Under the Sea, A Film About Stop-Motion Animator Hayley Morris

Under the Sea is a Sketchbook film about stop-motion animator Hayley Morris. The film, directed and edited by Danny Gregory and co-directed by Tommy Kane, captures her creative process as “she makes drawings and critters for her latest stop-motion animated film titled Bounce Bounce.” You may remember we posted Red Hook, another short film by Danny Gregory.

Some notes from the filmmaker about Morris and her process:

Despite her scratchy line, Hayley puts down each stroke with confidence and vigor. Her drawing seems to pulse and vibrate. She layers her watercolor quickly, wet-on-wet, creating more vibration and vitality. I like the ease and spontaneity of the way she makes art — you’d think a stop-motion animator would be enormously controlled in her work but Hayley leaves room for reaction and response as she makes her art. In an era of CGI and digital processes, her work harkens back to stop-motion puppeteers like the Jan Švankmajer and the Brothers Quay. It’s beautiful and emotional.

Here is Bounce Bounce, the stop-motion animation for the song “Bounce Bounce” by Hilary Hahn and Hauschka from their album Silfra: