When Aaron Vanek asked me for an animated promo for this year’s H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival event in Los Angeles, I knew I couldn’t resist. I also knew I was in the middle of about 12 other projects and I’d have to carve out the time to do it.

So I spent this past Labor Day weekend hip deep in Flash animation. I reused some cartoon heads from an abandoned Lovecraft short (I may get back to it some day), but all other tentacles, rats, and gravestones are new.

If you’ve been watching my social feeds, you’ll know I’m in love with the work of British animator Cyriak. His use of loops and editing was an influence here.

I also took the opportunity to play with textures and color modes in After Effects. That’s something I’ve been doing in my still work lately, and it’s a fun challenge to apply it to the flat images from Flash.

Music is by Alec Jenkyn Williams.

For tickets and info on the HPLFF in LA September 11, 2010, visit http://bit.ly/hplffla

Here’s a 30 second piece I put together for the 2007 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. I won’t be attending this year, but I’ll be represented by this piece, which will most likely play before a screening or two.

The morph animation was done pen and ink. The room construction and camera moves were done in After Effects. Music is by Mars of deadhousemusic.com

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival Promo 2007 from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

During my weekend in Portland for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, I spoke to a few people who would be missing Sunday night, the night my short was playing. The last night of any film festival usually has less attendance, since many film-goers cut out for travel reasons or out of sheer exhaustion. I steeled myself for a “light” attendance that night.

Instead, the main theatre was mostly full as usual! Not sold out, but a respectable crowd of a few hundred. Now I had a new concern: could I avoid hyperventilating as the film played before so many sets of eyeballs?

Well, I survived. “The Other Gods” was received well. My colleagues all had incredibly supportive things to say.

Thanks to everyone at the festival for a great experience. I loved every minute of it, and I hope to attend next year.

See the Mad Dog Blog for more about the festival.

It’s official! After many delays, work on “The Other Gods” is now complete. Not only that, the film will be screening at the 2006 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland Oregon.

I received a “telegram” from the festival announcing the utter horror the projectionist suffered at having seen the film, which was a real nice touch. (Click the pic below for a close-up view.)

I’m quite thrilled, and will be attending the festival to represent the animated short and hobnob with other Hobb’s End lurkers.

See you in October!