THIS WEEK IN TRAILERS:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore App Trailer
Nominated for his work in animation, filmmaker William Joyce is in the position of selling something a little different than a movie, it honestly is an experience.
Compared to the book trailer above it, these two “trailers” are great examples of people taking what should be straightforward sales propositions and turning them slightly on their head. The first one is from Brian McMullen of McSweeny’s McMullens, a children’s imprint from the fab fellas over at McSweeny’s, delivers a sales pitch to end all sales pitches for a children’s book, For Keep Our Secrets. The single angle taken here is selling the kitschy quality of the book’s disappearing ink. Heat sensitive material, not unlike the sweet ass Hypercolor shirts of yore, is what’s at the center of this amusing commercial. But what could have been a great one two punch by talking about the book’s quirky elements as it pertains to the book’s interactivity it completely neglects to focus on what the story is about. Yes, it looks all of 10 pages long with one sentence on a page but what is the story about? Is that too simplistic, too reductionist, of an assessment to make of this trailer? I don’t know for sure as we spend the whole running time with a guy who looks like he’s been trapped in a spider hole and has been denied any access to Vitamin D or nourishing foodstuffs for roughly 6 months. The pitch almost had me but it falls short of a convincing sell job, that honor going to the next in the series.
Joyce, creator of Lessmore, ought to feel giddy on a daily basis knowing he was able to convince people like me to spend $4.99 on his app, which not only gives you an interactive reading experience for those who want it, but, also, and more importantly, gives you a copy of his award winning short film. The trailer kills you without so much as ever firing a single shot, it’s resplendent with pull-quotes of all things, as it pertains to why you would want to spend $4.99 on this app but it’s filled with such playful exuberance and the soundtrack is completely infectious with the way it lilts and dances in your ear that I myself was helpless against its charm. If there were more trailers like this for things you could be a part of, artistically interact with, the world would feel a little more well rounded.