Two Films About Loneliness And How the Internet Can Separate or Bring People Together
By Taylor Pastrick
Set in a somber mood from the beginning, the animated Two Films About Loneliness, offers an odd take on both loneliness and friendship in a digital age. The split screen features Jonathan Smallman (voiced by Tim Key) on the left and Phillip Button (voiced by Detlef Bierstedt) on the right. Smallman is American and does most of the talking throughout the short film, while Button is German and only says a few sentences that one would only understand if they knew German as there are no subtitles on that side of the screen. Button is also a giant hamster, however the reasoning for that never becomes clear. Due to the obvious language barrier, Smallman becomes the main focus for the average American viewer. On both sides, the film opens in dark tones with sad sounding orchestrations playing and an allusion to it raining, the very first thing the viewer hears …show more content…
Smallman's side of the screen zooms out and shows hims trying to record a spot on a dating website, explaining his opening monologue. However his neighbor keeps making noises that interrupt his recording process. Button's side shows him grabbing a pot, facing the camera and welcoming people, as he is filming a cooking video. As Button continues to film his video with several sound effects, Smallman is shown as increasingly anxious and frustrated as he is unable to record his due to his neighbor. Smallman quickly tries to take advantage of the quiet moments, but he is not fast enough nor is he understanding of what he is doing. Showing his computer screen allows the viewer to see that he is using a free trial and as he tries to pause and restart, the program says that it is not allowed in the trial. Then the opposite screen shows Button accidentally cut his finger and scream. And suddenly Smallman's neighbor is loud
By Taylor Pastrick
Set in a somber mood from the beginning, the animated Two Films About Loneliness, offers an odd take on both loneliness and friendship in a digital age. The split screen features Jonathan Smallman (voiced by Tim Key) on the left and Phillip Button (voiced by Detlef Bierstedt) on the right. Smallman is American and does most of the talking throughout the short film, while Button is German and only says a few sentences that one would only understand if they knew German as there are no subtitles on that side of the screen. Button is also a giant hamster, however the reasoning for that never becomes clear. Due to the obvious language barrier, Smallman becomes the main focus for the average American viewer. On both sides, the film opens in dark tones with sad sounding orchestrations playing and an allusion to it raining, the very first thing the viewer hears …show more content…
Smallman's side of the screen zooms out and shows hims trying to record a spot on a dating website, explaining his opening monologue. However his neighbor keeps making noises that interrupt his recording process. Button's side shows him grabbing a pot, facing the camera and welcoming people, as he is filming a cooking video. As Button continues to film his video with several sound effects, Smallman is shown as increasingly anxious and frustrated as he is unable to record his due to his neighbor. Smallman quickly tries to take advantage of the quiet moments, but he is not fast enough nor is he understanding of what he is doing. Showing his computer screen allows the viewer to see that he is using a free trial and as he tries to pause and restart, the program says that it is not allowed in the trial. Then the opposite screen shows Button accidentally cut his finger and scream. And suddenly Smallman's neighbor is loud