OVERLAY by DEVICE

Director
Device
Services
2D Animation
Characters
Original Short Film

We surprisingly got to know Ray and Ando when the online magazine The Verge called us to adapt Elizabeth Bonesteel’s short story Overlay into a three-minute animation short film which would be the last episode of “Better Worlds”, a science fiction series project involving the feeling of hope.

When we read Bonesteel’s story, both the VR game’s dystopian imaginary and the whole narrative’s social undertone inspired us and made us feel enthusiastic about the project.

A father’s dangerous mission to save his son isn’t what it really seems.

Overlay deals with the revolutionary idea of using VR applications for palliative care treatments. In the story, a brave father, Ray, must face a group of devil guards and weaponed robotic drones in order to bring Ando, his son, back. In the high time of the mission, the plot twist breaks in: Ando appears in a white room next to Ray, who is intubated, lying down on a hospital stretcher. Still waters run deep, just as Overlay’s bigger picture finally conveys its completely human cornerstone.

Overlay’s short story brought us a powerful creative rush, and we rapidly imagined an immense visual universe for it. Our biggest challenge was to shorten the original story and suit it into a three-minute film. We felt compelled to choose the most relevant information and discard those layers of content that we knew we couldn’t properly develop. Due to this laborious filtering process, we found necessary to optimize the work-flow, so we settled on cel animation, yet combining it with solid 3D backgrounds that would bear a wider sense of space and perspective. The spirit of the short film (read: secret agent action movie) got influences from the sci-fi anime movie classics, hence the retro concept style. The core of the whole creative process was to hit the right mood for the plot twist: cut off the “action movie” type of feeling and turn it into an emotional story.

PROJECT CREDITS
Based on the story by
Elizabeth Bonesteel
Creative Direction
The Verge
Screenplay
William Joel
Network Manager
Sarah Bishop Woods
General Manager
Steven Belser
Editorial Director
Helen Havlak
Production Manager
Meg Toth
Executive Producers
Eleanor Donovan & Nilav Patel
Supervising Producers
Sophie Erickson
Produced by
BOL Creative Production House
Executive Producer
Marcello Buselli
Directed by
Device
Illustration
Device
Animation
Device, David Feliu, Sebastian Garcia, Jong-Ha Yoon & Karol Szczepankiewicz
Clean Up
Device, Luke Etcheverry, Sergi Ros, Sheila Hattaf, Jong-Ha Yoon, Karol Szczepankiewicz & Demian Garnero
Ray
Kyle Stewart
Ando
Michael McDaniel
Music
Sono Sanctus

Related Post from Artist

AI

BOL’s Approach to AI

At BOL, artistry and craftsmanship are at the heart of everything we create. We’re a human-led production house, guided by curiosity, care, and the belief that storytelling can expand consciousness and shape culture for the better.

AI is part of today’s creative landscape — but for us, it’s always a tool in service of human creativity, never a replacement for it. We use it thoughtfully, only when it makes sense, and always with transparency.  At BOL, we see AI not as a trend, but as a transformative instrument. One that, when used responsibly, can extend the reach of human imagination. We integrate AI only where it enhances our creative process, respects human authorship, and amplifies the emotional impact of every story we tell.

We believe technology should respond to real human needs, not create them artificially. That’s why we pause to ask: What is the problem for which this technology is the solution? If the answer isn’t clear, we don’t use it. For us, critical reflection comes before execution.

Here’s what that means for our clients:

- Human first: All creative direction and final decisions rest with our directors, artists, and producers.
- Transparency: If we use AI at any stage, you’ll know about it.
- Consent: We won’t include AI-generated elements in final work without your approval.
- Ethics,  Safety & Compliance: We never use AI trained on unlicensed data or in ways that put copyright or originality at risk.
- Accountability: We take full responsibility for the compliance, quality, and ownership of your final deliverables.

By setting these boundaries, we give our partners peace of mind. Working with BOL means your story is told with integrity, originality, and care — blending the possibilities of technology with the irreplaceable artistry of people.

Legal

Users and liability
Browsing on, access to and use of the DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL website confers user status on users, which means they accept, when browsing on the DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL website, all terms and conditions of use set forth herein, which apply regardless of the legal regulations on matters that apply to each case.DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL website provides a wide range of information, services and data. Users are responsible for the correct use of the website. This responsibility includes:– The veracity and legality of information provided by the user on the forms issued by DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL to access particular content or services offered by the website.– The use of information, services and data offered by DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL for actions that infringe these terms and conditions, the law, moral actions, good customs or public order, or that otherwise could infringe upon the rights of others or jeopardise the operation of the website itself.

Links policy and extension of liability
DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL cannot be held liable for the content of websites that users can access through the links provided on its own website and states that under no circumstances will it examine or exercise any control over the content of other websites. Nor does it guarantee the technical availability, accuracy, reliability, validity or legality of websites that it does not own but which may be accessed through links on its own website. DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL declares that it has taken all necessary measures to avoid any damages to users of its website that may arise from browsing on its website. Consequently, DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL is not liable under any circumstances for any damages caused to the user through browsing on the Internet.

Modifications
DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL reserves the right to make any changes it deems appropriate, without prior notice, to the content of the website. This refers both to the content of the website, the terms and conditions of use of the website and the general purchasing conditions. Such modifications may be made via the website, in any way legally admissible, and shall be enforceable during the time they are posted on the website, or until they are validly amended by subsequent modifications.

Intellectual property
DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL by itself or as an assignee, is the owner of all intellectual and industrial property rights in their website, as well as for all elements contained in the same (but not limited to, images, sound, audio, video, software or texts; trademarks or logos, colour combinations, structure and design, selection of materials used, computer programs needed for its operation, access and use, etc. ), ownership of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL . Will, therefore, works protected as intellectual property of the Spanish legal system, benefitting both the applicable regulations and Spanish community in this field, such as the international treaties relating to the subject matter and signed by Spain.

All rights reserved. Under the provisions of articles 8 and 32.1, second paragraph, of the Intellectual Property Law, is expressly prohibited the reproduction, distribution and communication to the public, including its mode of making available, all or part of the contents of this web site for commercial purposes, in any medium and by any technical means, without the authorization of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL.The user undertakes to respect the rights of Intellectual and Industrial Property ownership of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL. You can view the elements of the portal and even print them, copy them and store them on your computer’s hard drive or any other physical support, as long as they are solely and exclusively for your personal and private use. The user shall refrain from deleting, altering, evading or manipulating any protection device or security system that was installed in the pages of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL.

Legal action, applicable law and jurisdiction
DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL also reserves the right to file civil or criminal actions deemed appropriate for the misuse of its website and content thereof, or for the breach of these terms and conditions.The relationship between the user and the service provider shall be regulated by existing Spanish laws and the law courts of SPAIN. In the event of any dispute that may arise both parties shall submit their claims to arbitration panels or to an ordinary court of law, complying with regulations on jurisdiction and competence. The official registered address of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL is in BARCELONA, Spain.

Privacy Policy

In accordance with the regulations of the current legislation of Personal Data Protection, we hereby inform you that your data will be incorporated into the processing system owned by DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL with CIF B66436569 and registered office at C / LLULL 47 SOBRE ATICO PTA 7, BARCELONA with the purpose of answering any questions and sending you related information that may be of your interest. In compliance with current regulations, DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL informs that the data will be kept for the necessary period in order to fulfil the aforementioned conditions.

Unless otherwise, we understand that your data has not been modified, that you agree to notify us of any variation and that we have your consent to use them for the purposes mentioned.

DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL informs that it will proceed to treat the data in a lawful, loyal, transparent, suitable, relevant, limited, and accurate manner. That is why DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL undertakes to take all reasonable measures so that these are suppressed or rectified without delay when they become inaccurate.

In accordance with the rights conferred on you by the current legislation on Personal Data Protection, you may exercise the rights of access, rectification, limitation of processing, deletion, portability and opposition by sending your request to the postal address indicated above or by writing an email to the following email address hello@bolprod.com.

In turn, we inform you that you can contact the Data Protection Delegate of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL, by writing to the email address hello@bolprod.com or by telephone +34 93 250 60 67.

You can contact the Control Authority to submit the claim that you consider appropriate. By sending the data collection form you accept the privacy policy of DEVICERS AUDIOVISUAL SL.