italy of SF.

MOONBOT in the FUNNY PAGES

2011-08-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Shreveport based comic book artist and all round swell guy, Brad Campbell, recounts a visit to Moonbot Studios this past spring:

"It was a wonderful experience. They had a giant bookshelf full of reference materials, storybooks, and comics. The highlight was a HUGE book of Windsor McCay's Little Nemo comic strips. They also had huge oversize prints of Little Nemo and Krazy Kat comic strips hanging on the walls. Plus, I saw some awesome storyboards for their upcoming projects. Kudos to William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg for creating such an inspiring, fun and creative space for their artists. Check out their latest short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore, at morrislessmore.com."

Ralph Eggelston visits Moonbot

2011-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

This week Moonbot enjoyed a visit from the multi-talented, Academy Award-winning (For the Birds) art director (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest), production designer (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) and all-around nice guy Ralph Eggleston. Ralph gave a great talk about his experiences working in the movie industry.

We're serious about cornhole

2011-08-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here at Moonbot, we love playing cornhole. Naturally, we were delighted by this very special gift all the way from Ohio- a set of custom Moonbot cornhole platforms! Built by Jason's dad, Chris Heaton, these beautiful platforms are designed to satisfy official ACA equipment standards. Thanks Mr. Heaton!

There's an Ape for that!

2011-08-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

THANKS MSNBC!

Just in time for this week's opening...

2011-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Sounds like we will be safe after the rise of the planet of the apes. The primates like us!

Orangutan MJ watches and listens to Morris Lessmore.

Mahal(on the Left) and MJ. Mahal really loves the movement and colors of the book.

A Day in the Life at Moonbot Studios

2011-08-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing quite so invigorating as a bit of UFO skeet shooting along with a fresh cup of joe first thing in the morning!

Our fearless leaders, Bill and Brandon, display clarity of vision.

Story artists bat around a few ideas.

The art department prefers not to be disturbed.

Christina, our resident moth painter.

Senior animators Jamil and John employ lasers to breathe life into new creations.

Animators routinely wrestle with keyframes. Nice chokehold, Dom!

Lead TD Bo has developed a cloning tool, the perfect solution for those days when he must wear multiple hats.

Another productive day on the moon has come to an end. Our artists employ rather... unconventional modes of transport. Until next time, farewell!

The Making of Morris: Part 5

2011-08-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sketch Tuesday - 7.19.2011

2011-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

it's next time.

Moonbot comes back with another sketch Tuesday! Help us welcome some new comers to the ranks of official Moonbot sketchyness.

Jason Heaton

Beavan Blocker

Nolan Baker

(even our programmers are 'Sketch Tuesdaying')

Tyler Schatz

thanks for dropping by,
-Volkertron

1 Week Ago...

2011-07-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was a busy and exciting one for all of us at the studio. Sales of our Morris Lessmore iPad app skyrocketed shortly after publication of this Fast Company review. By Wednesday July 13th, our App sales surpassed Angry Birds, becoming #1 on the iTunes paid app chart. We also achieved #1 status on the Top Grossing chart. The following Thursday evening, the Morris short was the #1 selling film on iTunes.

A few highlights from the multitude of articles published last week:

Steve Jobs may have been dreaming of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore when he introduced the iPad as a "magical and revolutionary" device.-MacRumors

It is not hard to see how this just might be the future of digital storytelling.-Seattle Post Intelligencer

“…Morris Lessmore” blurs the lines between film, video games, and traditional reading, creating a shared story-telling experience that may represent where ebooks are headed.-Singularity Hub

This post on These Old Colors, a design & art inspiration site, includes our making-of Morris videos and photos. We're always excited about inspiring creativity, and we think this site is pretty cool.

Upcoming Screenings of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

If you're in Vancouver, BC this August, check us out at SIGGRAPH, where we won Best In Show. All screenings will take place in the West Building, Exhibit Hall A, as follows:

Monday August 8th-Wed the 10th 6-8PM
Wednesday August 10th 12:45-1:30
Thursday August 11th 9"15-10AM

Rhode Island Int'l Film Fest will also be showing Morris in the Metcalf Auditorium on Friday August 12th at 11 AM.

For all the latest festival info, be sure to check out www.morrislessmore.com.

In Other News...
We have released our second App, an interactive music video for The Polyphonic Spree. The Bullseye single is now available in iTunes.

2011-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

More Praise for the Morris App

2011-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

From the moment you open Moonbot Studios' The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, it will be clear you are looking at something very special... a product of a thoughtful, creative team of people dreaming big about the possibilities for children's literature in the age of the tablet.
-Rebecca J. Rosen, The Atlantic

The most stunning iPad app so far.
-MSNBC

Governor Jindal Visits

2011-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday July 11th, Moonbot welcomed Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to the studio where he signed several bills into law. The legislation enhances Louisiana's Digital Interactive Media & Software tax credit and enhances and extends the Technology Commercialization & Jobs tax credit. These incentives have laid the foundation for Louisiana's burgeoning tech industry.

See Flickr for more photos!

2011-07-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

The June Newsletter is up! Check it out.

The Making of Morris: Part 4

2011-07-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

Reviews and News

2011-06-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

The NY Times calls our iPad app "the best...a visually stunning bit of work with entertaining interactive features."

Check out this interview with Moonbot managing partner Brandon Oldenburg (plus review of the Morris app) by The Acadiana Gazette.

Merely adapting the story well from the film might legitimately have been enough. But the interactive elements, including a playable piano, books that speak in distinct book quotes when touches and small games, don't feel at all tacked on; they enrich the experience without detracting from the main story or disrupting its flow.
-Kirkus Reviews

Festival News

We are proud to announce that we have won the Palm Springs International Film Fest Audience Award!

Our Next App

2011-06-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Polyphonic Spree & Moonbot Studios are working on a new interactive music video app for the new song "Bullseye."

Keep an eye out for it July 2011! In the meantime, enjoy this video clip from last weekend's Polyphonic concert in Dallas.

SIGGRAPH & More

2011-06-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore has won Best In Show at the 2011 SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival. The festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award. We're excited and honored to have been selected for this award.

The level of quality and technical expertise exemplified by this year’s submissions continues to raise the bar for the extreme innovation and leading technology the Computer Animation Festival delivers year after year.
-Joshua Grow, SIGGRAPH 2011 Computer Animation Festival Director

Annecy+

The Morris short was also awarded the Grand Prize at this year's Annecy+ film fest. We've heard it was a fun-filled evening that attracted a large crowd, glad people enjoyed themselves and the film selections.

MSNBC Review

MSNBC.com's Gadgetbox reviewed the Morris iPad app, calling it a "must have interactive book". An image of Morris is currently featured on their Tech and Science homepage, linking to the review.

Seattle

Earlier this month, Calvin embarked upon a weekend Lunar Art and Cinema mission. Destination: Seattle International Film Fest. Calvin successfully achieved his objectives, which included presenting the Morris short and participating in a Q&A session with festival attendees.

Morris Lessmore App: People are Responding

2011-06-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to read the positive reviews many of you are posting in iTunes about our Morris Lessmore iPad app. Thanks to all of you who felt inspired to post your feedback.

This app truly redefines interactive media. Combining gorgeous animation, storytelling, literature, puzzles, music and games, it transports the user right into the whimsical and poignant world of Morris Lessmore. Wow! – ViennaBelle

This book is amazing. The interaction is intuitive and the story is very imaginative. I’ve never seen a book tied to a film, tied to games and interactivity, tied to technology, while holding onto classic imagery and whimsy like this does. It’s hard to put into words what you will get out of this Storybook App. It’s great for all ages – Amazing. – Geuseppe

This is the future of children’s books. WOW. Don’t miss this, even if you don’t have kids. – Shawn Kelly

Seattle

2011-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won the Best Short Film Golden Space Needle Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. The SIFF is a great festival that we are very proud to be a part of. If you find yourself in Seattle this coming weekend the festival will be sharing our film again in the Best of Fest Screening.

MORRIS at ANNECY+

2011-06-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Bill Plympton invited Moonbot Studios to participate in this year's "Slam Dance of Annecy" now in it's 6th year Annecy+ is the biggest off site evening party at Annecy. We are so honored to be apart of it.

Friday, June 10th
8:30 p.m.

THE WAIT IS OVER!

2011-05-26T13:32:00.001-07:00

NOW AVAILABLE ON:

iTunes (the animated short film)

App Store (the hyperactive story book)

Hear us talk about the App on Shreveport's very own NPR - KDAQ 89.9

Morris at Starbucks!

2011-05-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that our award-winning Short Film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, has been selected as one of seven short films to screen nationwide at area Starbuck’s via their in-store WiFi. There will also be a unique making-of segment as well!

This is a collaborative effort between the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and Starbucks Coffee and it is an honor to be a part of it.

Our screening dates via Starbucks in-store WiFi are this Friday, May 27^th – Monday, May 30^th. Grab a coffee, grab your laptop, iPad or smartphone, and watch Morris with a friend!

UPDATE: Only Certain participating Starbucks locations will be featuring the film, so check with your location to see if they carry the Starbucks Digital Network (starbucks.yahoo.com from your digital wireless device).

Morris Lessmore App

2011-05-19T19:12:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, we are soon to launch our first interactive storybook App for the iPad, based on the book/film of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. We are super excited, and while the praise we've received already from early showcases with journalists, tech savvy bloggers and even Apple themselves, we cannot think of a better review than from a 7 year-old fan testing our App for the first time:

“This is a great story. It does a lot of cool stuff, like when you get to do the ABC’s, and the thing where he’s flying through the book tunnel, and the thing where you get to draw and the lines fly away. And some of it is pretty funny like when he’s biting on the dog leash so he won’t fly away. I think he must have cared a lot about books. I would definitely recommend it to kids, and to grown-ups, too.”

We want to thank one of our first big fans, Alex, and we hope that others get as much enjoyment from this as we do... we are launching the App this month, and we'll keep you posted as it gets closer.

We can't wait!

Sketch Tuesday - 5.17.2011

2011-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends.
(sorry we missed a week of sketches....no excuses)

Less talk more chalk

Joe Bluhm

Adam Volker

Beavan Blocker

Christina Ellis

Jason Heaton

untill next time....
-Volkertron

Apple picks Moonbot

2011-05-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

With the release of our new Interactive Storybook App getting near, Apple is excitedly sharing it with others at trade and promotional events as one of the top new innovative Apps utilizing the power of the iPad 2. Our App is set to release later this month, but for now you can read some kind words about it HERE, on the Silicon Valley Mercury News.

Here is an excerpt:

The other day at the Apple Store in San Francisco, team members offered this newspaper a sneak peek at some of the latest and coolest apps to come down the pike, including a few not yet released to the general public. Here are our favorite five: ... The problem with apps is that they increasingly defy description. Take this creation of Louisiana-based Moonbot Studios for example ... this app deftly weaves together the tactile with the emotional, leaving the user mesmerized by the journey.

Needless to say, we are super-excited and can't wait to share this new App with you. We will share when it is available on the App Store, so you can experience this new interactive experience! Coming very soon.

THE LOLLY POP 3 - ANIMATION WALL

2011-05-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

click image for the full video

This stop-motion animation project is the result of a collaboration between the Robinson Film Center, Moonbot Studios, and over 200 kids at Shreveport's annual Artbreak student art show. It was recorded over the course of 3 days. If you weren't at Artbreak, this is some of the awesomeness you missed out on.

Sketch Tuesday - 5-3-2011

2011-05-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Adam Volker

Jason Heaton

Jaz Donaldson

Thanks internet!

-Volkertron

Sketch Tuesday - 4-26-2011

2011-04-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Christina Ellis

Brandon Oldenburg

Beavan Blocker

Jaz Donaldson

Nashville!

2011-04-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to us! We have just won the Special Jury Prize for Imaginative Storytelling for "The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore" at the Nashville Film Festival.

http://www.nashvillefilmfestival.org/node/811

Nashville Film Festival has seen double-digit growth in the past seven years and with over 23,000 people attending the 2010 Festival. With 244 films from 41 countries showcasing at the 2010 NaFF. Nashville Film Festival is a cultural arts institution that inspires, educates and entertains through an annual celebration of the art of motion pictures, year-round events and community outreach.

Sketch Tuesday for 4/19/2011

2011-04-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Adam Voker

Brandon Oldenburg

Calvin O'Neal Jr.

Stephen Vekovius

The Robinson Film Center

2011-04-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

If you live in Shreveport/Bossier (or anywhere else for that matter) and haven't become a member of the Robinson Film Center, now is your chance. This truly unique and fantastic film center is essential to the arts in our region and NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. Please join today.

Membership is easy! Just visit www.robinsonfilmcenter.org

The Robinson Film Center provides a venue for independent, international, and classic cinema while serving as a resource for film production and media education.

Thank You Ringling!

2011-04-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Moonbot Studios Launches in Louisiana

2011-04-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Sketch Tuesday for 4/12/2011

2011-04-12T07:20:00.002-07:00

Joe Bluhm

Beavan Blocker

Christina Ellis

Brandon Oldenburg

Adam Volker

Calvin O'Neil Jr.

Mike Klim

The Flying Books land at the Sarasota Film Festival

2011-04-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 17th @ 6:45
Regal Cinema Hollywood 20

In Aspen this weekend?

2011-04-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Please go see our short film!
saturday april 9 3:45pm
Wheeler Opera House, Aspen

Hey Cleveland! THANK YOU!!!

2011-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Once again, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore has won another festival! This time we have won the Best Animated Short Film Award at the 35th Cleveland International Film Fesitval. The CIFF mission is about promoting artistic and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community. We at Moonbot Studios are proud to be a part of CIFF history and are elated to place this award on our mantel.

Check it out here at CIFF.org

Sketch Tuesday for 4-5-11

2011-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Calvin O'Neal Jr.

Christina Ellis

Brandon Oldenburg

William Joyce

Beavan Blocker

The Making of Morris Lessmore Part 1 -- The Power of Story

2011-04-01T14:52:00.001-07:00

The Making Of Morris: Part 1 (The Power of Story) from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Part 1 of a 9 part series of " The Making Of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. "

Expect Part 2 May 1, 2011.

Calling all Volunteers!

2011-03-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

Moonbot Studios and LSU Shreveport are looking for the right LSUS student volunteers to help with this year's Artbreak Festival. This festival is the largest annual student art festival in the south and is now in it's 27th year. Volunteers will help the public create a stop-motion animation based on the Lollypop 3, (as featured on the side of Clarke's Jeweler's on Line Avenue).

Shifts will be in two-hour blocks starting at 3:30pm on Friday and at 10am on Saturday. Both days will run until 9pm.

If you are interest, please contact Jaz Donaldson at jaz@moonbotstudios.com or can call at 318.213.0770

Sketch Tuesday for 3/29/2011

2011-03-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

Jamil Lahham

Jason Heaton

Joe Bluhm

Christina Ellis

Brandon Oldenburg

Adam Volker

William Joyce

FLYING BOOKS in CLEVELAND

2011-03-25T21:35:00.001-07:00

screening this weekend and next