Device Studio’s short imagines what holiday romances will be like in the future

With the advances in technology, holidays aren’t what they used to be, and the most dramatic difference is in the way we now document them. Gone are the days where the family gather round your fingerprint-riddled photographs from Snappy Snaps and point out how blurry Auntie Linda looks – it’s now all about sharing your experience (read: making everyone jealous) online with your family, friends and fawning followers.

Exploring the ways in which we might share our tales from our holibobs in the future is Barcelona-based Device Studio with its latest animation The Postcard. Inspired by holiday photos and videos, the film plays out a digital postcard the protagonist has sent to her friend, which is essentially a video diary of her holiday. “It started as a parody of all the predictable cliches, but contextualised in the near future. Like no matter what happens in the future, tourists will do the same things when they travel,” explains Device Studio. “We also wanted to include another big cliche of summer trips: the summer love.”

The animation follows the protagonist on her holiday with her new found beau, being absolutely smitten and having lots of adventures. But here’s the plot twist, while it seems like she’s really connecting with her summer romance, turns out he’s a rental romance robot designed to provide all the thrill and Instagram-worthy selfies, with none of the attachment or hassle of a real person. “The main concept is about how relationship will evolve in the near future seeking the ‘perfect experience’ seen on social media, instead of the real ones,” says the studio.

The main challenge for the team was to get the tone of the script right. “It had to communicate a balance between the subtle parody of vacation videos and the ‘love story’, both within a futuristic context,” says Device. “The viewer should be left with questions about technology, lifestyle and relationships in the near future.” To visualise this concept the studio has referenced travel videos and photographs on social media. The animation also adopts a comic book style with a reduced colour palette which also provides a sci-fi sheen, with precise linework and smooth transitions. “We were especially inspired by various collections of science fiction films and narratives like Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell and Black Mirror,” says Device.

The Postcard is a reflection of what life might be like in the future through various technological advances and while Device Studio might present a slightly cynical take, oddly this approach to love and life doesn’t seem so far away these days.