Genie Gypsy Woman

"Genie Gypsy Woman" Co-Directed by Tommy Simms & Jamie Hazelwood

Tommy Simms is an interdisciplinary artist and award-winning filmmaker, specializing in stop-motion animation. Earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, his senior animation was showcased at the Festival de Cannes. For years, he taught classes online and at art camps across the United States, inspiring younger generations with puppetry and stop-motion. Ranging from cartoons to live-action, Tommy's work has been featured in film festivals around the world, on PBS, in theatre productions, and at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. His animated adventures continue through the production of independent films and music videos.
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At the ripe ol' age of 6, Jamie Hazelwood discovered a whole new world in animation and hasn’t left it since! From the classic hand drawn Disney films to the amazingly detailed recent stop motion films, inspiration has never stopped for Jamie! He studied Art and Animation at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under the tutelage of Disney Animator, Tim Decker. During his time at UWM, he specialized in stop motion and created the short “The Misadventures of Nigel and Reginald: The Necessity of Narcissisim”, a tale of two arrogant bumbling treasure hunters in search of fame and adventure. Jamie continued his animation education at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and learned the craft of 3D Animation. Upon his graduation, he was awarded the "Lamp of Knowledge" trophy, which is given to one student who best represents the program through hard work and dedication, handpicked by the department professors. Jamie passes on his animation knowledge through claymation classes at Out of Toon Studios and Mark Kistler's Summer Art Camps.