Burbank-based Bento Box takes a multi-platform approach to animation
(Arkasha Stevenson / Los Angeles Times)
When singer-songwriter Alicia Keys wanted to create an animated children’s television series about the exploration of music, she turned to Burbank animation firm Bento Box for ideas.
Bento’s producers suggested an alternative: Instead of a TV show, how about an interactive storytelling app?
That idea became “The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee,” which was released through the iTunes store last fall for $3.99 and expands to Android mobile devices and tablets this month. Featuring original compositions from Keys, the animated series uses music, games, rewards and a journal to tell the story of a relationship between a young girl and a mystical grandmother.
-- Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times