Google Doodle pays tribute to George Melies with virtual reality video

Google on Thursday paid tribute to Georges Méliès, the French illusionist and film director who led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema, with a doodle. The first-ever virtual reality doodle celebrated the artist on the 106th anniversary of his most noted work, 'À la conquête du pôle', a 1912 French silent film loosely inspired by contemporary events and by Jules Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires.

Watch the 360 Google Doodles/Spotlight Stories: Back to the Moon video

The clip revolves around the comic misadventures of an international group of explorers on an expedition to the North Pole, where they encounter a man-eating frost giant and a dangerous magnetic needle. The 360-degree doodle takes you on a ride through a story, titled 'Back to the Moon'.

Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès, known as Georges Méliès was a French illusionist and film director who led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. Méliès was an especially prolific innovator in the use of special effects. He was also one of the first filmmakers to use storyboards.

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI