# Meddlesome Spirit-Animated Shorts 'Royal Pain' by Natalie Wetzig Shows Death's Playful Nature By Andrew Robertson | Published 2012-05-14 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/royal-pain-by-natalie-wetzig References: [presurfer.blogspot](http://presurfer.blogspot.ca/) & [vimeo](http://vimeo.com/41827408) Royal Pain by Natalie Wetzig is a charming [animated short](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scope-creep) about the hassles that a Royal guard must endure while maintaining his post. The film begins with our protagonist, a member of the [British Royal Guard](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/norwich-castle-restoration), nodding off only to be abruptly woken up by his superior who scolds him in a tone reminiscent of the teacher in Charlie Brown. In a nearby graveyard a meddlesome Grim Reaper rises from the ground and sees an opportunity to invoke chaos and disarray at the expense of the young guard -- hilarity ensues. Trying to maintain his composure whilst simultaneously attempting to ward off death’s constant practical jokes, the protagonist accidentally fires a shot into the Queen’s chambers. The film ends with the young guard relinquishing his rifle and hat only to be rewarded with a new attire courtesy of the Grim Reaper; it appears that all death wanted to do was have a little fun. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.1/10 - Popularity: 16% | Activity: 8% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Animated Shorts:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in creating visually captivating and emotionally engaging animated short films. - **Playful Nature:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in exploring the lighter side of serious or dark subjects, adding humor and charm to storytelling. - **Meddlesome Spirit:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in incorporating mischievous or disruptive characters to create unexpected plot twists and comedic moments. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Entertainment:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the entertainment industry through the production of animated shorts that captivate audiences and offer unique storytelling experiences. - **Film and Animation:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the film and animation industry by exploring new narrative techniques and visual styles to create memorable and entertaining short films. - **Comedy:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the comedy industry by incorporating unexpected and playful elements into storytelling, creating fresh and enjoyable comedic experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Hand-Drawn Animation Shorts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zen-grogu-and-dust-bunnies.md) - [Comedic Christmas Parodies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reinfell-ad.md) - [Stop-Motion Short Animations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/over-the-garden-wall.md) - [Grim Reaper Tea Infusers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grim-reaper.md) - [Light-Hearted Christmas Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/barbour-x-shaun-the-sheep.md) - [Halloween Special Claymations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/halloween-special.md) - [Animated Artist-Designed Timepieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/asterisk-watches-happiness-is-fleeting.md) - [Festive Animated Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-gift.md) - [Journalist-Focused Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-shooting.md)