Today’s interactive Google Doodle (click the screenshot below to go to the animation) involves making your own movie.
As Google explains, this interactive Doodle (which I haven’t figured out how to work, but is surely easy) is a homage to Japanese monster-and-sci-fi-movie director Eiji Tsuburaya (“Godzilla” etc.), who, had he not died, would be 114 today. (He lived from 1901 to 1970.)
The lights dim. Cameras start to roll. A film crew silently watches. Suddenly! From behind a hand-built skyline, a towering beast appears! Shaking off a layer of dust, the massive foam-and-rubber monster leans back to act out an amazing roar (the sound effect will be added in later). Then, stomping towards the camera, the giant moves closer, and closer, until…”Cut!”
Seen this film before? This live action genre, known as “Tokusatsu” (特撮) in Japanese, is unmistakable in its style, and still evident in many modern beast-based thrillers. In today’s Doodle, we spotlight one of Tokusatsu’s kings, Eiji Tsuburaya, the quiet pioneer who created Ultraman, co-created Godzilla, and brought Tokusatsu to the global cinematic mainstream. Doodler Jennifer Hom led us through the inspiration behind the interactive Doodle. . .
. . . “While several of ideas revolved around a game format, I thought it would be more interesting and engaging to recreate the filmmaking experience from scratch – what better way to get an appreciation for the creative challenges Tsuburaya the director had to face?”
. . . “After deciding to focus on the filmmaking process, we went to work defining the look of the monsters themselves and building out the quick tasks the user had to complete. Above all, we wanted to make sure the beasts were both charming and Googley, and that the mini-challenges were appropriately fun and frantic!”
Have a go yourself and report back.
I failed miserably. My lightning fast reflexes are now only a faint memory. That’s funny. In high school I could consistently hit a line drive off a fast ball. As I remember it. Now, I find it hard to help the actor put on his costume (but I can still feed and dress myself).
It is a series of quick games where you click and drag to complete an action on the set. Very little time is given, and that is the challenge in doing them right.
I did much better the 2nd time, but there were several in which I still failed. This was fun, though.
I saw that yesterday and thought it looked like ultraman. I remember watching that show as a kid.