Years spent observing her copyist parents handwrite orchestral arrangements in ink for Broadway productions instilled in Hayley Morris early on the idea that beauty rewards patience. As a traditional animator, she tells stories that unfold through subtle shifts in texture, color and hand-crafted detail.

“I really miss the simplicity and the artistry that went into a lot of the animation from the past,” she says. “I want to keep that quality alive in what I do.”

Morris, who is 23 and a native New Yorker, signed with Curious Pictures upon graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2008. For her senior film project, the stop-motion short Undone, she animated fabric, string and everyday objects to recount her grandfather’s gradual memory loss from Alzheimer’s disease. The film won the grand jury prize at Slamdance for best animated short and best expresses her desire to produce work that feels “touched by a person”.

Why did you start making films?
I was brought up watching silent films and classic monster movies. I was fascinated with the special effects, sets and makeup in these films, and as a kid would dress up and act out scenes from these movies. I think seeing these “made up” characters sparked my interest in having the characters and environments I drew have their own stories.

Name a contemporary filmmaker or visual artist that you admire. Why?
I really love Marcel Dzama – his drawings, paintings, dioramas and films tell really unique stories. They are funny, dreamlike, and sometimes gruesome and they make you ask questions. Every image he makes I can imagine moving and with a soundtrack. He’s constantly showing his ideas in new and exciting ways.

How did you celebrate your most recent birthday?
I walked around Sleepy Hollow cemetery with my boyfriend and mom. When I told people what I did they found it very funny and weird… but Sleepy Hollow is an awesome place to walk around. It is a really beautiful place to take photos because there are such old mausoleums and headstones. I just love it there. Q

www.curiouspictures.com

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