Everyone Is Chasing Eyeballs, But How Do You Grab Attention?

‘Yoohoo’ is an animated short film about people going to absurd lengths to get attention.

(Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from YooHoo/Ujwal Nair)

When a wannabe terrorist stages a siege, he garners an audience that includes competing journalists, an opportunistic politician, and a crowd of onlookers (aka Facebookers and Twitterers). During the siege, the terrorist and his crowd develop a symbiotic relationship. He gets the attention he craves, while they get ratings and likes. However, this situation is threatened by a larger crisis that is just round the corner. By the end, the terrorist loses his sense of purpose and becomes just another face in the crowd.

Yoohoo is an animated short about people going to absurd lengths to get attention. In my own experience, I feel a sense of validation when I get noticed. So the irony of uploading a film on YouTube that's critical of attention-seeking is not lost on me!

(Ujwal is a Bangalore-based, self-taught animator, and in this 2-minute-40-second short film 'Yoohoo', he explores the relevant topic of media and sensationalism in a modern Indian city.)