Interview - Director Nigel Tierney & Producer Andrew Hawkins: Addicted To It. Their humorous animated short brings a playful song alive to address an issue addressing us all, phone addiction.
Director Nigel Tierney and producer Andrew Hawkins discuss Addicted to It, a five-minute animated musical short that turns screen overuse into a funny, all-ages story. They explain how the project grew from a song by Andrew and his husband, Avenue Q co-creator Jeff Marx, into a richly detailed film, and share how animation, comedy, and a simple invitation to step away from devices can make its message resonate.Key TopicsAndrew Hawkins and Jeff Marx began developing the song and characters amid growing concern about phone addiction, then connected with Nigel Tierney and co-director Federico Heller during the pandemic.The short grew from a song intended for a larger musical; Andrew says they are still developing that wider universe, while the film works as a standalone piece.Tierney aimed for a lived-in, feature-film-scale setting, creating more than 40 characters to represent device habits across ages and forms, including social media, gaming, gambling, dating, and algorithm-driven labor.The visual approach pairs vibrant, digitally native design with Fleischer-style rubber-hose animation, expressive rig-breaking, rapid transitions, and visual gags.More than 200 artists contributed to the fast-moving animation, which is designed to amplify Jeff Marx's lyrics rather than overwhelm them.The creators wanted layered humor and a non-preachy message that could reach children, teens, and adults; the story frames device overuse as something people experience together.The voice cast includes Mel Brooks and Dionne Warwick, alongside younger performers including Dixie D'Amelio, King Bach, and Morgan Jay.Tierney describes taking short walks without his phone as a practical way to reclaim attention and reconnect with the world around him.Chapters00:00 Intro to Nigel Tierney & Andrew Hawkins07:24 The Animation Style10:21 The Broad Target Age Demographic14:09 The Legendary Cast19:01 Inspirations22:21 Under-Seen Movie Recommendations24:05 Wrap UpWebsite, Episodes, Interviews, Merch & More!Mike's Substack
