“The Work of Becoming” is part of an ongoing project using found footage — mainly from social media — to reflect on human relationships to labor, consumption, and identity through the lens of our treatment of dogs. Featuring highly anthropomorphized pet influencers, the work explores how digital platforms turn animals into agents of hidden labor. It questions the blurred lines between care and control, affection and performance, asking what our dogs reveal about who we’ve become.
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The Work of Becoming Susan Wright
The Work of Becoming
Susan Wright
HD Video 1:42 min
The making of The Work of Becoming
“The Work of Becoming” is part of an ongoing project about the special bond between people and their pet dogs. Focusing on dogs’ everyday roles and our expectations of them, the film uses found footage from social media to ask: What work do dogs do for us, and how must they change to fit in our world? Created for the “Postdigital Work” exhibition, it explores the demands our economic mindset places on dogs and the hidden labor they perform online. “The Work of Becoming” shows how dogs bridge care and commerce—and examines the systems behind that dynamic.
Process Documentation
Research
To prepare, I primarily searched Instagram and TikTok, supplemented by YouTube and relevant podcasts. Starting with the hashtag dogfluencer, I collected a wealth of material on anthropomorphized dog accounts. Next, I expanded my search with the keywords “dog work” and “dog job” to discover how work and dog life interrelate in digital discourse. I encountered dog trainers staging treats as “wages” in training and people praising their dog with the exclamation “Good Job” after a successful trick. Finally, I searched for “treats dog,” “trick treats dog,” and “trick treat dog” to identify clips in which influencers advertise dog snacks or stage training situations as promotional content.
Review and Categorization
I organized all relevant links and metadata in a simple folder system with four main categories: dogfluencers, work contexts for pet dogs, dogs and society, and product staging. I analyzed each clip separately for visual language and narration. In some cases, I used only the audio track; in others, only the visual material, to highlight specific aspects.
Experimental Editing
Instead of creating a rigid storyboard, I adopted a flexible workflow with multiple edit versions. Each iteration spotlighted different thematic dimensions. By testing various sequences and their auditory counterparts, I gradually developed a sense for rhythm, tension arcs, and contrasts in content.
Narrative Form and Format
The audio excerpts deliberately match the length typical of social-media clips. Different voices alternate to mirror the fragmented nature of digital reception. Apart from collages and grid layouts, both video and audio tracks remained unaltered to preserve authenticity. Choosing the 9:16 vertical format directly references mobile usage on Instagram and TikTok, underscoring the media origin of the material. This workflow combines theory-driven research with an experimental design approach: it transforms fragmentary online material into a cohesive video essay and not only reveals hidden forms of postdigital “work” in dogs but also examines how technocapitalist logics shape our perceptions and expectations — right through to our relationship with our canine companions.
If you have questions, suggestions, or would like to discuss “The Work of Becoming,” you’re welcome to reach out to the artist:
Email: mail@susanwright.de
Website: www.susanwright.de
Your thoughts and ideas are very welcome and will help shape the ongoing development of this project.