Why We Build the Wall Animatic

Every time this song convinces me to love it again.
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Music: "Why We Build the Wall" from Hadestown Broadway Cast Recording: • Why We Build the Wall
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Many thoughts - sealbatross.tumblr.com/post/6...
Guilt-free is the only way to relax :)

[@michigangarnet3804]

Also, I love how Hades eyes are not shown until he’s talking to Eurydice. He is not personable. He is not there for you.

[@sealbatross]

That's a good way to put it!

[@drartemisa21]

Like a lot of big capitalist magnates. *cough* disney

[@curvlynjohn6960]

@@drartemisa21 a

[@curvlynjohn6960]

@@sealbatross q

[@QuikVidGuy]

I love how you made the workers imagine outsiders as these abstracted monsters That really is how it goes sometimes

[@drartemisa21]

Exactly! Like Reeve Carney said sometimes our emotional walls manifest in physical walls. It's so inherent for people to divide and separate themselves from what they see as "the other" when they themselves don't realize how they've othered themselves and built walls around their hearts.

[@aceheartless0132]

That's pretty cool how the angles go from the wall to Hades arm showing his brick tattoo

[@sealbatross]

Ohno the anime is showing

[@SmithMoments]

i like that it glow in blue on his arm brick tattoo

[@hisbiscuss1204]

NO BECAUSE WHEN THE POVERTY MONSTER CAME UP AND THE WALL PAINTING AND THEN EURYDICE LOOKING UP AT HADES AND THEN THE HOLE IN THE GROUND THAT HADESTOWN AND THEN-

[@sealbatross]

AAHHAHAH WE BUILD THE WALLS TO KEEP US FREEEE

[@berkleypearl2363]

This is truly beautiful. The poverty skeleton monsters are just so beautiful and haunting. The colors and lights just *chefs kiss* your vision matches the story and music to such an incredible degree. It makes me so happy

[@sealbatross]

I am so incredibly glad you feel that way. Thank you 🙏 sincerely

[@metaforth1271]

Why does "poverty skeleton" sound like a meme?

[@frimi8593]

@@metaforth1271 because our generations have made anything to do with skeletons irrationally funny

[@SoulQueenoD]

The amount of times I've watched this animatic, I just realized that Eurydice says the final "Free" along with the workers and the absolute irony of it known to Persephone and us the viewers. It's beautiful.

[@kino9643]

THE FACELESSNESS/BARE FEATURES OF THE WORKERS CONTRASTED THE CLOSE UP OF HADES' MOUTH REALLY MADE IT FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A GREAT POWER DIVIDE BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND AUGHHHHHH IT'S SO GOOD!!!! THE BACKGROUNDS ARE JUST *MWAH*

[@sealbatross]

YES HOLY CRAP SO GLAD THAT CAME THROUGH thanks for watching!!! I’m overjoyed at ur comment seriously

[@kino9643]

@@sealbatross AAAAAAAAAA I’m pretty sure I’ve been following you since your Wait For Me II/How Long animatics and the growth from then till now is ASTOUNDING!!!! :DDDDD

[@lulujay5866]

Your eyes will look like that someday :)

[@kino9643]

@@lulujay5866 ok i got the notification and i didn't know what you were commenting on so i felt extremely threatened for a good 5 seconds dhhdjdjd

[@lulujay5866]

@@kino9643 XD don't worry, similar things have happened with me 😅 Also, sorry for the accidental threat _XD

[@johnmartin4119]

My personal theory/head cannon is that Hades was originally fair to the souls of Hadestown when his marriage with Persephone began, but then she started not only being lenient on souls but souls who didn’t always deserve it(like Sisyphus in the Greek myth). And also maybe Hades became paranoid that someone from the outside world would get into Hadestown to have their way with Persephone or steal her away(like Adonis or Pirithous). And so Hades turned Styx from a river of water to a river of stone, and made it impossible for anyone in Hadestown to achieve any social mobility where before people could rise through the ranks based on merit(like how Asphodel, Elysium, and Tartarus work). Now that Hades has become cold and hard and paranoid, now all of Hadestown is Hell, it makes no difference anymore

[@j.a.ogrady7783]

I swear you have to be among the most talented storyboarders I've seen. Every bit of your work is so expressive, distinct, dynamic and memorable. The world needs to start a kickstarter campaign for an animated Hadestown movie and have you do literally all direction in the art department.

[@sealbatross]

awww im so flattered! i think im going to go melt into a puddle. Thank you

[@razberrymist9475]

THATS WHAT IM SAYING

[@EmptyFeet]

the backgrounds and set design and the wide paintings AGH IT'S ALL SO GOOD!!! the Vibes are so strong and they fit the song so well! and the moment at the end when Eurydice joins in and it zooms all the way out,,, Perfect

[@sealbatross]

so glad that last part hit! man its been so long.... need to start making moving stuff again. Thank you, it means a ton!

[@youknow2145]

Oh my god, the animatic its here and its just ✨amazing✨, i absolutely love the part where eurydice arrives and sees hades and persephone standing there, and then she sees at the workers, and then the enamey its poverty, and then thats why we build the wall we build the wall to keep us freeee its all just **chef kiss** ✨✨

[@sealbatross]

*chefs kiss back* so very glad you like that part, tis mine favourite as well

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

"Do you by any chance have a match?"- The Arsonist, Philosophy tube.

[@ninam5975]

The painterly pitch black shadows contrasting against the detailed roiling backgrounds, the way the part between hades and Eurydice feels so intimate in between the scale of everything else... DUDE

[@sealbatross]

DUDE

[@alberca_supremacy2615]

Absolutley criminal how no one in the comments mentions the final frame. I get so much goosebumps everytime that final line comes and it just zooms out to show them in a hole and how it lingers just a little bit on that imagery as the song ends with that. Perfect way to convey the irony of them claiming the wall keeps them free. SUCH A FUCKING GOOD ANIMATIC

[@katherinehanssler226]

I also have forgotten how much I love this song Wow though, the colors, and expressions of Hades’ mouth and hands, and the change in style in the chorus, you can really feel the power of Hades and all the workers, and how much Eurydice can feel it too when she gets there.

[@mothboy9137]

I love how u drew poverty as how the workers see it. Evil and terrifying and after them.

[@LeBonkJordan]

_A weapon to keep them bound._

[@confettiveda2460]

*falls on the floor crying because I legit just can't point out every single thing I love about this animatic even after the third viewing*

[@sealbatross]

*is already on the floor crying beside you I legit can't believe you watched it 3 times*

[@gneticspharmacy7389]

This is so good! Love how at 3:48 Eurydice mouthed the word, "free." It was such a cool detail.

[@lalalei2001]

This is utterly amazing! The lighting, the colors, the set, the expressions--everything is awesome!

[@sealbatross]

Ahhh HI thank you!!

[@Dolly.956.]

Bruh few seconds in but that lighting and the SHADOWS french chefs kiss barvo

[@alemtz9583]

We have been blessed today

[@lesleygarcia2746]

I love❤️❤️ how you drew this animatic and how you fit so much symbolism . When the workers sing you have these shots of them like your walking with them(on a personal level) but with Hades, for most of the song, you can't see his eyes like your beneath him. OR!!! How during the large shots the town is covered in blinding lights (splendor) yet the workers have almost no colors(barren) . I've absolutely fallen in love♥️♥️ with your hadestown animatics!!! P. S. If you don't mind could you tell me who was saying 'free' near the end, 3:48 , I think it's persephone but I'm not sure.

[@sealbatross]

It’s Eurydice mouthing free at 3:48 :) And thank you for the wonderful comment (I think I just learned something haha)!!

[@jmlkinc]

Having this video coming up in my playlist while working overtime at Midnight hits differently.

[@sealbatross]

💀

[@Carollnn]

Powerful animatic for a devastating song. I weep for my own complicity as a builder of "the wall."

[@KS_11]

This song is so full of symbolism and I’m SO HAPPY that someone finally captured all of that through beautiful art. This 👏 is👏amazing 👏

[@sealbatross]

sYmBolISM is my will to live. Thank you for watching!

[@ellierubrick5816]

HoOoOly sHOOT! This is incredible! I love the contrast between the dreadful workers chorus to the hopeful brief optimism of Eurydice. It's chilling, like she doesn't know what she's getting into yet. Great work! 👏👌

[@jjo-mg8xo]

Okay, but seriously, the colours in this.. *chief's kiss* beautiful

[@sealbatross]

Thank you

[@ordinaryodyssey7802]

I love how evocative Hadestown the place is in this. All of the shots of the empty buildings and tiny people in the instrumental at the beginning and then the cavernous high ceiling and the smog and the colour use with red and grey and white and I am losing my damn mind over here-

[@shanon4768]

every thing about this is amazing i love the lil shadow guys outside the wall, like whats going on there? are they the dead, those who diddn't choose to come to Hades town? and for so much of this video you dont even see hades eyes almost until the end where we see a golden glint in them and then soon we see that golden glint in eurydice's eyes as she joins the chant, also theres no bedrock keeping things from falling into the void?

[@sealbatross]

Thanks for watching! Haha I don't want to spoil speculation, but in truth I intended them as speculation and tall tales. As for the void I'm not sure what you're referring to?

[@shanon4768]

@@sealbatross minecraft

[@usnavidelavooga380]

Jesus Christ... This song was always good to me but I’d never listen to it that much- you just made it one of my favorites😧😭

[@sealbatross]

Awwww best effect possible😭 now don't go building too many walls you hear?

[@jenaaiton5186]

The colors and shading that you used really captured what the piano and the guitar of this song sound like. I really don't know how to describe it, but it just fits!

[@jenaaiton5186]

And that's even touching on the poverty monster, which is chilling in it's own right. Amazing work, seriously!

[@sealbatross]

Thank you so much! I can't describe it either, but tried my best to fit the feeling of the song

[@eh3696]

YES OMG THIS IS BEAUTIFUL ABSOLUTELY STUNNING I WANNA CRY AND I LOVE THE WAY IT WAS PLOTTED OMG IM IN LOVE

[@sealbatross]

IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE IT IM ;A;

[@screamingweevil3410]

Hey wtf I didn't know I could get chills from visual art

[@marianacoronaaldana7547]

This is one of my favorites songs, but I nevet get to imagine how it would seem like in an animatic THIS IS SO BEAUTUFUL OHMAIGAD IM SPEECHLESS, I LOVE IT SO MUCH

[@sealbatross]

AGH IM GRATEFUL, sorry for implanting images in your brain >:)

[@ariartcor]

this was absolutely stunning! Your environments are amazing! This was awesome!

[@sealbatross]

Thank you!! Try :’)

[@caduceusdraws]

Aaah this is an amazing thing to watch first thing in the morning sjdhfgs First of all the environnements ?? They look like paintings ? The light, the colours are gorgeous, and the contrast with the representation of poverty is amazing. My favourite part is when we see poverty clawing at the wall before it takes up the whole screen in warmer colours, the angle you painted it in is very interesting. The whole section where we only see Hades' mouth moving and the workers working is a good show of the power dynamic? Like an all present voice speaking over them. And i love Eurydicie's arrival (Persephone looks so done with this shit hahaha, and Eurydicie looks embarrassed to have to admit she joined her in the underworld) I'd never pictured Hades singing this softer part to Eurydicie but i love it, and then when the song kicks back in, it's an amazing show of power and ooooohhhh when Eurydicie mouths the word "free" and she's bathed in red light WELP WE LOST HER. Im glad the instrumental part at the very start was used to assert the environment and context of all of this, and it's interesting that at the end we zoom out to see the wall, but also that theyre really just in a hole in the ground... The bright yellow light, the visible brush strokes, the red and warm colours (that are probably reassuring to some but i find them threatening), it's all eye candy. That's how I'd describe it, eye candy

[@sealbatross]

Always happy to provide some sweet eye candy. And thank you so much for the amazing comment! Glad the hole in the ground came across too!

[@juliakim5825]

YES THIS IS SO GOOD MUY BUENO UsJFJSEFSJ i love so much

[@sealbatross]

Bro

[@taricalaelen9728]

I really need to watch hadestown. your style fit this song really well!

[@sealbatross]

Glad to hear it! And please do, it’s a wonderful show

[@pottered_popo9455]

Eurydice's lil face at around 3:09 is so pure

[@emilyanose295]

I love the environment!!! It’s so cool to see Hadestown so literally instead of a set

[@icymoons]

oh man you've basically made the whole musical into an animatic

[@maybeprobably4234]

This is sooo gooood please keep it up there aren’t enough animatics of hadestown which is weird because it’s such an amazing show that really paints a picture and has an amazing story can’t wait to see what else you’ll do would love to see more Orpheus and Eurydice songs

[@sealbatross]

There aren't enough! And thank you!!

[@jennagoldberg3199]

every animatic you make gets better and better!!! the environments and backgrounds in this one are stellar! Taking the time in the opening entrance for all the establishing shots of hadestown really builds this tired, oppressive atmosphere. I love the cutaways to the monsters outside the wall and to eurydice's journey to hadestown. the quick shot in the beginning with eurydice on the train was especially impressive, i love the way you made the animation jitter to convey that the train was shaking and in motion!

[@sealbatross]

Thank you so much! For this song painted scenes were essential. Jittering - essential icing P:

[@toenail4437]

i love that visual in the end where it's revealed the wall they're building is literally just digging a hole deeper into the earth...

[@ihaveyourgrandma3709]

OM THIS IS BEAUTIFUL BYE-

[@sealbatross]

NO WAIT COME BACK-

[@wackybanana7371]

it always amazes me how deep his voice is and this animatic is AMAAZZIINNG AHWDKHDCBDFIVBDJB love it!

[@localcthulhu3081]

THIS IS AWESOME!!

[@Ringohulk777]

Anyone else blown away by the casual G1 near the beginning?

[@alliemoit1660]

This is so good

[@ninjakitten9981]

Every shot is so beautiful and cinematic! This is fantastic

[@sealbatross]

Thank you! This song deserves the Big Shots

[@shadowsfive32]

This was incredibly moving and well done. Please keep creating.

[@Theeio_]

oh my goodness this is amazing.. i have no words im so blown away at how expressive this is

[@sealbatross]

༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

[@miasen]

IM LOSING MY MIND!!! WHAT!! yOUR enVIrONMENTS and STORYTELLING,, RARGHH!! amazing.

[@sealbatross]

*loses mind right back*

[@Alliecatastrophe]

the audacity of this song to be so catchy that i be singing it and making my friends go "HUH" LMFAOOO but really, i love this, the way you paint and the colors you used here as well as the scene with hades hand curling into a fist, that was probably my fav part, i love how you animated it

[@gin2012able]

Came running the moment I saw a notif and you delivered once again!!! 😆❤

[@FruitBatsLyra]

There is so much I love about this - the perspectives, the lighting, the world building, the transitions, the expressions, the flow, the vision - just top notch and really adds a whole new level of depth to this song~

[@sealbatross]

I'm glad it does! thank you for watching :)

[@iamdog4864]

Wow this was actually so cool-

[@mug2719]

This is amazing! The colors are beautiful and everything fits so well

[@rinina]

Your animatics are always 110%, like they're so polished and creative and you have such a good understanding of angles and shots and AHHHHH

[@sealbatross]

AAAAA thank you!!

[@rookiebbastard2321]

THE USE OF COLOUR, THE IMAGERY OF THOSE OUTSIDE THE WALL, THE FACELESSNESS OF THE WORKERS! IT'S ALL SO AMAZING

[@flyingsquidinkorperation9275]

The transition of the workers to masters was really cool! I really liked it, and for the scene where he grabs nothing, I rewatched it like three times. Very nice animatic, thank you for sharing your work :)

[@IsabellaVictoriaxx]

Literal chills watching this... amazing

[@iwaswondering447]

*WOAH* The *painting-y parts* and the *poverty-monsters* and *Eurydice’s arrival* and *Persephone* and *Hades* and *everything* is just *!!!*

[@sealbatross]

!!! glad you enjoyed!

[@cheshireshadow518]

I haven't watched it all im literally just 20 seconds in BUT I know, I *know* it's going to be amazing and I'm already screeching. God i'm so obsessed with hadestown thank you for your glorious animatics GOD ITS 4 MINUTES LONG! Glorious *shakes you* edit: *flings self to the floor* aaaAAA THAT ENDING!! Her mouthing along to the word 'free' THE IMAGES! The claws clawing at at the wall from the other side. The images of how those outside are some evil creatures that should be feared or kept away AAAAA I LOVE THIS The fact the town itself if looked at from a certain angle looks like the wall itself *flips* your backgrounds, THE COLORS! THE REEED the literal hole in the ground that is the underworld i love this so much, i cant stop gushing

[@sealbatross]

AAAAAAAAA IM SO HAPPY YOU CAUGHT ALL OF THAT no really, your comment makes me so happy,,, I'm just. * is shooketh *

[@cheshireshadow518]

@@sealbatross *flails* it's so perfect. Don't be surprised if I comment again one day LMFAO because i'm definitely looping this

[@sealbatross]

@@cheshireshadow518 dawww

[@greyktx]

YOOOO THIS IS INCREDIBLE

[@AntoninaKhramova]

Got literal shivers from the final five-pointed star overlook. The amount of details in this is just amazing, as is the song.

[@biancasales7041]

It never stop amaze me how powerful this music is, it's almost 10 years old and seems made for now

[@averyphillips3785]

Oh my gosh this is soooo good! Love all the art and different ways you made it contribute within the song! So amazing!😁💖 OH MY GOSH AND THE WAY EURYDICE CAME AND SHE SAW THE SOULS AND HADES AND PERSEPHONE I JUST- CHILLS! AHHHH SO AMAZING ONCE AGAIN!

[@inerciasart]

I've been waiting for an animatic of this song since I discovered the musical like two years ago?? Thank you so much for this, is even better of what I could have ever imagined and the transitions are so fluid!! And the colorsss and how tired Persephone looks I love everything

[@sealbatross]

Thank you! Me too, honestly, kept waiting... Glad the transitions are to taste! Seph is so done 😌

[@user-qr5qu9zg4q]

Wow it gave me chills several times. Fantastic visuals

[@HierophanticRose]

very evocative beyond basic animation; very well made and has real artistic touch

[@Anna-pt4jx]

these backgrounds are so stunning omg

[@nayayam]

amazing animatic! I love the detail of the train shaking while eurydice is inside and that ending! the panning out, and the atmosphere..woah

[@Sinapz218]

the art style fits so perfectly i love it

[@dm6halvorson]

SO. MUCH. TALENT. WOW

[@jellex6068]

Beautiful!

[@ughghost4203]

this is so amazing!!!!

[@literature4lovers965]

Bless you for animating this! The artwork is stupendous; you have masterful usage of shading and color all through out your works

[@sealbatross]

Ahh thank you!! Bless you for watching :)

[@kino9643]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!

[@mollymcintosh2090]

This was amazing!!!! Big Deliver Us vibes 🥰

[@miriamibanez2731]

Wow, this animatic gives me chills. I have never seen an animatic of this song ,and it's stunning!!

[@sealbatross]

This song deserves more animatics

[@hajoj5905]

This is, possibly, the most wonderful animatic I've ever watched. The cinematography is *glorious.* You've got a fantastic sense of timing, scale, and dramatic position. Every moment hits as hard as the one before, and some of them hit even harder than that. Amazing job, seriously, just *amazing.*

[@SarcasticLynx]

you never cease to amaze me! AND WHEN PERSEPHONE SAID FREE TOO AND EURYDICE'S SHOCK!? AHHHH

[@sealbatross]

AAAAAAAAAA (thank you ;_;)

[@giorgiae.silvestri6612]

This is majestic I love the smoke and basically everything else

[@jettblue24]

This animatic was everything I could've wanted and then some. Thank you so much for this incredible work of art.

[@sealbatross]

Thanks for dropping in the stream! Glad you enjoyed!!

[@elizaboof6566]

this is stunning !! the colours are beautiful 😍

[@sealbatross]

Thank you so much!

[@cheyennebramwell4897]

Everything about this was GORGEOUS! I love the contrasting art styles especially 😍

[@sealbatross]

aaaa thank you!!!

[@isabelr3467]

chiiiiiiiiiills the atmosphere of this is so GOOD

[@Rowanswillow]

Absolutely amazed by your ability to do one of this every few weeks

[@sealbatross]

Awww when the passion seizes me! Do need to chill though

[@evaaaxsheep]

Omg there are no words to describe how beautiful this is!

[@sealbatross]

Aww thank you!

[@ivy6662]

this is actually incredible

[@lasilhouetteinbianco5414]

Holy shit this is incredible!! The imagery and symbolism and the way everything is so well-conveyed and aaaaa its amazing!!!

[@sealbatross]

aaaAA thank you!

[@jajasafo1626]

WOWOWOW THIS IS SO GOOD AND SO COOL 11/10

[@declanfoster7720]

this is the best animatic i've seen in a while!!! The worldbuilding you've done is next levels and i'm in love with the entire concept of this! #hadestown

[@sealbatross]

Thank you so much!!

[@mariellemullen7296]

Wow. I discovered this channel today and I've been bingeing all the hadestown animatics, and they're ALL amazing. Like on every single one I watch, I'm amazed. The symbolism and lighting and character design are just SO GOOD.

[@sealbatross]

awwwww i'm glad ;-;

[@randomdragons]

I LOVE how cinematic your animatics are! The imagery you include makes the scale of the story so much larger. And the use of colors!! Great job!!

[@sealbatross]

Thank you! Hadestown is big big big, so glad I didn't diminish it!

[@meganblades2818]

WOW. that's all I can say, I absolutely love it and it looks beautiful!

[@parsleysaysthings]

holy shit holy shit holy shit this is so good!!!!! Literally everything about this animatic, perfection. Hades' hand movements were great, and how you drew his eyes! Most of all, hot damn 2:24 with the black shadows (dogs? humans?). Also I love the clock tower! And how you drew Eurydice, and Persephone. Everything is pure gold, 1000000/10

[@celesteh7374]

THIS IS SO COOOL.WHAT THE HECK A MASTERPIECE

[@selenium3447]

Your hard work really showed in this