Moonbot Studios nominated for two daytime Emmy awards
Fresh off their Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production, Moonbot Studios’ work for Chipotle Mexican Grill, in collaboration with Creative Artists Agency, has now received two daytime Emmy Award nominations.
“The Scarecrow” animated short film is among the nominees for Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program and Outstanding New Approaches – Original Daytime Program or Series, recognizing excellence in interactive media productions.
“The Scarecrow,” directed by Moonbot’s Brandon Oldenburg and Limbert Fabian, has garnered over 12 million views on YouTube, and the project was honored with several Webby Awards, including Online Film and Video: Best Animation and Interactive Advertising; Media: Best Game or Application and Integrated Campaign. The Moonbots were excited to be able to collaborate on the project with CAA and Chipotle.
“Shortly after we had launched our first short film, ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore’ and released our first iOS app of the same title, CAA marketing reached out to us. They liked how we were expanding our narrative in a meaningful way that played to the strengths of the two mediums and the fact that we were doing it under one roof,” Oldenburg said.
Both “The Scarecrow” film and coordinated interactive game (which is available through the App Store) are designed to help educate people about the world of industrial food production that supplies much of what they eat.
The film is set in a dystopian fantasy world where all food production is controlled by fictional industrial giant Crow Foods.
The Crow Foods factory is staffed by scarecrows who have been displaced from their traditional jobs on the farm and are now relegated to working for the crows by helping them maintain their unsustainable processed food system.
For Fabian, who has been with Moonbot for over two years, the project was one of the first he worked on with the team.
“The idea here was to incite a conversation [about] how food is produced specifically. Chipotle wanted to spark a debate about what really is going on behind the scenes,” he said. “Our creative brief in response was just that. We wanted to create a piece of art that took us behind the fragile façade of big agriculture and food production. For me personally, it was a very educational experience.”
Fabian said his favorite aspects of the which keeps our studio on the right tracks creation were two specifics instances.
“There are two moments, really. First, blending handmade miniatures with the digital world and having that be a very specific part of the story. It’s about handmade food, so we made a handmade world,” he said. “Secondly, the translation of the film to a game. I love that the film ends where the game begins.”
Moonbot Studios has no intention of slowing down.
“When Moonbot began working with CAA and Chipotle in 2011, we’d just won an Oscar for Morris Lessmore,” Oldenburg said. “We have always joked about wanting the E.G.O.T. (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). We actually call it an E.G.O.A.T. because of our recent
Annie Award win. It’s not that we are gold hungry; we’re just goal hungry,
Fabian and Oldenburg were thrilled to hear of their nominations.
“Scarecrow was created from the beginning to tell an impactful interactive story, so we’re incredibly honored to be nominated.”
Fabian was excited as well. “[The nominations were a] total surprise. I did not know what category we could actually compete in,” he said.
“Such a pleasant surprise! Being recognized for direction alongside Brandon is a joy.”
“The Scarecrow” is available to view on YouTube, and the interactive game is available on the App Store.
“I’m first proud of the fact that we help continue the discussion about where the food we eat comes from,” Oldenburg said. “I am just proud Moonbot is now associated with a brand, which we respect. We love Chipotle’s product and consume it as much as possible.”
–Mandy Byrd
