Roomba

I decided to challenge myself and create a “dimensional collage” with a short video. I wanted to capture the sense of finality through the monologue and the song. I focused more on the monologue, and how the audience doesn’t know the full story nor what’s to come. We are just focused on the moment this character has found themself in. I originally wanted to focus on the horror of what’s unfolded. However, through this project I didn’t know how to recreate the sense of dread the monologue gave me, so I decided to simplify it and focus more on acceptance of a situation.

Although the video is simple, I’ve learned I enjoy the challenge of simplifing core elements of stories and communicating only what is necessary. In this case, we don’t know anything about the Roomba other than its job. The Roomba was manufactured into this so-called life, that’s all it knows and that’s all we know. I tried to emulate the horror through humanizing the Roomba. I focused more on trying to get the feeling of going through a journey and accepting the situation,

without following the story.

We don’t know anything other than being shown a Roomba going through the motions, and the text focusing around the idea of survival. We don’t know if the Roomba is conscious or aware of its situation, all we know is that it must clean. Its what it was made to do. I wanted to ask, what are we made to do, and hone in on humanizing the Roomba.

The project is played on a CRT to add texture to the light of the video and out-of-tune piano audio. Added nostalgia to emphasize feelings.