Hardly Working

About Hardly Working

An ethnographic exploration of the work and daily life of non-player characters, the digital extras in video games. Their labor loops, activity patterns as well as bugs and malfunctions paint a vivid analogy for work under capitalism.

Leonhard Müllner and Michael Stumpf directed Hardly Working, a 2022 animation documentary film. Released in August 2022, it runs 21 minutes.

A_F_M_ASBtownfolk_02 takes the lead as "The Street Sweeper", A_F_M_SDslums_02 as "The Laundress", A_M_M_NBXdockworkers_01 as "The Carpenter", and A_M_M_VALlaborer_01 as "The Stable Hand". Written by Leonhard Müllner and Michael Stumpf. It was produced by Creative Europe Media.