A LUNAR ART ADVENTURE

Huzzah! Moonbeeps: Fireflies is a Webby Honoree and Silent, a Webby Nominee

2015-04-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

We love the Webby Awards on the moon! When nominees are announced, we get to check out the best stuff on the Internet. This year, two of our projects were selected as some of the best from the nearly 13,000 entries received by the Webby Awards:

Moonbeeps: Fireflies has been selected as an Official Honoree in The 19th Annual Webby Awards in the Mobile: Family & Kids category.

Silent is a nominee for the 19th Annual Webby Awards in the Online Video: Animation category. Please vote for our beloved 3-minute animated short collaboration to win the People’s Voice Award: click here to go to voting.

Moonbot has previously won Webby Award honors for our projects The Numberlys storybook app and Chipotle Mexican Grill’s “The Scarecrow” short film and game.

"Silent" Nominated for 5 Daytime Emmy Awards

2015-03-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Dolby Presents: Silent, a Short Film from Dolby Laboratories on Vimeo.

“Silent,” our animated short film with Dolby Laboratories and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) today received five Daytime Emmy nominations, including:

Outstanding Special Class Animated Program
Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program (Directors, Brandon Oldenburg, Limbert Fabian)
Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation (Re-Recording Mixer, Jurgen Scharpf)
Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation (Sound Editor, Steve Boeddeker)
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition (Composer, John Hunter)

“Silent” is a 3-minute animated short film featuring Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios’s Academy Award®-winning short film “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.” Lessmore and his fellow street performer dream of bringing their "Picture and Sound Show" to life. When they discover a magical contraption inside an old theatre, they embark on a cinematic adventure of sight and sound, traveling through movie history to find the audience they always wanted. The collaboration celebrates how storytellers, inventors, and technology work together to create cinema magic.

“It’s an honor for our work to receive recognition from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It’s led to one amazing crescendo of celebration here at Moonbot,” said Limbert Fabian, who co-directed the animated short film with Moonbot partner Brandon Oldenburg. The pair previously received honors at the Emmy Awards for their work on a collaboration with Chipotle Mexican Grill, “The Scarecrow.”

William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg at the TCM Classic Film Festival

2015-03-25T12:33:00.002-07:00

Join William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg at the TCM Classic Film Festival this week in Hollywood, CA. They’ll introduce one of their favorite animated films, Pinnocchio, on 3/27 at 3PM PST!

Held over four days (March 26-29, 2015) in the heart of Hollywood, the TCM Classic Film Festival is a place where movie lovers from around the world can gather to experience classic movies as they were meant to be experienced: on the big screen, in some of the world’s most iconic venues, with the people who made them. Moreover, the TCM Classic Film Festival strives to be a place where a community of movie fans of all ages can share their love of classic movies with each other, make new friends and see films as they are seldom seen today. For more information, visit the fest website: http://filmfestival.tcm.com

Sketch Tuesday 3.24.2015

2015-03-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

A new Jack Frost sketch by William Joyce

William Joyce

Sketch Tuesday 3.17.2015

2015-03-17T15:17:00.006-07:00

We're celebrating the release of our latest app, Moonbeeps: Hide & Seek! It's an adorable new app, made especially for kids ages 6-8 and their parents. The app is now available $2.99 exclusively on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Download it here.

Play Hide & Seek with five new friends in your neighborhood. Choose one pal to be the seeker, close your eyes, count to five and you’re off! Find your brightly colored pals and get ready to boogie down in a dance party!

Here's some sketches from the team of the adorable characters in the game:

Andrew Stovesand, Animator

Logan Scelina, CG Generalist

Limbert Fabian, Creative Director

Brandon Oldenburg, Creative Partner

Joe Bluhm, Lead Artist

Heather Shrewsbury, Developer

Kendra Phillips, CG Genrealist

Kevin Koch, Animation Supervisor

Sketch Tuesday 3.3.2015

2015-03-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Andrew Stovesand, Animator

A painting from the kids at Ascension Classical School

Sketch Tuesday 2.24.2015

2015-02-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

Brandon Oldenburg, Creative Partner

Moonbot at Louisiana Comic Con - This Saturday!

2015-02-19T11:27:00.001-08:00

The bots land at Louisiana Comic Con on Saturday, February 21 at the Bossier Civic Center. We’ll be on the exhibition floor demoing our apps as well as hosting meet and greets with our team. Louisiana Comic Con runs from 10 AM to 7 PM and tickets are $10. For more tickets and more information, visit their website.

Sketch Tuesday 2.10.2015

2015-02-10T14:54:00.002-08:00

William Joyce

Fly Present, Kendra Phillips, CG Generalist

Limbert Fabian, Creative Director

Sketch Tuesday 2.3.2015

2015-02-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Spreadsheet Doodle, Adam Volker, Creative Director - Moonbot Interactive

Fig. 1 featurus intendedus, John Cannon, Developer

Limbert Fabian, Creative Director

Joe Bluhm, Lead Artist

Mystery Sketch! Which bot could have drawn this?

Now Hiring: Game Designer

2015-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

Job Title: Game Designer
Reports to: Chief Technology Officer & Creative Director – Moonbot Interactive
Job Summary:
This full-time position combines technical knowledge and ability with the artistic vision and creativity of a storyteller. He or she may design various types of game mechanics, including meta game systems and player movement. Our ideal Game Designer candidate is a creative storyteller with the ability to enhance narrative through gameplay systems and interfaces. This candidate will have industry experience in creating and developing games from initial concepts to finished products. He or she may be assigned to a single or multiple project(s) at one time with various needs, complexities, and formats.

Skills/Abilities/Education:

2+ years of game design experience with a variety of platforms and game types
Have a thorough understanding of the current and projected market and target audiences for different games and game platforms
Experience in developing gameplay systems that involve story elements
Be able to create original ideas and also work from existing concepts and stories
Basic understanding of Unity
Basic programming knowledge or ability to work with programmers to create comprehensive gameplay
Strong communication and presentation skills in order to pitch and explain ideas to programmers, artists, directors and managers
Write and maintain documentation about designs and stay up-to-date with other designs
Proficiency with software to help pitch and develop ideas in 2D and 3D (i.e. Photoshop, Maya)
Strong organizational and leadership skills
Ability to multi-task, work under pressure and meet required deadlines in a collaborative environment
Must take initiative in handling assigned duties and additional tasks which will aid the function of the organization
Must be flexible. Moonbot Studios is a growing venture working in cutting-edge and highly creative technologies. As with any mid-size studio, members of the Moonbot team wear multiple hats. Our employees approach their jobs in a serious manner but in an environment that is conducive to free expression and creativity
Must be currently legally authorized to work in the United States and be willing to relocate to Shreveport, Louisiana

Submit resumes & links to reels to Moonbot: recruiting@moonbotstudios.com

Moonbot Studios is an equal opportunity employer and considers all candidates for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital status, military or veteran’s status (including protected veterans, as may be required by federal law), sexual orientation or any other category protected by law.

Sketch Tuesday 1.27.15 - All William Joyce!

2015-01-27T14:11:00.002-08:00

Sketch Tuesday 1.20.2015 – SATELLITES Edition!

2015-01-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today, we're featuring some special art from SATELLITES Vol. 1 - a comic anthology project from Moonbots Joe Bluhm, Kendra Phillips, Adam Volker, Beavan Blocker and their pals. They're currently Kickstarting their project and are halfway to their goal of $7,000 – in just 45 hours! There's great backer levels including the book, original art commissions and sketches. We highly recommend backing the project here, on Kickstarter.

Joe Bluhm, Moonbot's art lead, shared his comic-making process for "Klaud" for Sketch Tuesday today:

JOE BLUHM: Once I’m happy with the script, I like to do thumbnails in the margins, getting ideas down as simple as I can.

JOE BLUHM: I take those thumbnails, and sketch them full-size, cleaning them up and exploring the best composition for each page and panel.

JOE BLUHM: Once I’m happy with the pencil (for this story), I scanned it and started my digital painting adventure!

KENDRA PHILLIPS: These are some early expressions and drawings of the winter spirit from my comic, "Hart of Winter."

Here's other sketches from the bots this week!

OMV doodles, Andrew Stovesand, Animator

William Joyce

Sketch Tuesday 1.6.2015

2015-01-06T14:45:00.002-08:00

William Joyce

Animator Sketch, Andrew Stovesand, Animator

Adam Volker, Creative Director - Moonbot Interactive

Sketch Tuesday 12.16.2014

2014-12-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

Andrew Stovesand, Animator

Brandon Oldenburg, Creative Partner

Sketch Tuesday 12.9.2014

2014-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

The John Cannon Pullback In 4 Steps, Jose Donaldson

William Joyce, Creative Partner

Brandon Oldenburg, Creative Partner

Limbert Fabian, Creative Director

Annie Award Nominations for Silent and The Raven

2014-12-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

We are incredibly honored to receive Annie Award nominations for two of our short films produced in the last year: Silent and The Raven.

"Silent" is an animated short film created in partnership with Dolby Laboratories and Creative Artists Agency. It celebrates how storytellers, inventors, and technology work together to create cinema magic. The story follows two street performers – Mr. Morris Lessmore and "the Kid" – who dream of bringing their "Picture and Sound Show" to life. When they discover a magical contraption inside an old theatre, they embark on a cinematic adventure of sight and sound to find the audience they always wanted. Sound design was created by Oscar® nominated Steve Boeddeker and the film was directed by Moonbot's own Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg. "Silent" debuted at the Scientific and Technical Academy Awards on February 15, 2014.

"The Raven" was created in collaboration with Amplify Learning for their seventh grade curriculum, which will be used on tablets in classrooms across America. The animated short film features narration from Tony Award®-winning Jefferson Mays and was directed by Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg. To accompany the 11 minute short film, Moonbot also created an educational app based on other Edgar Allan Poe works and another animated short based on Poe’s short story, "The Cask of Amontillado."

Below is a list of the incredible films nominated for the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Film:

Coda 
62 George Street

Duet 
Glen Keane Productions

Feast 
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Inside Homer - The Simpsons Couch Gag (Episode #549)
Acme Filmworks

Me and My Moulton 
National Film Board of Canada

Silent
Moonbot Studios/Creative Artists Agency

The Dam Keeper 
Tonko House LLC

The Raven  
Moonbot Studios

Thanksgiving App Sale – Moonbeeps: Fireflies, Morris Lessmore, Numberlys

2014-11-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, we want to say thank you for supporting the bots! For a limited time, we've discounted a few of our apps including Moonbeeps: Fireflies, Morris Lessmore and Numberlys. We hope your holiday is out of this world!

Sketch Tuesday 11.18.2014

2014-11-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Vivi and Bunny, Adam Volker, Creative Director – Moonbot Interactive

John Cannon is a Feature, Adam Volker and Tyler Schatz

Bear, Andrew Stovesand, Animator

Brandon Oldenburg, Creative Partner

William Joyce

Moonbot at CTNX November 21 - 23!

2014-11-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Our lunar rover lands at the CTN animation eXpo, Nov. 21st! Hosted by the Creative Talent Network, the expo brings together the top professionals from both the traditional and digital worlds of animation. We'll be hanging out at table T091 in Hall A. Come give the bots a high five at these events:

11/21
6:00-7:15pm (City Ballroom) Books, Films, Games: How the Talent @Moonbot Collaborates Across Platforms - With Joe Bluhm, Kevin Koch and Brandon Oldenburg
7:15pm - 7:45pm (CTN LIVE Stage) Q+A Directly Following Session

11/22
1:00-2:00pm Spotlight Booksigning with DVD’s and limited edition print to sign.
2:30-3:15pm What is a Generalist @Moonbot Studios - With Christina Ellis, Kendra Phillips, Gordon Pinkerton and Heather Shrewsbury
3:30-4:15pm (Vine A/B) Joe Bluhm will demonstrate his character design process
5:00-5:45pm Portfolio Chat with Kevin Koch from Moonbot Studios

11/23
11:00am - 11:45am (Parlor 123) Meet Moonbot Studios

Sketch Tuesday 11.11.2014

2014-11-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

The Art Team, Joe Bluhm, Lead Artist

Kendra Phillips, CG Generalist

Limbert Fabian, Creative Director

ART the DALMATIAN Arrives

2014-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight starting at 5PM, ART the DALMATIAN, officially takes his place at Shreveport's Central Artstation, home to the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC). ART was designed as a "commemorative housewarming" gift by Brandon Oldenburg and William Joyce, with assistance from the Moonbots. The 19.5' sculpture guards the renovated and re-purposed fire station from his post on Crockett Street, outside of the Engine Room doors of Central Artstation. ART was fabricated by John Grant of Junoworks, a custom metal fabrication studio in Denver, Colorado through a generous gift from the national foundation, Educational Foundation of America.

Constructed in white fiberglass, ART has a surprising night time feature. From season to season and for holidays, ART's dots will be illuminated with luminous lights in various colors.

"By day, you might think that ART is an albino Dalmatian; but, you’ll soon learn that at night he is a brilliantly dotted Dalmatian. Our hope is that everyone will enjoy the fantastic light show before and after events at the new Central ARTSTATION," said Brandon Oldenburg and William Joyce.

Want to support arts programs and services in Northwest Louisiana? Welcome ART into your family’s life by “Buying the Bark!” You can purchase a dot on ART, which can be illuminated just for you! Donors will be able to walk up to a kiosk, type in their name and your dot will light up. Each illuminated dot on ART the Dalmatian can be your way of showing your support for the arts in Northwest Louisiana. Purchase a “spot” or “dot” beginning at $101 and become an ambassador of the arts!

Numberlys Included In The 87th Annual Oscars Animated Shorts Finalists

2014-11-05T16:19:00.001-08:00

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards®. Fifty-eight pictures had originally qualified in the category, including our animated short film, The Numberlys. Huzzah! Thank you to everyone who has been supporting the film, app and book!

Here's the full list (in alphabetical order), filled with incredible shorts:

"The Bigger Picture," Daisy Jacobs, director, and Christopher Hees, producer (National Film and Television School) 
"Coda," Alan Holly, director (And Maps And Plans) 
"The Dam Keeper," Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, directors (Tonko House) 
"Duet," Glen Keane, director (Glen Keane Productions & ATAP) 
"Feast," Patrick Osborne, director, and Kristina Reed, producer (Walt Disney Animation Studios) 
"Footprints," Bill Plympton, director (Bill Plympton Studio) 
"Me and My Moulton," Torill Kove, director (Mikrofilm in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada) 
"The Numberlys," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios) 
"A Single Life," Joris Oprins, director (Job, Joris & Marieke) 
"Symphony No. 42," Réka Bucsi, director (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest)

Sketch Tuesday 11.5.2014

2014-11-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Andrew Stovesand, Animator

Jody Hicks, Game Designer

William Joyce

Introducing Kellogg’s® Storybox™ featuring Disney Parks App

2014-11-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

Our latest collaboration is an app from Kellogg’s® that adds a little Disney Parks magic to your breakfast table. The Kellogg’s Storybox™ app is free and available on iTunes, Google Play or in the Amazon App store. It brings the fun of Disney Parks attractions to your mobile device (and cereal bowl). Pick up a specially-marked Kellogg’s® cereal box and scan it with the app’s camera to unlock an interactive storybook filled with fun games and activities. There are three different volumes you can unlock, and each one is based on Disney Parks fun.

There are games inspired by Expedition Everest®, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and we love the balloon-busting game inspired by Toy Story Midway Mania®!

Marketing Director Sara's high score is 105. We're certain you can beat it.

No Storybook would be complete without a fun surprise! Check out the photo-ops inspired by the Mad Tea Party, Dumbo the Flying Elephant® and Pirates of the Caribbean®.

We've taken to calling developer Heather by her new name: Cap'n Stinky.

Of course, we also love designing our own Disney Parks fireworks spectacular – when else do you get an unlimited supply of rockets?!

Try pressing and holding all of the rocket launchers and then releasing them at the same time!