Among the many ways Google Maps has changed navigation is the introduction of Street View technology which provides users with panoramic images of streets and buildings in many areas. The technology first became available in the Unites States in 2007 and spread to other parts of the world soon after. Though for most people, the technology is a fun way to bring back memories or make arriving at a destination much easier, a recent online video shows a liberating and innovative new usage for the technology.
Using stop animation, director Tom Jenkins tells the story of a lonely desk toy who longs to get out of the dark office. One night, when his owner leaves, the toy decides to take a trip to the Pacific Coast. In the short film, his fellow office toys help him relocate a toy car in front of a large Mac screen and off they go! The result is a beautiful short animated clip called “Address is Approximate,” complete with music, lighting effects, and a heart-warming plot.
As the desk toy sits in the car, images of Manhattan reflecting on his sad face, a fellow desk toy continuously clicks the mouse to move from one screen shot to the next—and he does that all the way from Manhattan to the Pacific. Perhaps what makes the film so visually beautiful is the physical setting’s interactions with the on-screen journey. Rotating desk lamps give a real presence to the tunnel lights that appear on screen, desk plants complement the trip’s forestry, piled boxes move along the edges to imitate tall buildings, and another bright lamp floods the office with artificial sunlight.
The actual making of the film didn’t require complicated computer support on the digital end, but rather plenty of patience from its director. In one online interview, Jenkins says that it took him six nights to film and several months of production.
The film’s director and creator used a Canon 5d MkII to shoot the stills for the film then Dragon Stop Motion software to animate the images. Stop motion is an animation technique used to make objects look like they’re moving on their own by altering their position slightly between frames and then playing the frames rapidly and consecutively. The technology, though largely obsolete, still has uses in popular culture. Famous British show Wallace and Grommet, for example, uses stop motion as its animation method.
“Address is Approximate” is a reminder of how amazing tech support tools like Google Maps can be put to artistic use in even the most limited of settings.
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