Experiencing Interruptions?

Idle Hands

When Mort—the brains behind Hell's torture—hears the pain he causes, he questions his purpose, but is soon presented with an unrefusable offer.

  • Ellie Roberts
    Director
  • Ellie Roberts
    Writer
  • Rylee Rebol
    Producer
  • Tom Schalk
    Key Cast
    "Mort and Mortimer"
    Poppy Playtime, SMITE, Hannahpocalypse, Sid Meier's Civilization VII, and more!
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Genres:
    Psychological Horror, Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 4, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Florida State University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Ellie Roberts

Ellie Roberts relishes in the art of asking “What if?” and taking a closer look at the inner workings of the mind. She loves mixing the supernatural with reality to explore the nature of individuals. She enjoys playing collaborative storytelling games and crafting meticulous spreadsheets, and recently got an animation degree at the Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I’ve always loved media that explores the nature of individuals through more unusual lenses. “Idle Hands” is my psychological horror critique on apathy in corporate culture through the perspective of Mort, a demon in an office job in Hell. Through my love of both supernatural creatures and office settings, I crafted a world in which one demon is at the helm for deciding torture methods for the souls of the damned and is reliant on being able to shut out the noise by listening to music on his cassette player.

This film was inspired not only through my interests, but from the apathy I see from people in positions of power and privilege who choose not to advocate for change for others in need. Why bother to change the system when you’re benefiting from it?

Mort and his cubicle were the main focus for shaping this film. I wanted to explore a character who not only has an underrepresented body type in film, but also isn’t stereotypically kind and joyful. While his environment is a stylized 3D painterly world, the ones he harms outside are flat, 2D people that he feels an emotional disconnect from. He operates in a small, cramped cubicle that offers no comfort from the consequences of his work.

This film is my second experience as an animation director, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the team of 10 throughout its 15 weeks of production. Every artist’s strength shines through in this work. I hope this film inspires future storytellers to advocate for change alongside the next generation of the workforce.

After all, idle hands are the devil’s plaything.