Feb 8, 2016

Google's Spotlight Stories Releases Trailer for Interactive Short Film "On Ice"

Google has released the trailer for On Ice, the latest in its interactive Spotlight Stories series.

On Ice is set at a fictional ice show and revolves around a battle for the spotlight between the lead performers and uninvited guests. The short was directed by industry veteran Shannon Tindle, who also came up with the idea for Laika's next film, Kubo and the Two Strings, and was the film's original director before being replaced by Laika CEO Travis Knight.

Nominated for an Annie Award this year in the short film category, "On Ice" was produced by San Francisco-based Evil Eye Pictures and developed by Google's Advanced Technologies and Projects group (ATAP). Google, which first teased the short at last summer's Comic-Con, will soon release the project for iOS and Android devices.

Four other shorts have been released in the Spotlight Stories series: "Windy Day" by Jan Pinkava, "Buggy Night" by Mark Oftedal, "Duet" by Glen Keane, and "Special" by Tim Raffle of Aardman. Delivery".

Starting with Aardman's short film, Google made the film available on YouTube 360, which also runs on desktops, but the Spotlight Stories experience is specifically designed for mobile and VR platforms. The shorts give viewers more control over the experience, allowing users to move their mobile devices to follow individual characters, see where they are in a scene, and unlock mini-stories within the story.