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Start Your Day Off Right: Beautiful Oscar Nominated Short "The Lost Thing"

The Lost Thing is a lovely short written by Shaun Tan and co-directed by Tan and Andrew Ruhemann (executive producer of the fantastic doc My Kid Could Paint That). Based on the award-winning children's book of the same title (also by Tan), the piece was created over a span of eight years(!) using a mix of CGI and 2D handpainted elements. Tan, whose background is in painting, spent much of the duration "carefully building, texturing and lighting of digitial elements to create a unique aesthetic that avoids the artificiality of CG objects; almost every surface is essentially hand-painted using non-digital materials: acrylic paint, pencil, oils and collage."

Everybody deserves something nice to wake up to, so this Saturday morning, please, enjoy: a wonderful specimen of inspiration for all of our animators... and something sweet for anybody who's ever brought home a lost puppy.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the short in its entirety has been removed, and I haven't been able to locate a new one. The trailer, and a short excerpt are the only available clips (now in the gallery below).

For more comprehensive information on Tan's animation process, check out this article from Digital Media World. Below, a collection of sketches and finished scenes from the project:

Illustration depicting three characters in professional attire, engaging in various activities related to business and services.

Whimsical illustration of a mechanical whale and an eclectic machine with creature features.

Animated character dressed as a scientist with quirky gadgets and a unique hairstyle.

A whimsical illustration of a bird in a cage and a character with insect-like wings examining it with a magnifying glass.

A whimsical illustration of a creature with tentacles interacting with a mailbox.

Whimsical airship design with decorative elements in a vibrant landscape.

A character interacting with a large, whimsical creature in a fantastical setting.

A colorful animated landscape featuring a whimsical structure with whimsical features and vibrant elements.

A character with glasses and a tall hairstyle sitting in a room with a dinosaur toy in the background.

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