Don't get stuck on a call this Christmas

Wonderhood Studios – Twas the call before Christmas

Credits

powered by

Production Company Odelay Films

Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.

Learn More Or Log In

Credits

powered by

Production Company Odelay Films
Post Producer Tamara Mennell
Music Foster & Foster Music
Creative Director Jack Croft
Chief Creative Officer Aidan McClure
Producer Nikki Holbrow
Executive Producer Prudence Beecroft
DP Tom Turley

Sound Recordist Tom Bartlett
Editor Saam Hodivala
Producer Bruce Langfield
VFX 2D Lead Marcus Moffatt
2D Supervisor Paul Wilmot
Colorist Tom Mangham
Sound Designer Dugal Macdiarmid

Show full credits

Hide full credits

Credits powered by

Zoom, Teams, Hangouts, Slack, Facetime... there are numerous ways in which we can stay in touch with our work colleagues, ways which have possibly been over-used across the last two years.

This new film from Wonderhood Studios, directed by Joe & Tim through Odelay Films, takes the premise of spending too much time with your videocall screen to the next level.

The film, called T'was the Call Before Christmas, was written by Wonderhood's Creative Directors Jack Croft and Stacey Bird, features actor Kerry Howard and actor and comedian Daniel Barker, and tells the story of a man who worked so hard he trapped himself in a video call.

The two-and-a-half-minute darkly comic short opens on a family adding the final touches to their Christmas tree, but the mother soon realises her husband is taking longer than anticipated to surface from his call and goes looking for him. Gary explains he is in fact ‘stuck’ – he was “on a call, then the next minute he was in a call". We then see the couple comically trying to live their lives with this new limitation before we witness a grim, lonely end to Gary's Christmas Day.

“We've uttered the words ‘I’m stuck on a call’ far too many times this year," said Croft and Bird. "So, the thought of Christmas Day trapped in a box on a video call felt truly terrifying. The film is meant to make the average worker-from-homer shudder and encourage bosses to hang up the headset for the festive season. We loved working with Tim and Joe to bring the script to life in all its bleakness.”

“From the moment we read the script from we knew we wanted to write on and direct this film," added Joe and Tim. "We’re all guilty of dipping into work emails and calls, without fully appreciating the often intangible ways it can affect family life. The joy of Christmas is so fleeting that it’s important to be as present as possible for all of it. It’s a slippery slope from one last email to suddenly you’ve missed the tree going up and the kids are in bed and it’s Boxing Day and you’re dealing with overflowing recycling bins”.

The spot ends with the line ‘Remember to switch off this Christmas’ – encouraging people to log off so they can enjoy spending time with their loved ones this festive period.