Everyone’s had a boss who was hard to get along with. And that’s why this animated short has universal appeal. It’s about one tough night at the office. The dispute isn’t over workload or procedure. Rather, it’s over music.

The short was the final project for animation student Mike Stern. It took two years. But it was worth it. Distraxion has won numerous international film awards. Stern also landed a job at DreamWorks Animation. Not bad.