Master Plan: How Google is Going to Dominate the Entire Universe

Carole Guevin over at netdiver.net brought Master Plan to my attention, a visual essay/conspiracy theory about how Google might be evil after all.

Maybe I’m naive, but I’m not too concerned about Google amassing a database of my personal information to… well, I don’t know… build a clone of me? (That’s what the film seems to imply, at least.) It seems Google has passed that magical threshold of success after which all entities, regardless of their credos, must be involved in some kind of international conspiracy to dominate the world.

In terms of motion graphics, the film does some interesting things, but they’ve all been done first by Simon Robson and others. What I DO like about the project—and this, I think, is very important—is that “Master Plan” is yet another example of how motion graphics can be used as a vehicle for visual essays. (I won’t call these sorts of projects documentaries; that term seems a bit overblown for a 3:15 animation.) But I am very pleased to see the creators of “Master Plan” choosing motion graphics as their mode of communication. It’s much more effective than a series of talking heads or a PowerPoint presentation.

So while I may disagree with the thesis of “Master Plan,” I heartily congratulate its creators. I hope that everyone who has something to say considers saying it with motion graphics. It is, after all, the most culturally relevant mode of communication for our young century.