The verdict is still out when it comes to the topic of whether or not paper is edible. The general consensus is that paper is non-toxic when consumed in small quantities, but eating a lot of it is not recommended for those who value their intestines. It depends what the paper is made out of (cellulose? plastic?) and whether it’s been treated with harmful chemicals (highly likely).
What’s not up for debate is that paper certainly can be made to look delicious, especially in a series of short films by Yelldesign, a Melbourne-based studio specializing in creating internet content. One of Yelldesign’s most interesting recent projects is a five-part series of stop-motion animated films called Papermeal. Over the course of these amazingly intricate, colorful videos, an entire sumptuous meal is created out of paper.
PAPERMEAL 1 – Penne Meatballs from yelldesign on Vimeo.
The series started a couple of months back with penne meatballs. The only things not made out of paper in these videos are the hands preparing the “food.” Those are human. But all the other props are made of paper. The level of detail is amazing. The series veered further into the realm of pure fantasy as it went along, intermingling the rituals of food preparation with the rituals of office work.
PAPERMEAL 2 – Jaffle from yelldesign on Vimeo.
The labor-intensive Papermeal series then continued with episodes devoted to ramen, jaffle, and fish and chips. A jaffle, incidentally, is a pressed sandwich made in an enclosed skillet known as a jaffle iron, jaffle maker, or pie iron. The computerized device used in this video is obviously a lot more sophisticated than the crude so-called “tonka toasters” favored by campers in the 1960s and 1970s. If only there really were computers and printers capable of making edible sandwiches.
PAPERMEAL 3 – Ramen from yelldesign on Vimeo.
PAPERMEAL 4 – Fish & Chips from yelldesign on Vimeo.
A meal this fine would not be complete without a lovely dessert, so Yelldesign finished the Papermeal project recently with the fifth episode, “Banana Split.” This is arguably the strangest and most fantastic film in the series, featuring a gauntlet of vending and slot machines, working together in an almost Rube Goldberg-esque fashion to produce the most perfect-looking banana split in history. Too bad this thing should never, ever be eaten.
PAPERMEAL 5 – Banana Split from yelldesign on Vimeo.
[via Laughing Squid]