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SW Montana Illustrated
The Last Best TRAILS® is a made-in-Montana-based multimedia platform created to foster a sense of wonder and stewardship of our natural treasures.
Bozeman-based Author/Illustrator and Animator Bryan Schaeffer has created a world based on the experiences of family and friends in Montana. Characters are real people in real places, creating unreal experiences.
Every scene is hand drawn and painted by the author, and is designed for use in printed books, interactive ePublications, and animated short films.
A technique developed by the artist inspired by the golden age of animation uses hand-drawn and colored frames set up in a multi-plane camera to give a cinematic sense of depth and parallax. This distinctive look is a product of producing hundreds of motion graphics video campaigns over the past decade, including award-winning TV campaigns and ultra-hd animated content for the world's top tech company, biotech, non-profit, and news organization.
These animated short films with an accompanying books, interactive content, and framed canvases represents a legacy-building first launch of the series, which will inspire children of all ages with wonder and awe of Montana's scenic wonders and wildlife.
Weekly Emails
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12 of the 63 total hikes in the new book
In the Press
"Bryan Schaeffer uses illustration to get people outdoors. It seems like Bryan uses illustration and animation to engage his audience in a way that other mediums cannot."
- Holden Sier
Outside Bozeman Magazine
"This is my favorite type of book because it gets to the point." It's really the best of both worlds - beautifully illustrated book and you get the digital world if you want it. It's always great to have a reference guide to get you started."
-DJ Zepp
105.7 The Eagle
"Part of being an artist is being relevant, and I don’t want to just work in my own little artist silo and not have it affect anybody. I really want this to affect people. I really want people to feel empowered and part of the community. "
-Bryan Schaeffer
interview with Tyler Cohen
Crosscountry Skier Magazine
About the Illustrator / Author
Some People Never Grow Up
The Last Best Trails is a passion project by Montana native and every season trails enthusiast -Bryan Schaeffer. Bryan is a three-time Emmy® winner and contributor to Outside Bozeman Magazine. His second book of the series "The Last Best BIKE" won the 2022 Bozeman's Choice Awards for best local book and best local author.
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