Joel & Obo

Directed By:

Lydia Rogers

Duration:

8 min 18 sec

Medium:

2D Digital Animation

Genre:

Musical, Comedy, Slice of Life

Logline:

Joel the overworked mailman is assigned to train Obo, the new mail delivering robot! But
as he works with Obo, Joel notices that they are indifferent to the job. Struggling to
teach Obo the ropes, Joel realizes that training this new recruit may prove to be harder than he anticipated.

Director’s Bio:

Lydia Rogers is a Chinese-American based in Washington state and earned a degree in 2D + Experimental Animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. She has practiced
traditional 2D animation for over five years and refined the craft studying in Vancouver
Canada. She is a passionate storyteller that is inspired by both modern and classic
animated films, especially in the musical genre. Her other areas of expertise include
storyboarding and character design. She aspires to build a career within the animation
industry.

Artist Statement:

I have always been drawn to musical productions because they use music and song to set
mood, advance plot, reveal character motivations, and express emotions. I wanted to use
these hallmarks to enrich my storytelling and bestow my characters with depth and
representation. I imbued Obo, the postal robot, with nonverbal and autistic-like
characteristics to challenge Joel’s sense of normality. When Joel’s emotions boil over, he
sings out his frustrations. I chose to utilize the flexibility of traditional 2D animation to
enhance musicality and to synergize the characters’ spirits.

Production Stills: