2023 Film: Robots Don't Tell Jokes

Robots Don't Tell Jokes by Kelli Caldwell
Portland, Oregon (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 4 minutes
Block 3: September 9th, 3:30PM
Music Video

For tickets click HERE.

Robot thinks he has a wonderful joke, so he keeps trying to tell it, but none of the other robots ever laugh. They tell him "robots don't tell jokes..." Will Robot give up on his awesome joke or will he find his tribe? Stop-motion using mainly wood scraps and metal pieces.

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Director Bio:

Kelli Caldwell is an award-winning children's songwriter from Portland, Oregon. This is her first self-made stop-motion short, produced as a music video for her song, "Robots Don't Tell Jokes." Kelli's 8-year-old twins, Ryan and Kira, helped with some of the direction and production of the video.

Director Statement:

This is a bit of a protest against the automation and dehumanization of everything. My husband and many of my best friends work for huge high-tech companies; I used to work for a semiconductor. One day it dawned on me... wait, all these big brains are being paid massive quantities to create things that we basically treat like slaves? That's the goal?! "Alexa, do this! Siri, do that!" We give them human names, but we don't even say please. I wonder what subconscious message that's giving kids.

So most all of the materials used in the video, including the robots, are made from wood and nails and parts from the hardware store, things low-tech. The toys that move are wind-up or vintage style tin. The robots were made of reclaimed wood by a guy named Mark Riddler in Leeds, UK, who writes personal biographies (hilarious, not-so-kid-oriented) for each one of his "scraplets." The lead actor (Robot) is "Ray Harlequin" and we've become good friends, in spite of his occasional high-falutin demands.

The video also pays homage to my favorite comedians from back in the day. The posters in Robot's room are of Bill Murray in Stripes, Gilda Radner as Rosanna Rosanna Danna, Jane Curtain, Eddie Murphy, In Living Color, the Cone Heads, SNL, and Lucille Ball.

Thanks so much for your time and consideration of "Robots Don't Tell Jokes."