The Sounds of the Ocean

The Sounds of the Ocean is a 2009 American computer animated comedy musical short film, written and directed by Ash Brannon, and produced by Universal Animation Studios. The film centers around a humanoid sea creature who attempts to create music around the ocean to get a fisherman's attention. Animated in stereoscopic 3D, the short was based on Universal's cancelled traditionally animated feature film Oceanic.

The short premiered at the Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles on January 7, 2009 and was released theatrically on March 13, 2009 preceding the Universal Pictures release Woo La La. It was later re-released on July 9, 2010 and played before the animated film Despicable Me in selected theaters for a limited time engagement in USA. Reception has been positive, praising the storytelling and animation. The short was nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, but lost to Logorama by H5.

Plot
Coming soon!

Voice cast

 * Amy McNeill as Marina
 * Gary Hall as the Fisherman
 * Karen Stimson as Siren

Production
Production on the film began in mid-2007 after Ash Brannon was finishing directing Surf's Up at Sony Pictures Animation and was completed in the summer of 2008. The short utilizes characters and elements from Universal's Oceanic, a planned traditionally animated feature that was cancelled in February 2001. Brannon worked on some of the Oceanic animation team on the short, including former Disney animators Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, who were set as directors of Oceanic and later worked as storyboard artists on the short. John France and Shane Prigmore served as character designers for the short.

The short was pitched to Universal Animation Studios CEO Michael Wildshill, who was so impressed with Brannon's work on this short that he gave him the job of co-directing (with Mike Moon) the animated film Computeropolis 3. The short was dedicated to Wildshill's late grandfather James Wildshill, who died shortly before the short was completed.

Release
The short was initially set to premiere on December 22, 2008 at the Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles but was pushed back to January 7, 2009. In the US it accompanied the theatrical release of Woo La La, which premiered on March 13, 2009. It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2009.

The short was released on September 1, 2009, as a bonus feature on the DVD and Blu-ray release of Woo La La. The Sounds of the Ocean was released on the Universal Animation Studios Mini-Movie Collection DVD and Blu-ray on November 21, 2017.

Reception
The Sounds of the Ocean has received critical acclaim.

Gallery
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Trivia
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