A Naval officer survives the attack on Pearl Harbor by clinging to a driftwood log. When he is rescued, he refuses to let go, and he carries it with him through life, carving off pieces of it to win the heart of his wife, secure a job, raise his daughter, and finally commemorate his granddaughter’s achievements.  

Director's Statement

The animated short film "Driftwood" was born out of the spirit that some of our life’s most

important connections come in many, unique forms. Inspired by a love of the beach and early

childhood stories like "The Giving Tree," “Driftwood” explores the role of the valuable, meaningful objects in our lives, and how they contribute to our evolving definition of self.

We began working on “Driftwood” over two years ago, during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eager to continue to create during lockdown, I wrote a short treatment and hand drew 76 pages of storyboards to aid our animator, Aaron Brown. Unfortunately, the process wasn’t always a smooth one. We lost support staff, our funding ran dry, Aaron relocated his family halfway across the country, and my mother passed away while we continued to chip away at this labor of love.

Sound is essential in animation. “Driftwood” is our second collaboration with Composer Jack Sligh, but our first time working with 4-time Emmy nominated Foley Artist Sanaa Kelley, Emmy nominated Sound Effects Editor Raymond Park, and Beyoncé’s Violist Marta Sofia Honer. It truly takes a village!

We hope that “Driftwood” resonates with audiences of all ages, inspires viewers to look at the items that help define their lives, and pass them on to future generations with love and respect.

See you at the movies!

Crew

Christopher Hills Eaton - Writer/ Director/ Producer

Christopher Hills Eaton is a writer, filmmaker, and professional dilettante located in Los Angeles.

"Driftwood" was born out of the spirit that our most important connections come in many, unique forms. Inspired by a love of the beach and early childhood stories like "The Giving Tree,"

“Driftwood” explores the role of the valuable, meaningful objects in our lives, and how they contribute to our own definition of self.

Aaron Brown - Animation Director

Aaron Mark Brown is an animator, writer, director, actor and singer-songwriter. He’s produced digital shorts for every major family entertainment studio, including Cartoon Network, Disney, Warner Bros. and Pixar. As a musician, he’s opened for acts including The Pixies, Neon Trees and Built to Spill, and he has voiced characters for many projects including Pokemon and Looney Tunes.

Jack Sligh - Composer

Jack Sligh is a composer from Holland, Michigan. In his free time, he likes to bake cinnamon rolls and spend way too much time at Disneyland. He's thrilled to be part of the Driftwood team.

Behind the Scenes: