An etching of director Sean Pecknold.

Sean Pecknold can’t seem to escape time. Not merely a thematic thread in his work, an obsession with time drives his creativity as a director.

That is most evident in “White Winter Hymnal”, a quietly beautiful stop-motion music video for Fleet Foxes about a grizzled man who turns a magical crank and becomes young again. The lo-fi video casts a charming spell, and since its release a year ago, the Seattle-native has continued to spin subtly-affecting folk tales in three more videos for Fleet Foxes, as well as Elvis Perkins and Grizzly Bear.

In Fleet Foxes “Mykonos”, a mystical kingdom made of paper unfolds through shifts in perspective, light and shadow. And in Grizzly Bear’s “While You Wait For The Others”, time spins out of control around a fencer who becomes lost in a swirling mosaic of doll parts, clocks and magazine clippings.

No matter how surreal the story, his hand-crafted animation style and eye for detail adds a kind of homespun warmth and familiarity to his work. After all, music and film run in the Pecknold family. In the 1960s, his father Greg played in Seattle-based soul band The Fathoms, and his brother Robin fronts Fleet Foxes. His dad is also an editor and has cut several music videos.
“He’s an amazing editor and designer and he helped me develop my eye for such things. My family is very supportive and honest,” says Pecknold, who’s unrepped. “I’m always inspired by the things they do. I’m just trying to keep up with them, I think.”

How old were you when you started making films?
I got a late start after dabbling in a few other trades. When I was about 19 I made a short film about a guy who swallows all the books in the world and tries to purge a new language. It was pretty bad, but it got me headed in the right direction.

How have your first projects shaped you as a director?
They have taught me that you should not be limited by time and money, try as hard as you can to make the idea in your head the way you imagine it, and don’t be discouraged by anything, ever. Just make it and whatever happens, happens. Usually the restrictions of time and money force you to make quick decisions, be they right or wrong.

Name a contemporary filmmaker or visual artist that you admire. Why?
I really like the artist Blu – his wall animations are really quite remarkable. I love seeing animation out in the open. Q

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