A factory worker in a dark, gray world assembles devices that promise happiness. In his spare time he tinkers to create something better, and finally succeeds in perfecting his invention, which allows people to see life through rose-colored glasses, but he has to pay a price for his success.
Practical Effects
Gorgeous 35mm stop-motion that makes plasticine feel soulful.
Direction
Osborne tells an epic tragedy without a single word.
Production
World-building denser than most three-hour blockbusters.
Director
Mark Osborne
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This short predates Wall-E by a decade and influenced a generation of animators; Pixar's lamp literally references Osborne's style.
The factory's color palette was chemically aged 35mm film—Osborne wanted 'happiness that looks contaminated from birth.'
US
