My Funny Coraline
Posted by SpaceBass on November 17th, 2008 filed in tips, trailheads
Sometimes when the internets sends you packages, it does them up right. Nothing is more exciting than a mystery box full of mystery, unless maybe it’s full of mysterious WMDs or something but that’s sorta more intense than it is exciting. One such package dropped on our front stoop this weekend. The former kind, not the deadly latter.
Mystery Box Full of Mystery
And while there may have been no deadly latter, there certainly was a droll letter.
Letter Excerpt
Box Contents
You guessed correctly, true-believers! This sucker is electrical! No wait, it’s made of wood and cloth and paper and stuff but there is electricity in the air! The movie is Coraline, based on the children’s book by geek hero, Neil Gaiman, and it’s directed by the charming bloke who made The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach! This is so gonna rule.
Mystery Key of Mystery
One of the items in the lid of the box sends us to coraline.com, where we’re prompted for the key that was helpfully provided. Entering “stopmotion” reveals a behind-the-scenes video look at production of the upcoming feature. The site also lets you sign up for updates by providing an email address and opting for voice and text message contacts through your cell phone. Are you brave enough? We’re not but we’re just that foolhardy anyway.
More photos of the box contents after the jump, including the full text of the letter. Enjoy!
Transcription of the Letter follows. Click here for the Full Image or here for the Huge Version.
Dear Despoiler,
Since ancient times, strangers who work on feature films have sent strangers with great websites mysterious gifts in the hope that they can connect over a mutual interest and come to love each other. Some people think that receiving random gifts from strangers in the mail is illicit. Not when the gifts are awesome. Right?
Inside this old box is a one-of-a-kind collection we’ve amassed and cataloged with you and you alone in mind.
Why? We at Laika are nearing completion of Coraline, our first full-length animated film. For the last three years, 351 of the world’s oddest and most talented animators, artisans, and puppet fabricators have been hand-making one movie. Led by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, this team has created the first stop-motion feature shot in 3D. Based on teh beloved best-selling children’s classic by Neil Gaiman, Coraline is a fairy-tale nightmare steeped in classic storytelling, craftsmanship, and the old-fashioned art ofmoviemaking magic. That means everything is handmade. Every leaf, drawer pull, and roast turkey. Even the rusty shower water.
The plain truth of the matter is, we are pretty obsessed with mysterious storytelling. Like you. That’s why we admire Despoiler.org. We like your devotion to discovery. And share your cross-all-bounds approach to following the trail from beginning to end. Enjoy the hunt. The braver you are, the more you’ll see. Please keep up the super work. We’ll be reading.
Coraline is coming out this February. If we have guessed correctly that you are a curious person with access tot he internet, perhaps you’ll look for more cool things about this film. This is not a secret we hope you won’t want to share. And so, we say thank you for your time, enjoy, and hello.
Sincerely,
The Coraline TeamBuilding movies by hand in Portland, Oregon (983 miles from Hollywood)
Hooray, Portland!
Box Side - “The braver you are the more you’ll see.”
Handmade in Oregon 24/50
Inside the Box
Box Lid
The envelope on the left with the wax seal contained the letter transcribed and pictured above. We carefully slit the top of the envelope to retrieve the letter without destroying the seal.
Henry Selick’s Signature
Looking Stone
43 Responses to “My Funny Coraline”
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November 17th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Nice writing style. I look forward to reading more in the future.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Oh My God! Super Coolness!!!!
November 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
That is so awesome!
November 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Wow. Color me totally green with envy. That is one gorgeous box. Nicely done, Coraline people. Nicely done.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I’ve been curious about this movie. The book is good. I didn’t know they were making the movie in stop motion. I’m excited now.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
[...] San Francisco, a Harvard blogger claims that my.BarackObama.com is the game of the year, Sean gets very cool swag, and FIVE AWESOME EMAILS for our “Let’s Make an ARG” [...]
November 19th, 2008 at 12:58 am
After watching the video, one of the links leads back to enter new keys, presumably to unlock additional content — seems like it’d be worth scouring the net to find the other 49.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
You could also try BUTTONEYES, if this wholly random dude is to be believed.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Other passwords found at http://micechat.com/forums/blogs/orbitalpunk/852-coraline-vignettes.html
moustachio
puppetlove
armpithair
sweaterxxs
November 19th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] up-coming stop-motion feature produced entirely at LAIKA. First of all, check out the mystery packages they sent out to various members of the press. You’ll notice from that post a password to enter once you’re on the film’s site. [...]
November 20th, 2008 at 12:00 am
[...] up-coming stop-motion feature produced entirely at LAIKA. First of all, check out the mystery packages they sent out to various members of the press. You’ll notice from that post a password to enter once you’re on the film’s site. [...]
November 20th, 2008 at 10:19 am
[...] como no se lo han currado lo suficiente, atentos a los gift packs que están enviando a la prensa… ¡que [...]
November 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
wow, so breathtaking. after seeing the preview at Neil’s book tour, i have never been more excited to see a film.
i can’t sit still!
November 20th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
[...] promocionar Coraline, enviaron a los medios de comunicación una misteriosa caja de madera que contenía información, fotos y lo más importante: una llave con una clave secreta para entrar [...]
November 21st, 2008 at 12:23 am
[...] Take note, viral marketers of movies, because this is wise: Check out what Cleolinda and Despoiler got for Coraline. Now that is a ton of awesome and a half. (Me? Envious. Of [...]
November 21st, 2008 at 1:47 am
[...] de lo hermoso de todo el proyecto. Han enviado a varios miembros de la prensa por correo unos misteriosos paquetes. Se trata de una edición limitada de cajas hechas a mano que contienen, entre otras cosas como una [...]
November 21st, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] - אחד מהם הוא stopmotion - באדיבות הבלוגר despoiler, שזכה לקבל מתנה מדהימה מ-Laika,עוד אחד הוא buttoneye, באדיבות ניל גיימן. וב-Drawn! אספו [...]
November 21st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
[...] Coraline. I was tinkering on the internets and found out that the film makers have sent out special hand-made press boxes to the media with promotional contents about the film. Inside was a password that one can use to [...]
November 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Also try the passkey “buttoneyes.” Good stuff.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Duh. missed the above comment about BUTTONEYES. Enjoy, tho.
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:50 am
[...] http://www.despoiler.org/2008/11/17/my-funny-coraline/ [...]
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:02 am
I love this!!!
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
[...] you, i can’t wait for coraline to come out next year february. check more out the cool chest despoiler got to promote the show and its official website coraline.com which you can enter two keywords that [...]
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
[...] I’m not sure where the other 49 boxes will turn up, and so far it seems very random. I’ve found photos on Toycutter and despoiler. [...]
November 24th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Two questions:
1) What’s your address so I can send you cool gifts to write about my animated short films?
2) How can I get your job?
Thanks man.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Dear Allen:
1) Check our contact page.
2) Send us your resume and $100,000 USD in gold doubloons (non-refundable).
In other news, evidence of other packages is starting to spring up around the interwebs. Each box seems pretty unique aside from the form letters. Let’s collect some links (remember, there are likely 50 boxes).
No. 13 - PUPPETLOVE at Slashfilm
No. 22 - BUTTONEYES at Superpunch
No. 33 - BUTTONEYES at Occupation: Girl
November 24th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Box #5 has shown up here with me:
http://fashion-piranha.livejournal.com/40454.html?mode=reply
November 25th, 2008 at 3:32 am
[...] Piranha #13 - Peter @ Slashfilm.com #14 - Eve @ Geeksofdoom.com #22 - John @ Toycutter.com #24 - Despoiler @ Despoiler.org #33 - Cleolinda Dit bericht [...]
November 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am
WOW¡¡¡ I love caroline
November 25th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
[...] Read about it here: A little nail polish, a bit of Coraline and an email from Neil Gaiman and here: My funny Coraline. [...]
November 25th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
No. 2 - BUTTONEYES at Kiss the Librarian.
No. 6 - SWEATERXXS at Wendy Knits
November 25th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
[...] #5 - Fashion Piranha #6 - Wendy Knits #13 - SlashFilm #14 - Geeks of Doom #22 - Toycutter #24 - Despoiler #33 - Cleolinda Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Neil Gaiman is a god (duh)SQEEEEE! [...]
November 25th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
No. 29 - OBSCURED?! but soon to be posted (we assume) at Heroine Sheik.
November 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Box 11 showed up here with me…
http://emmyymme.blogspot.com/2008/11/sweet-coraline.html
November 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Box 37 arrived at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive…
http://www.animationarchive.org
We’re opening it tonight.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
[...] OneBox TwoBox FiveBox SixBox ElevenBox ThirteenBox FourteenBox Twenty-TwoBox Twenty-FourBox Twenty-NineBox [...]
November 29th, 2008 at 1:44 am
13 boxes so far…
http://www.animationarchive.org/2008/11/more-on-our-coraline-suitcase.html
November 29th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
We got the sewing kit with the button eyes and a big scrapbook!
December 9th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
If you signed up for Cell phone updates, you might have just gotten a text like us to try the code OTHERWORLD. Neat!
December 14th, 2008 at 11:32 am
No. 46
http://thekreep.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/coraline-film-team-honors-the-kreep/
in e†ernity
Brazillia R. Kreep
December 16th, 2008 at 7:13 am
That is too terribly cool. I recently posted about mine if you are interested:
http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/?p=1028
December 27th, 2008 at 1:59 am
[...] Geeksofdoom.com #15 - Charley @ Lines and Colors #22 - John @ Toycutter.com #23 - ToyrsREvil #24 - Despoiler @ Despoiler.org #29 - Bonnie @ Heroine Sheik #33 - Cleolinda #34 - Miss Addams @ VampireFreaks #37 - Stephen @ [...]
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I’m so jealous I want to vomit. OMG!