“Operator” Short Film

Work can be tough. Every day Bob goes to his job, works alone in a windowless room, and completes menial tasks until the day is over. Today, he tries to maintain his routine as his employers implement a few changes to the workplace – resulting in power failures, loud noises, and a mysterious parasitic creature that threatens Bob’s life and family.

Operator is a stop-motion animated short by filmmaker Sam Barnett. Influenced by cordyceps mushrooms (the same inspiration for the monster in The Last of Us) and ideologies used by cults and oppressive regimes, Barnett created this short as a critique on corporate bureaucracy and the conflict between efficiency/profit and human rights.