Google products are integrated so thoroughly throughout the entirety of my miserable existence that the only time I visit the original search engine homepage is when there’s a new doodle. And today there is a new doodle.
“Back to the Moon” is a beautifully animated homage to the works of famed illusionist, director, and cinematography pioneer, Georges Méliès. We covered some of Méliès groundbreaking work in combining magic, theater, and film to produce some of the earliest examples of “special effects” on the anniversary of his birthday last year.
Not only is the short a wonderful work of animation, it’s also the first ever interactive virtual reality and 360-degree doodle. Once you’ve pressed play and the jaunty cartoon version of Méliès has finished setting up the projector, try clicking on the action to pan the camera around. There’s a cute story line that’s easy to follow and pays homage to the tricks and techniques Méliès used in his films, but there’s also a collection of extra animations hidden around the virtual environment. You’ll definitely need at least a couple of play through to catch everything. It’s all very charming.