Department of Fine and Performing Arts

Michael Kelly

One Bad Decision

Thesis Statement

“One Bad Decision” is an animated short showing the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The animation follows a man who received a big promotion at his job, and goes out to celebrate with his co-workers. After a couple of drinks, he decides to drive himself home. However, it might not have been a wise decision. This animation was inspired by the PSA commercials that aired on television. I want to explore how effective the message of a PSA is when it is animated.

  • One Bad Decision is an animation that gives a new take on how a PSA is presented. This animation shows a scenario on how drinking would affect one’s decision making skills. I also want to tell a story in this animation so it wouldn’t just come off as a normal PSA. The story I wanted to tell is a man who just received a promotion at his job and was encouraged by his co-workers to join them for a drink to celebrate. After a few drinks, the main character decided it was time for him to head home. But he started to feel a little tipsy. He refused to have one of his co-workers drive him home and decided to drive himself. I got inspired to do this animation from the PSA advertisements that used to air on television, warning people about the dangers of driving under the influence. While watching some of the advertisements, I was picturing in my head how the advertisement would look if it was animated. I was also thinking if more viewers would pay more attention to the advertisement because it’s animated. When I was thinking about the story for this animation, I was trying not to make it seem like a normal PSA but I want the message to be the same as one. It was an interesting concept that I’m working on. But I would like to see the results of the work once it’s completed. Would it have the intended result I’m looking for?

One Bad Decision by Michael Kelly from DFPA | Bowie State University on Vimeo.