Faculty of Art

Experimental Animation

Sarah Dubiel

"The Worst Day of Your Life"

"Suffering from major strife? Maybe you could be the next contestant on The Worst Day of Your Life!"A young man is forced to come to terms with a traumatic workplace incident on a twisted game show that masks an even darker reality.

“The Worst Day of Your Life is a narrative, single-channel 2D animation that tells the story of a factory worker reliving the traumatic events leading up to his boss’ death on a hallucinatory game show that morphs into the harsh reality of a funeral. This work is a dark comedy that examines exploitation within the television industry with an underlying focus on unhealthy coping mechanisms and the grieving process. The title, The Worst Day of Your Life, reflects the protagonist coming to terms with his grief, while simultaneously doubling as the name of the game show that focuses on broadcasting contestant’s lowest moments for entertainment purposes. This work aims to explore exploitation in the television industry, and encourage viewers to consume media with a more critical eye. The film takes inspiration from famously controversial game shows Fear Factor and Queen for a Day to accentuate exploitation within the television industry, and an audience’s inexplicable fascination with violence and human suffering. Aesthetically, the work maintains a sense of constant motion through the utilization of continuous sketchy breathing lines to emphasize the chaotic nature of the game show, and the disorderly nature of the protagonist’s traumatized mind. ”