Dunzo's animated short film is a lockdown reminder that 'the story gets better'

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), “more than 50 per cent of the people in the age group of 16-24 felt lonely during the coronavirus lockdown, which is much higher when compared to baby boomers (55-69 age group), where less than a quarter (24.1 per cent) reported loneliness owing to the lockdown.”

That amounts to approximately 200 million young people who have felt lonely during the last months of lockdown. In fact, most people have experienced the feeling of being lonely, to some degree at some point in their lives. However, this has been a specifically tough year, taking a toll on our mental and physical health, especially for those who are getting through this alone.

This is theme of Dunzo's new animated short film. The film is titled 'The story gets better' and a press note mentions that as an essential service, the company's employees encountered so many people who were braving the days during the lockdown.

A press note mentions that Dunzo's team wanted to share an amalgamation of the stories that the team has witnessed these past months and let everyone know, that #TheStoryGetsBetter.

Starring Auro (a writer), his furry friend George, and his girlfriend Noor, whose story may seem familiar to many and maybe, offer a light at the end of an unending tunnel.

As people remained home, Dunzo’s delivery partners braved the streets to ensure they always had access to their cities. In this era of social distance, Dunzo was able to deliver hope and a smile with every order. From delivering groceries, medicines, documents, and entertainment, Dunzo has been a constant source of support, especially for those living on their own.

The press note mentions that the aim with Dunzo’s creatives and social media content has always been to uplift the audiences, and make them smile even in the grimmest of times. This film is an ode to the resilience of its users, merchants, and delivery partners, against all odds.

Dunzo mentions that it has always been very conscious about its responsibility as a brand. "Creativity is the strongest currency and we intend on using it wisely and effectively to create the maximum impact. By building a creative team in-house, Dunzo has been able to nurture creative talent and content without any external dependencies, while delivering results consistently," says a press note.

Its journey from paper to pixels including scripting, screenplay, storyboarding, direction, character modeling, animation, lighting, and rendering has been carried out by Dunzo's in-house brand team - D457.

The press note gives a special mention to one-man army for all things 3D - Sanooj K S, who has single-handedly taken on the task of doing what would typically take a team of over a dozen people to achieve. His incredible hustle and meticulous attention to detail are what have brought the film to life.

For the background music score, Dunzo worked with up and coming new singer-songwriter who also happens to be an architect from Kohima. Pelenuo Yhome’s sublime melody called ‘Build a story’ worked as a perfect fit in setting the mood for the film.

Having co-written and composed this song with her brother Jonathan, Pelenuo sheds light on the inspiration behind the song. “Life is full of little moments that pass us by. These moments are what eventually make our story. I wanted my listeners to pay attention to the little things that make a big life. My song will serve its purpose if the listeners are able to relate to it at some level, and if it helps fill a void for them,” she says.

This film has been our earnest effort to spread the message of hope, to capture a few minds, and warm some hearts. But most importantly, it’s our attempt to drive positive action, for us to help lift each other up and reach a happy chapter in our stories.