“Back to the Moon” was created by Google’s doodle team in collaboration with Google Spotlight Stories, Google Arts & Culture and Cinémathèque Française teams, and produced by London’s Nexus Studios.

“He is one of our heroes,” said co-director Fx Goby of Nexus Studios about Méliès. The French filmmaker, who produced his most famous films at the turn of the 20th century, is known as a pioneer of visual effects. He built his own sets and starred in most of his own films. Méliès would film himself multiple times over the same film strip to create the illusion of a seven-member band of identical musicians, make items mysteriously disappear and confuse the audience by switching characters mid-scene — all of which can be seen in the doodle.

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