Explore how Shaun Tan adapted his picture book into an animated film through original artwork, production images and interviews.
Set in a city overrun by bureaucracy, Shaun Tan's picture book The Lost Thing tells the story of a boy who befriends a strange creature that doesn't appear to fit in any of the available pigeon holes.
Melbourne-based production company Passion Pictures Australia invited Shaun to direct an animated version of The Lost Thing. Several years later, the Oscar®-winning short film emerged.
This exhibition features Shaun's exquisite original drawings and working sketches alongside exclusive footage of the animators and sound artists, demonstrating how the drawings were brought to life on screen with movement, sound effects, music and narration.
Education Resources
These education resources are designed to support a broader understanding of Shaun Tan's work.
- Our Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing Education Resource focuses on exhibition highlights and explores the social, political and historical issues represented in Tan's work.
- Our Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing Activities Resource allows for further exploration of the exhibition in the classroom and at home.
- Our Film Analysis in the Classroom guide focuses on teaching students how to analyse film as a text.
Shaun Tan Drawing Competition and Online Exhibit
As part of Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing: From book to film exhibition, ACMI invited the public to construct a fantastical gallery of Utopia filled with drawings of their own 'Lost Thing'.