Interactive VR Animation series,
VR Game, 360 film and beyond!

Created by Georgy Molodtsov
Produced by Film XR (Estonia)
Feeling Digital (Belarus)
Russian VR Seasons (Russia)



OK, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT IS it?

UNDER THE PILLOW – Animated interactive VR-series

Mysteries and adventures are never far when children are home alone. The kind adults never believe!

"Under the pillow" is a multiformat XR project which encourages a kid in all of us to build an imaginary friend, kitten Mormitten and turn into it – not only to explore the magical world under the pillow of an old sofa, but to learn more about ourselves, our hopes and dreams.
AND Here are some Stills:
If you are looking for stills or poster for press purposes - you can download them here (link)!
or just click on the still here and it will let you download it:
SO, IS IT A FILM? A GAME? A FAIRY TALE?
It's all in one!
One-of-a-kind animated project with traditional animation series, interactive VR series and mobile AR game about Mormitten, the handmade cuddly kitten-like toy, who helps children to find their beloved "treasures", as well as to overcome difficult period in their lives.

Kids don't like staying at home for too long: it makes them bored and frustrated. That's why my father invented kitten Mormitten, a handmade toy that came to life, brought magic to our family and taught us valuable lessons about friendship and how to overcome obstacles. In this animated VR experience you and your kids can meet Mormitten too!

Create your own toys, go on a scavenger hunt, and help Gosha and Yulia realize their own abilities to face adversity.
IS IT FOR KIDS ONLY? IS IT IN ENGLISH OR RUSSIAN?

"Under the pillow" is a project for kids inside all of us, no matter the age. It is a universal story about family values and use of imagination!
Animation series and AR game are targeted to kids 3-9 y.o., while interactive VR would be interesting for young parents, who wants to learn their kids!

This work is made in three language versions:
English, Russian and Chinese.


TELL ME MORE ABOUT INTERACTIVE VR SERIES.
WHY THERE ARE SEVERAL EPISODES?
Each episode would have its unique interactive elements which will motivate viewers to explore and participate in the story.

First episode is released at the festivals now,
while second episode is still in the development!

Check our social network pages for more updates!
(in distribution)
Episode One
"Kitten Mormitten"
(in production)
Episode Two
"New friends"
For industry professionals:

In December 2021 "Under the pillow XR" (First Episode) was nominated
for Crystal Owl Award within STEREOPSIA.
First episode was also showcased during the Industrial part of the Program


In November 2021 "Under the pillow XR" (Second Episode) is pitching within the
Torino Short Film Market – XR Stories, being one of five projects to be selected for the pitching.


In November 2021 "Under the pillow XR" (VR + flat formats) is pitching within the Cartoon 360 Transmedia Pitching Event


In July 2021 "Under the pillow: Kitten Mormitten" was nominated for
VeeR Future Award at CANNES XR / Marche du film within Cannes Film Festival!


In November 2020 "Under the pillow: Kitten Mormitten" received
HALO AWARD for Best Art Game within VR Days 2020!


In September 2020 "Under the pillow" was pitched at
XR Co-production market within NewImages Festival.


In June 2020 "Under the pillow" was presented as one of 7 selected projects for
MIFA Pitching / Interactive Creations & Transmedia Category within The 2020 Annecy Online Festival.


In November 2019 we presented our project for the first time publicly at
XR-coproduction cruise within Geneva International Film Festival / Digital Market

Kitten Mormitten's Daily
Fresh news about kitten Mormitten, "Under the pillow" VR project and beyond!
    COOl, NOW TELL ME ABOUT OTHER FORMATS!
    Sure!
    The idea is to make a virtual story real as well as to give as much fun as possible!
    Here are different formats we are planning to do with it:
    • 6 DOF Interactive VR Experience
      Festival and Stores Release
      Story-based interactive piece which would be released
      first at the festivals.
    • 360 video version
      360 3D animated film based on the same characters and story, which would be possible to watch in 3 DOF Headsets and on various online 360 platforms!
    • 6 DOF Interactive VR Game Release
      LBE/ Educational use
      Modified versions of the original project with more gaming elements for Location Based Entertainment
    • Traditional animation series
      We would like to create 26 x 7 min episodes about adventures of Mormitten and his little helped Zuzha.
      In every episode they will solve the mystery about disappeared treasure and help children solve their problems!
    • AR Game
      Supporting app with cross-download of the created kitten from VR version which will be your personal friends with mini-games to play!
    • Sewing kit/real-life toy
      That's the big part of the project, after you watched/played/created your Mormitten in VR, we are giving you a chance to do that in real life!
    So WHAT, YOU WANT TO PRODUCE EACH PRODUCT FROM A SCRATCH EVERY TIME?

    UNDER THE PILLOW – Animated interactive VR-series

    Not a chance!
    We consider our approach as MultiAssetting meaning we are working with the same assets on different formats and the production of one direction supports and enrich another.
    KITTEN MORMITTEN? WHY? WhERE DOES IT COME FROM?
    I wanted to bring to life the fairy tale, written by my father when me and my sister were kids. It helped us to learn each other better and build a strong relations for the rest of our lives. With this project I would like to share some of the emotions which this small kitten gave us!
    Georgy Molodtsov
    Director, Producer
    In the early 90s, while the whole country was falling apart into pieces, same processes happened in our family. Our father had to leave the family and mother had to take more time for herself and her work, so me and my sister were spending a lot of time together.

    However, our father Sergey Molodtsov, a prominent journalist who covered conflicts and disasters in post-soviet countries, was trying to keep the connection with us even at a distance.
    He wrote us this story about a toy – kitten Mormitten, who helped us to be stronger and closer to each other.

    Here you can read his original fairy tale!

    Father published this story in one of his newspapers and it quickly became popular among kids. Hundreds of children were sending their paintings and handmade toys to show their own vision of how Mormitten should looks like. They shared lots of stories how Mormitten could help them in their family struggles.
    When father passed away, we found Mormitten in his belongings. This toy looked quite new and really different from the one we did over 20 years ago.
    So we knew that other children, who read the story years after it was written, were still inspired by it.

    And that's the reasons we are doing this project now.


    Today's version of Mormitten has several parents who made him look the way you'll see him in our work!

    First of all, artist Elena Gladneva created a 2D sketch of our new Mormitten.

    Then magic toy-makers from the Ksenia Makarova Workshop made different real-life toys based on a 2D sketch. We've experimented with size, fabrics, accessories and had a short-list of the best-looking kittens.

    Those toys were 3D-scanned piece by piece and combined together by the Feeling Digital Team VR artists.
    YOU WROTE SOMETHING ABOUT SEWING KIT AND REAL TOY. PLEASE ELABORATE!
    You can create your own version of Mormitten as well!
    With the help of our partners we've developed a universal sewing kit, which is possible to order separately from the VR piece as well as inside the VR and AR piece.

    So, the full structure of our project combines three types of realities:
    1
    You start with a VR interactive film
    There you will be able to create your own custom version of kitten and play with him.
    2
    AR Game
    After finishing the VR piece, you'd be able to receive the unique code with you personal Mormitten the way you created him. Enter your unique ID to AR app and bring your friend in a real world.
    However, if you want him to become more real, AR Mormitten will guide you…
    3
    ...how to sew a real life toy with the sewing kit
    Sewing kit might be bought additionally through VR and AR app. By knowing your ID we would fill the kit with the elements needed to create your personal real life Mormitten, while AR kitten will help you to do it step by step!
    AND WHO IS PRODUCING IT ALL?
    "Under the Pillow" is a co-production project between Film XR OÜ (Estonia), Feeling Digital (Belarus) and Russian VR Seasons Initiative (Russia).
    • Georgy Molodtsov
      Executive Producer, Director
      An award-winning film and VR director, festival programmer.
      Programming director of VR Sci Fest (Sweden), curator of the Open Frame Award for VR within goEast Film Festival (Germany), creative producer of Russian VR Seasons initiative. Co-founder of VRability social good project.
      MA in Film and Video 2015, School of Communication, American University, USA (Fulbright Fellow). Studied documentary filmmaking in All-Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK) in 2003-2008.
      Web site: www.gmolodtsov.com

    • Mitry Sorkin
      Co-producer, VR Producer
      Director of VR-movies, creative producer in the «Feeling Films» company, co-founder of the Virtual Reality Gallery «Vir» in Minsk.

      In 2017, Mitry curated The Day of the virtual reality at Bel:Cinema Industry Platform - an exciting event for Belarusian audience, where they had a chance to watch VR 360-movies and see the virtual worlds that were created by Belarusian artists.
    • Feeling Digital
      Studio of immersive solutions
      Multidisciplinary team of technomagicians, who use technology and creative energy to produce technomagic. It allows them to provide clients with immersive products for reaching their goals in marketing, manufacturing and art.

      Feeling Digital prefer pioneering and in-depth approach. Any type of Extended Realities is not just a buzz for them, but an ultimate tool that is capable to switch conventional conception of creating and consuming content.
    • Anna Northrup
      Co-scriptwriter, International Version
      Documentary photographer and visual media producer in Washington, DC, following political rallies, conferences, and cultural events. I am also available for portraits, headshots, and private parties.
    • Yury Negrebetsky
      Music Composer
      Yury is a music composer based in Moscow, Russia. He previously composed scores for over 20 documentary films as well as for many commercials and PSA
    • Elena Gladneva
      2D CHARACTER DESIGNER
      Elena worked as a animation director and character designer for over 7 years for major animation and production companies in Russia – Wizart, Bazelevs, etc.
    • Feeling Digital
      is a VR/AR studio based in Minsk, Belarus. List of customers includes ALUTECH, BelAZ, beCloud, NPO Passat, Multiplica, a_Bahn, Wargaming.NET, UNFPA, MIFF Listapad, UNDP and Goethe Institut Minsk.

      Besides commercial projects for brands and enterprises their portfolio contains numerous social cultural initiatives and events: annual Cinematic VR festival and VR Laboratory, workshops for artists, art exhibitions using VR and AR.

      Web site: http://feelingdigital.pro
    • Russian VR Seasons
      The initiative for promotion and demonstration of VR projects in international markets. The platform was created in 2017. It unites filmmakers, artists, producers and other creative professionals, who are occupied with making and promoting of VR projects. "Russian VR Seasons" is an independent uncommercial community, which collaborates with educational platforms and film festivals. The program includes VR movies of production companies and independent film makers.
      Web site: www.russianvrseasons.ru
    • FILM XR OU
      International company based in Estonia, created to promote and distribute VR content. One of the projects of FILM XR - web-blog www.vrfilmreview.ru. The company overviews international sales and co-productions of "Under the Pillow XR" project
    And What PRESS SAYS ABOUT IT?
    There were quite a lot of publications about the project and some interviews.
    Here are the links to some of them (mostly in Russian, though)
    Contacts:
    Estonia, Russia: Georgy Molodtsov,
    gm@filmxr.ee, gmolodtsov@gmail.com
    +79262869828
    Belarus: Mitry Sorkin, mitya.sorkin@feeling.by

    Made on
    Tilda