Overview

Counter Intelligence is a stylised 2D animated sitcom pilot where household devices gossip behind their owner’s back, reframing an ordinary date through their own opinions, biases, and commentary.

Set in a kitchen, the episode combines character-driven dialogue with a flat, sitcom-style animation approach built around performance and timing, exploring perception, judgment, and social dynamics from a non-human perspective.

Challenges & Approach

A key challenge was building distinct personalities and comedic timing for non-human characters while keeping the scene clear and engaging. The approach focused on performance—using dialogue, pacing, and reaction to define each device’s attitude and role within the conversation.

Cinematography and framing were used to stage interactions and guide attention, treating each device as an active participant rather than a static object. The flat, sitcom-style animation supports clarity and timing, allowing expressions and delivery to carry the humour without unnecessary visual complexity.

The result

The final episode delivers a character-driven narrative that blends humour with observational commentary. By positioning everyday devices as opinionated participants, it creates a layered perspective on a familiar situation, demonstrating a proof of concept for dialogue-led animated storytelling built on timing, performance, and direction.