The Meatrix
Encyclopedia
The Meatrix is a short flash
animation
critical of factory farming
and industrial agricultural practices. It has been translated into over 30 languages and watched by more than 15 million people. It was made by the green
messaging firm Free Range Studios
in 2003 as a commissioned project for GRACE, and two sequels were released in 2006, titled The Meatrix II: Revolting, and The Meatrix II ½.
, Leo
, a pig on a seemingly bucolic family farm
, is approached by Moopheus
, an anthropomorphic bull. Moopheus shows Leo that the farm he has known is an illusion, and that he is really trapped in a horrific factory farm
. Leo and Moopheus then work to break out of the Meatrix and help others do the same, with some help from a third character, Chickity
. The animated short aims to encourage consumers to purchase organic food products and free-range meats.
and the Annecy
2004 Netsurfers Award for Short Films. Free Range Studios claims that over 15 million people have viewed The Meatrix, and it has been translated, either dubbed or subtitled, into a total of 39 languages besides English. The Meatrix and its two sequels can be found as bonus material on the DVD for Fast Food Nation
.
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
critical of factory farming
Factory farming
Factory farming is a term referring to the process of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a factory — a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses. The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption...
and industrial agricultural practices. It has been translated into over 30 languages and watched by more than 15 million people. It was made by the green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
messaging firm Free Range Studios
Free Range Studios
Free Range Studios is a messaging firm based in Washington, D.C. and Berkeley, California. They are notable for their services and films promoting social change.- Beginnings :...
in 2003 as a commissioned project for GRACE, and two sequels were released in 2006, titled The Meatrix II: Revolting, and The Meatrix II ½.
Plot
In a dark satire of The MatrixThe Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, Leo
Neo (The Matrix)
Thomas A. Anderson is a fictional character and the main protagonist in The Matrix franchise, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film, Kid's Story. He was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy and The Animatrix. Andrew Bowen provided Neo's voice in The Matrix: Path of Neo...
, a pig on a seemingly bucolic family farm
Family farm
A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...
, is approached by Moopheus
Morpheus (The Matrix)
Morpheus is the name of a fictional character and the secondary protagonist of The Matrix Franchise. The Wachowski brothers were fans of Neil Gaiman and based the character of Morpheus on the title character from the comic book The Sandman, also adopting one of his most common pseudonyms,...
, an anthropomorphic bull. Moopheus shows Leo that the farm he has known is an illusion, and that he is really trapped in a horrific factory farm
Factory farming
Factory farming is a term referring to the process of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a factory — a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses. The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption...
. Leo and Moopheus then work to break out of the Meatrix and help others do the same, with some help from a third character, Chickity
Trinity (The Matrix)
Trinity is a fictional character and Neo's love interest in The Matrix universe, played by Carrie-Anne Moss in the films. In the gameplay segments of Path of Neo, she is voiced by Jennifer Hale...
. The animated short aims to encourage consumers to purchase organic food products and free-range meats.
Awards
The Meatrix has won a number of awards, including a 2005 WebbyWebby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
and the Annecy
Annecy International Animated Film Festival
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998...
2004 Netsurfers Award for Short Films. Free Range Studios claims that over 15 million people have viewed The Meatrix, and it has been translated, either dubbed or subtitled, into a total of 39 languages besides English. The Meatrix and its two sequels can be found as bonus material on the DVD for Fast Food Nation
Fast Food Nation (film)
Fast Food Nation is a 2006 American/British drama film directed by Richard Linklater. The screenplay was written by Linklater and Eric Schlosser, loosely based on the latter's bestselling 2001 non-fiction book of the same name...
.