Smile was written as a farcical take on how our obsession with phones and wanting to stay constantly “connected” in return actually keep us constantly disconnected. All it takes is the quick chime from a text message to ruin a beautiful moment.
And I wanted to do this through the imagery of a bunch of smiling weirdos sharing their toothy grins with each other, as it was a visual that made me, well… smile. I figured that making this a non-verbal short would create a more meditative experience for the viewer, where they can get lost in the happiness of the moment.
Physiologically, it’s quite difficult to watch a group of people smile and not be tempted into joining in yourself, even if you are just watching on a screen. So my hope is that the audience mimics the happiness that unfolds in the short, and then also feels the immediate disappointment when the moment is stolen away from them due to the fateful sound of a text message.
