This animated short film is a small fictional story about social comparison. It shows how social comparison along with extrinsic-based self-esteem can have a drastic effect on one’s life, sometimes manifesting as a shift in goals. It is inspired largely by personal experiences.
The story is about a woman, Kamna, who grows jealous of her neighbour Anagha, when the latter receives a lot of positive attention for the unusual flowers in her balcony. Kamna, for whom social attention matters a lot, tries every way to gain the spotlight, even resorting to stealing, until she realizes that the unusual flower was actually helping an ill member of Anagha’s family recover.
The research for the film was done by referencing various research papers about social comparison and self-esteem, which gave me a wider understanding about the two topics and their connection with each other. After the story was made, primary research was conducted in the form of field visits to people in similar professions as Kamna to obtain insights into the character’s lifestyle.
Kamna’s perspective was important to keep in mind while planning the shots, and at the same time they had to convey the story’s message. Thus, multiple drafts of storyboards were created before the animation phase to explore the various options and determine which ones worked best.
This film has taught me a lot about the inherent connection between social comparison and self-esteem, thus enabling me to reflect upon my inner personality. It has also pushed me out of my comfort zone as I had to talk to various people at different stages to gather feedback and opinions on the film, which helped in making the film’s story more relatable.
