"Once Upon a Time" by Felipe 

An amazing piece of work.  I know for a fact that students in other classes (like my British Literature class - where I used it as an example of how to do an Illuminated Text) were so moved by his video that they went out and bought the book.  He did the music himself - and the ending is silent on purpose, given the text that is appearing on the screen.

"Once Upon a Time" (also) by Monica Villegas

All of the drawings, the animations, the concept was done by Monica.  It is so well done - so beautiful - so well thought out.  It never ceases to move me - and I find something new in it every time.  There are other incredible Illuminated Texts that Monica did, and I will try to post those as well.  She also was the Art Director for the class final project - a period length Illuminated Texts on one of the works that we did.

A. & L

I remember our class sitting in awe as we watched this Illuminated Text - which if memory serves my right was written in Adobe After Effects (the first one I think).  It is beautiful - and a work of art in itself.  Everything that is done with the text happens for a reason - and again, after it was shown, I remember students feeling that they a new (different?) understanding of this last important scene that the Illuminated text portrays.

"Autumn" the by poem by Ranier Maria Rilke

A short but powerful Illuminated texts - that mixes simple drawings with texts (and breaks all the rules about sticking to one font - showing that rules are made to be broken).  The simple piano soundtrack matches every movement - and the hand at the end is powerful (I wish it had faded out though - rather than ending abruptly).

"Don't Set Sail" by Frank Yi and Cheuk Law 

Simple drawings - morphing coffee cups - and beautiful piano music.  Frank and Cheuk do an amazing job here.  There is one rule that students was given to students - one image - and here the artists do such an an incredible job with that coffee cup (though a few other images sneak in as well).  Shapes, words, texts - incredibly moving.  And of course it is about the shapes and texts (and music) that are chosen.

"Were You Ever Mine?"  by Aaron Lichamer, Mimi Lui, and Jamika McCann

Sometimes it is all about the text - sometimes about the story.  This wonderful Illuminated Text combines the two.  It uses the text to tell the story - but also uses images to illustrate that story.  It stands on its own - but if you know the novel - it gives you all the more insight.  All three students were among the best that I ever taught - or as is plain here - that taught me.