# Emotional Tech Films Mechanical Sympathy Shows the Life and Death of a Reel-To-Tape Recorder By Michael Hines | Published 2011-04-05 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mechanical-sympathy References: [walyou](http://walyou.com/reel-to-reel-stop-motion/) & [mechanicalsympathy.wordpress](http://mechanicalsympathy.wordpress.com/) Mechanical Sympathy is a [stop-motion short film](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dream-short-film) made by Tom McDermott that shows the life and death of a reel-to-tape recorder. Mechanical Sympathy makes the reel-to-tape recorder seem almost human as you watch it relieve some of the best and worst times of its life while dying in a hospital. McDermott made Mechanical Sympathy as part of his dissertation which was appropriately titled "Breathing life into an inanimate object using stop motion animation techniques." The entire film took five weeks to make and is comprised of 6,300 photographs. The movie runs around five minutes and is definitely worth a watch. The whole film has a depressing tone, but moments of hilarity do show up such as the reel-to-tape recorder marries a boombox, [fathers a Walkman](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cp81) and binge drinks lubricating rubbing alcohol. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.8/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 30% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Multimedia](https://www.trendhunter.com/multimedia) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Emotional Tech Films:** The creation of short films that evoke emotions through the portrayal of technology provides an opportunity for companies to highlight the human aspect of their products and services. - **Stop-motion Animation:** The use of stop-motion animation in advertising or promotional campaigns, can captivate consumers with visually stunning content and helps brands differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. - **Humanizing Technology:** By humanizing technology in marketing and product design, brands can increase engagement and build stronger relationships with customers. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Technology:** Companies in the technology industry can leverage emotional storytelling to showcase the human impact of their products and services. - **Entertainment:** The use of stop-motion animation in film and television production can create unique and visually appealing content for audiences to enjoy. - **Advertising:** Ad agencies can incorporate stop-motion animation and emotional storytelling to create memorable and effective digital advertising campaigns for brands. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Emotion-Driven AI Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/memoreel.md) - [Emotional Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/johnson-johnson.md) - [Kinetic Art Objects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/la-machine.md) - [Emotive Cinematic Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/movies-of-mood.md) - [Playable Oak Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/funeral-for-a-tree.md) - [Analog Nostalgia Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/back-to-basics-ii.md) - [Mechanical Vintage Dice Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wm-levsha.md) - [Hand-Cranked AI Storytelling Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/narratron.md) - [Smartphone-Shot Festive Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/i-made-a-mixtape-for-you.md)