Kristina Cranfield

We live in uncertain times where our lives are filled with constant job dissatisfaction, high staff turnover, rising unemployment and low pensions.

The future of 'Mechanical Turk' has arrived. It is a future where every human action is a short, artificial, ad hoc task bought for a price by powerful institutions.
A future where our every action is a product, where genuine behavior is superficial, and our landscapes are an emotional artifice.

The Future of Mechanical Turk is a film about a low paid secretary who is also employed by a ‘Mechanical Turk’ system to perform random micro tasks throughout her day to make ends meet. This film is influenced by a concept originating from Amazon’s ‘Mechanical Turk’. This scenario represents its future implications, where every fragment of our lives can be commodified by large corporate bodies. What if your every action would need to be sold to make a living? How would you cope?

The Future of Mechanical Turk	We live in uncertain times where our lives are filled with constant job dissatisfaction, high staff turnover, rising unemployment and low pensions. The future of 'Mechanical Turk' has arrived. It is a future where every human action is a short, artificial, ad hoc task bought for a price by powerful institutions. A future where our every action is a product, where genuine behavior is superficial, and our landscapes are an emotional artifice. The Future of Mechanical Turk is a film about a low paid secretary who is also employed by a ‘Mechanical Turk’ system to perform random micro tasks throughout her day to make ends meet. This film is influenced by a concept originating from Amazon’s ‘Mechanical Turk’. This scenario represents its future implications, where every fragment of our lives can be commodified by large corporate bodies. What if your every action would need to be sold to make a living? How would you cope?
The Future of Mechanical Turk Film (2012)
Stills from The Future of Mechanical Turk (2012)
Stills from The Future of Mechanical Turk (2012)
Daily Tasks Map Graphics by Jordon Cheung
Fiction Tasks	Time: 12:55 Duration: 1 minute Location: Toilet cubical Job Title: Phone conversation Job Description: Conduct a phone conversation (script provided) Employer: Durex Credits: 14 pence Time: 13:10 Duration: 2 minute Location: Charing Cross Job Title: Lunch Job Description: Eat sandwich in window display Employer: Tesco Credits: 18 pence Time: 13:20 Duration: 3 minutes Location: Trafalgar Square Job Title: Drop Job Description: Drop paperwork in a busy vicinity to regulate human activity Employer: Anonymous Credits: 11 pence Time: 13:27 Duration: 2 minutes Location: Covent Garden Job Title: Distraction Job Description: Deter people from withdrawing cash Employer: Barclays Credits: 19 pence Time: 13:35 Duration: 2 minutes Location: Leicester Square Job Title: Sing a song (Adele) Job Description: Sing to the public to promote new album Employer: ITunes Credits: 16 pence Time: 13:40 Duration: 3 minutes Location: London underground Job Title: Makeup Job Description: Apply makeup Employer: Rimmel Credits: 12 pence