"The Deep" is a powerful 2.5D animated short film that explores the emotional and psychological toll of war through the eyes of a man struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. The protagonist is a former correspondent who covered the events of World War II.

Through powerful visuals, “The Deep” takes us on a journey through our protagonist's psyche, navigating the treacherous waters of his trauma. Even in his moments of peace, he now finds himself haunted by the memories of what he witnessed.

"We cast a wide net, brainstormed many ideas as a team and realised that we are all on the same page: wanting to do something moodier, Lovecraft inspired and with the stylisation of a  graphic novel. We had several ideas but "The Deep" resonated with me the most. It felt more personal and down to earth, less pure fantasy."

This animation was created as an internal project for Mooncolony, developed by the talented team of artists and designers at our studio, from the storyboard to the animation.

“I made a first rough pass on the storyboard, it was discussed, adjusted, expanded and then moved into the hands of the very talented artist Ivan Stojkovic. His painting style closely matched what I had in my head for this story. Ivan, animator Dean Boadana-Krone and sound designer Jamie Lewis really brought our vision to life. This was a very exciting project for us and I am looking forward to doing more!”

Mooncolony Credits

Art and Creative Direction - Emrah Elmasli and Ekaterina Shapovalova
Story - Ekaterina Shapovalova
Storyboards and Layouts - Ivan Stojkovic and Ekaterina Shapovalova
Illustrations - Ivan Stojkovic
Lead Animation - Dean Boadana-Krone
Animations - Dean Boadana-Krone and Ivan Stojkovic
Project Management - Cengiz J.Adali
Audio Design - Jamie Lewis
Special Thanks - Ewelina Bielska