If you haven’t played around with Google Maps Street View, this two-minute, forty-three-second stop-motion animation by Theory Films director Tom Jenkins just might prompt you to do so. The story:
[quote] A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross-country road trip to the Pacific Coast the only way he can—using a toy car and Google Maps Street View. [/quote]
According to the site, everything you see is animated, i.e., no “screen replacements” were used in the making of the short. It is absolutely gorgeous and cleverly innovative, shot on a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR, from the use of banker’s boxes and books to simulate the concrete jungle of Manhattan to the streaming of potted plants during a forested drive across country. The little robot has a supportive cast of characters, including everyone’s favorite astromechanical droid, R2-D2. Tapping into the emotionality of wanderlust that we’ve all experienced at one time or another, the director has scored this piece with a gorgeous selection from the Cinematic Orchestra called “Arrival of the Birds.” Watch it more than once; you’ll see something new with each subsequent viewing. Check out Theory Films on Facebook.
