An Office Carol

The short film- An office carol celebrates the Christmas festivities but with a slight twist which proves to be beneficial for the protagonist Eric Stephens (Ashley Stinnett). Director Kevin Adkins along with the writers Clayton Potter and Tyler Caplinger attempts to wrap important life lessons with the element of comedy so that the audience does not miss out on the entertainment and thus increase the degree of engagement with the content.

The plot of the cinematic piece revolves around an executive visiting the branch office on the day of the Christmas party for an evaluation. He encounters the ghosts of the past, present, and future. They convince him that maybe there is more to Christmas than he thought.

The Christmas decoration along with the music in the background and the photographs gives an insight into the making of the film so that the viewers get excited about what the makers have promised to deliver to them. The camera pans slowly into the high-rise buildings and has connotations that even the beautiful city of West Virginia wants to calm down and enjoy the festival. The loud commentary on the Radio in the car builds a contrast between the happy vibes and the monotonous and workaholic nature of Eric Stephens. The mid and close-up shots of the conversations between characters help the viewers understand and incorporate the key message of the movie into their lives and learn from it. The office carol manages to balance the Christmas colour palette as well as the pastel colours and lighting to bring out the essence of the subject matter of the creative piece. The office set-up is intelligently utilized to intensify the drama as the narrative moves closer to its climax.

In terms of performance, Ashley Stinnett plays Eric Stephens who only cares about work and money. Stinnett perfectly conveys this rigid and dull lifestyle through dialogues, voice modulations, the body language, and facial expressions. The actor uses anger to justify the rules Stephens has made in his head in regards to an office.

James Holley plays the role of Clark Fredrick who is head of the branch Eric Stephens visits for work purposes. He gives the central character advice and also adds some comic moments so that the audience remains emotionally invested in the story. Holley uses the Christmas cap, alcohol, and family ties to add layers to the character of Clark Fredrick.

The short film-An Office Carol states the importance of working hard but also tells the audience about how crucial it is to have fun too. There should be a healthy mix of professional as well as personal life. This office drama reiterates the fact that working all the time will make people lonely and boring similar to a machine. The cinematic piece educates the viewers regarding the necessity of taking decisions which are required to be taken as it contributes to the success stories of the firm but it is vital to care for the human resource working for the company too.