New York, NY (September 23, 2011)—New Yorkers can now celebrate Halloween a few days early. The Museum of Arts and Design hosts the 3rd edition of the short film fest Daggers, featuring 12 exquisitely creepy films that will share the spotlight on October 20, 2011, at 7:00 pm, and on October 22 at 3:00 pm [...]]]>

New York, NY (September 23, 2011)—New Yorkers can now celebrate Halloween a few days early. The Museum of Arts and Design hosts the 3rd edition of the short film fest Daggers, featuring 12 exquisitely creepy films that will share the spotlight on October 20, 2011, at 7:00 pm, and on October 22 at 3:00 pm in the Theater at MAD. Curated by noted critic Peter Gutiérrez, the all-shorts Daggers showcases work by up-and-coming talents, as well as contemporary classics by renowned filmmakers such as Denis Villeneuve and Jason Eisener. This mini-fest sports a macabre mix that is sure to please horror-hounds of all stripes.

“Horror is a much richer and more diverse genre than it is often given credit for,” observes Gutiérrez, who founded Daggers in 2008. “With Daggers we get to show off that range of artistry. In this year’s lineup, for example, we have surrealism, gothic mystery, psychological horror, a silent film, a musical, Cronenberg-style body horror, stop-motion animation, an experimental dance piece, and even gore-comedy. The goal is to represent the unsettling, the poetic, the thought-provoking, and yes, the stomaching-turning.”

Unspooling its dozen films in about two hours, Daggers will screen some of the best short-form horror from around the world, giving local audiences a chance to enjoy titles that are typically accessible only via major film festivals. Shot on the streets of Prague, “Prahands” recalls classic avant-garde cinema while “New Born” is an early effort of Israel’s Navot Papushado, co-writer and co-director of this year’s Tribeca favorite “Rabies” (“Kalevet”). Tasmania is represented by Briony Kidd‘s “The Room at The Top of The Stairs,” which makes its New York premiere. And of course there will be films by American, Canadian, and British filmmakers.

These include the H.P. Lovecraft adaptation “The Other Gods,” Matthew Garrett‘s “Beating Hearts,” Firas Momani‘s Fantasia-winning “The Adder’s Bite,” and the world premiere of “(Baby) It’s You,” a fun twist on the archetypal “mad scientist” film. Also making its New York premiere is Jerome Sable‘s acclaimed Sundance hit, “The Legend of Beaver Dam.” As always, the programming strategy seeks to combine fresh titles, many of which are new to Big Apple audiences, with ones that are well worthy of encores. Faye Jackson‘s “Lump” was shown directly before “Pan’s Labyrinth” at 2006′s New York Film Festival, and Jason (“Hobo with a Shotgun”) Eisener‘s “Treevenge” won the audience award for best short at the 2008 edition of the New York City Horror Film Festival. Moviegoers will know “Next Floor”‘s Denis Villeneuve as the director behind the Oscar-nominated “Incendies,” but may not have been able to catch this short, a prize-winner at TIFF, Sitges, and Cannes, not to mention a recipient of the Genie, Canada’s highest filmmaking award. The lineup also happens to boast another Genie-winner, Pedro Pires‘s unforgettable “Danse Macabre.”

“From last year’s Zombo Italiano and Jodorowsky series to this fall’s Sion Sono retro, MAD is proving itself to be a force in bold yet offbeat genre programming,” explains Gutiérrez. “That’s an approach that appeals to New York’s cinephiles and horror fans alike. It also happens to be very close to Daggers‘ sensibility, so I couldn’t be happier that this unique event has found such a great venue.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Daggers will screen in the Theater at MAD on October 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm and on October 22, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

Both screenings $10 General
$7 MAD Members and Students.

Daggers is curated by film critic Peter Gutiérrez, frequent contributor to Rue Morgue and TribecaFilm.Com.

For more information, or to order tickets, please visit: http://www.madmuseum.org/series/daggers

THE 2011 DAGGERS LINEUP
All films will be projected digitally.

The Adder’s Bite (2010)
Dir. Firas Momani
9 min

(Baby) It’s You (2011)
Dir. David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, and Brad Pattullo
3 min

Beating Hearts (2010)
Dir. Matthew Garrett
11 min

Danse Macabre (2009)
Dir. Pedro Pires
9 min

The Legend of Beaver Dam (2010)
Dir. Jerome Sable
12 min

Lump (2006)
Dir. Faye Jackson
12 min

New Born (2006)
Dir. Navot Papsushado
14 min

Next Floor (2008)
Dir. Denis Villeneuve
11 min

The Other Gods (2006)
Dir. Mike Boas
6 min

Prahands (2007)
Dir. Charles Pieper
5 min

The Room at the Top of the Stairs (2011)
Dir. Briony Kidd
15 min

Treevenge (2008)
Dir. Jason Eisener
16 min

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design explores the blur zone that characterizes so much of art, design, and craft today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the artisanal to digital. The Museum’s exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by gifted and innovative artists. MAD’s permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day. At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. The Museum’s dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families, and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances, and symposia related to the Museum’s collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft, and design are held in a renovated 144-seat auditorium.

When last I blogged, I was pushing Mind Rip’s Kickstarter campaign. Well, that fundraising tactic fell short, but that doesn’t mean we’re not making the movie any way possible. We’re continuing to shoot the first half hour of the film (which are relatively low on special effects). Thanks [...]]]> What’s been going on with Mike lately?

CSI: Mike. (Photo by Stephanie Viriyakul)

When last I blogged, I was pushing Mind Rip’s Kickstarter campaign. Well, that fundraising tactic fell short, but that doesn’t mean we’re not making the movie any way possible. We’re continuing to shoot the first half hour of the film (which are relatively low on special effects). Thanks to our leads, Joe Thompson and Kristen Royale, for shooting with us for a few nights in July. For more pics, friend the film at http://facebook.com/mindrip

Strange things happen in the desert.

Meanwhile, after a 6 day shoot in and around Death Valley, I’m now editing the feature film “3.14…” for writer/director/actor Greg Smith. This is an indie feature that looks at mathematical concepts and philosophy through dream logic. Oh, and there’s guys dressed in zebra striped lycra suits riding motorbikes. Friend the movie at http://www.facebook.com/pages/314-the-movie/142935755771042

Casa Phil-Mad

And this is a good time to mention our new base of operations for Philrose editing projects, which I’m dubbing the Phil-Mad offices. Because, you know, I’m there too. At last, John Vincent and I have enough space for computers AND noxious chemicals. (That’s office plus workshop space, folks.)

The Old Fish and the Sea

As long as I’m in recap mode, I’ll mention that I won the Rochester Movie Makers short script competition for the second straight year. My entry is the soul-searching tale of a young man and a talking trout. (Gulp! Now I have to consider shooting it.) Read “The Old Fish and the Sea” online here.

Paradigm, by Lesia Vincent, cover by Mike Boas.

Lesia Vincent’s first novel will be released soon, so here’s a sneak peek at the cover by yours truly. Paradigm’s story involves a woman connecting with her ancestors via Italian witchcraft. For the cover, I did an interpretation of John William Waterhouse’s painting, The Magic Circle. Watch this space for an announcement when the book goes on sale.

Ammo and Attitude

Ammo and Attitude is a reality show on the Versus network. Derrick Petrush (of Rochester Movie Makers) is editing the show and asked me to update the animated intro for the new season. The original intro was really well done, and it was a fairly straight forward job to go in and swap in this year’s contestants. Still, it involved a certain amount of rotoscoping and After Effects cleverness. Find out more about the show at ammoandattitude.com

Summer Filmmaking Camp for Rochester Youth

And finally (finally!) I should mention what a pleasure it was to co-teach a class on storyboarding to 36 young filmmakers at the 360 | 365 film camp. Fred Armstrong and I went in armed with dittos about camera shots and tons of samples.  The kids were super creative and super appreciative.  Their resulting short films will be going online soon at http://film360365.com/school

That’s all for now. Here’s where I should insert a witty comment about it better not be another four months before updating again, but… eh, I don’t feel like it.

After many weeks of false starts, I finished work on my animated promo film for the “Another Hole In the Head” horror film festival. Some time ago, Eric Ringer contacted me to see if I could do something for the horror arm of the San Fransico Indiefest. Sure, I said I’d love to… but [...]]]>

After many weeks of false starts, I finished work on my animated promo film for the “Another Hole In the Head” horror film festival. Some time ago, Eric Ringer contacted me to see if I could do something for the horror arm of the San Fransico Indiefest. Sure, I said I’d love to… but finding the time was a challenge.

In any case, the zombies got done over the weekend, and now you can see the final result. I was working from a specific storyline that Eric had in mind. I made a couple changes to simplify it, but I’m pretty happy with the result.

Stay tuned to http://www.sfindie.com for tickets and more info in the coming months.

Animation by Mike Boas. Music by Alec Jenkyn Williams.

That’s right, John Vincent and I are raising funds so Philrose Productions can continue making monsters for our creature feature, Mind Rip.

Find out more about Mind Rip at mindripmovie.com

If you dig this video, please pass on the link to your friends who love old school horror movies. Thanks!

I’m pleased to announce that the animated short H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be playing as part of HP Lovecraft: Reanimated in London this Friday, April 15.

The mission of HP Lovecraft: Reanimated is to take everything that’s great about live entertainment and give it a deviant, Lovecraftan twist. [...]]]>

I’m pleased to announce that the animated short H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be playing as part of HP Lovecraft: Reanimated in London this Friday, April 15.

The mission of HP Lovecraft: Reanimated is to take everything that’s great about live entertainment and give it a deviant, Lovecraftan twist. The event is presented by Wake Up Productions in association with The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast – and with support from the publishers of the At The Mountains Of Madness and forthcoming The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume I graphic novels, SelfMadeHero.

Thanks to Chris Lackey for inviting me to submit The Other Gods! I wish I could attend, and I wish them the best of luck with the show.

Ticket information is available here:
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=wakeup

Click the pic for a closer look.

So I spent this past Labor [...]]]> 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

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about [...]]]>

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about how great it would be if Mike Russo and I were to win top honors in an online short film contest… Got that mental image in your head? Good, now follow the link below to experience our absurd little film.

Watch Croquet The Musical at Bigstar.TV

New link! Watch it here!

Then sign in with Facebook Connect (using the login link at the top of the Bigstar page) and vote with all your heart. A vote for Croquet is a vote for ART!

Thanks for your support! Remember, I cried real tears for this film.

The last two years, I’ve taken part in the Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts Challenge. Two summers ago, I helped with a film called X-Girlfriend, and last year worked on The Wingman and Virgin Fang.

This year will be my first time directing a summer short, one called [...]]]>

The last two years, I’ve taken part in the Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts Challenge. Two summers ago, I helped with a film called X-Girlfriend, and last year worked on The Wingman and Virgin Fang.

This year will be my first time directing a summer short, one called “The Interrogation” written by yours truly. In the writing phase, I decided to keep my characters and locations to a minimum to make it easier — especially since one of my characters is ANIMATED.

I’ve been wanting to try a live action / animation combo project for a while now. The process will be similar to how films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit or The Phantom Menace were shot. I’ll have an actor on set playing the cartoon character, and we’ll shoot his scenes two ways. One version with the actor, one without. That way I’ll have a performance to mimic in the animation phase, but I’ll also have a clean shot to use when I want to composite the character in. (No, I won’t be doing motion capture. That’s overkill for what I have in mind.)

It was a fun script to read to an audience, which is what went down at the March meeting of Rochester Movie Makers. We read 15 (!) screenplays that night. When everyone voted and the dust cleared, it turned out I was the winner of our script competition. It doesn’t mean the movie itself will be the best, but it’s nice to be loved.

Soon I’ll be finalizing the cast, crew, and picking some dates to shoot this thing. At the same time, I’m working on designing props and the cartoon character known as Mad Monster.

Read the latest version of the script here.

After looking through my blog archives, it turns out I never posted here about the H.P.Lovecraft Literary Podcast. (It must have slipped my mind when I was posting over at Unfilmable.com back in December.)

Listening to the podcast is like reading Lovecraft with sarcastic (yet intelligent) footnotes. What turned me on to [...]]]>

After looking through my blog archives, it turns out I never posted here about the H.P.Lovecraft Literary Podcast. (It must have slipped my mind when I was posting over at Unfilmable.com back in December.)

Listening to the podcast is like reading Lovecraft with sarcastic (yet intelligent) footnotes. What turned me on to it was episode 22, which covers “The Other Gods.” Hosts Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer dig deep into Dreamlands lore to review the story… and the short film I released through Subterranea Entertainment.

They’ve got a great understanding of Lovecraft’s work, and I was thrilled to hear their thoughts regarding the animated film.

So crawl over to hppodcraft.com to listen online.  Or get obsessive like me and download every episode and listen on your iPod!

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition [...]]]> Behold!

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

The Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY.
Social hour in the cafe: 6pm.
Showtime: 7pm.
Awards: 8pm.

Tickets are available now at the Little Box Office to see all 10 films for $5.00.

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated has been nominated for a Rondo Award! Lovers of animation and horror alike can vote for NOTLD:R as Best Independent Production of 2009.

The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are highly revered in the independent horror community. The voting is open to anyone! I highly encourage you [...]]]>

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated has been nominated for a Rondo Award! Lovers of animation and horror alike can vote for NOTLD:R as Best Independent Production of 2009.

The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are highly revered in the independent horror community. The voting is open to anyone! I highly encourage you to vote, not only for Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated but for the horror sites, blogs, hosts, movies, and magazines you love.

Visit www.rondoaward.com to find out more.

EDITED TO ADD (03/08/10 )

Maybe you’d like to watch the film before voting?

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated will continue to be hosted by Count Victor Von Scary and the gang at ‘Friday Night – Fright Night’ until this Friday, March 12th at
http://www.fridaynight-frightnight.com

So if you haven’t seen it yet, this is the last week.

When Mike Schneider, director of the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated project, asked me to contribute a featurette to the upcoming DVD release, I was afraid I wouldn’t have the time to do so. Well, last week I gathered strength and put together a 6 [...]]]> We all like going behind the scenes, right?

When Mike Schneider, director of the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated project, asked me to contribute a featurette to the upcoming DVD release, I was afraid I wouldn’t have the time to do so. Well, last week I gathered strength and put together a 6 minute tutorial on interpretive rotoscoping.

Rotoscoping is an animation process that involves a lot of tracing. For NOTLD:R, I changed my style up depending on the shot — and sometimes that meant tracing 15 pictures a second with my Wacom stylus.

In this video, you can see some of that process, albeit sped up to make it more interesting.

Interpretive Rotoscoping for NOTLD:R from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

The following video clips show the animation, then [...]]]> Now that I’ve completed three scenes for the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated project, I thought it might be cool to show my cartoon shots next to the original movie footage. You’ll see where I applied faithful rotoscoping and where I deviated from the original acting.

The following video clips show the animation, then side by side comparisons with the original live action scenes.

NOTLD:R Don’t worry from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

NOTLD:R Here he comes now from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

NOTLD:R Down in the basement from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

So… I went back to the keyframes and had to double the space between them. And then add in some [...]]]> I nearly blew it on this one. After what I THOUGHT was the final render, I noticed I had animated everything at double speed. So 13 seconds of footage was zipping by in 6 seconds.

So… I went back to the keyframes and had to double the space between them. And then add in some more animation so things didn’t look… so… deliberate…

Overall, a cute little scene. No zombie attacks, but it gets across a plot point — that Judy is now watching the sick girl in the basement.

Once I’m satisfied with the movements, I’ll go back in and add the grayscale coloration to the characters. Traditionally, I do that before the animation, but [...]]]> Here’s a continuation of my latest scene. Helen Cooper turns around and leaves the basement. Next, I’ll add the Judy character, who takes her place watching the sick child.

Once I’m satisfied with the movements, I’ll go back in and add the grayscale coloration to the characters. Traditionally, I do that before the animation, but I’m changing things up a little.

Some of my new drawings for Helen’s back and Judy:

I started off tracing the background and foreground elements, but to change things up, I’m using my “cartoon” style on the characters. Does it save time? Well, [...]]]> I’m trying to crank out a short segment this weekend. This shot has Helen Cooper leaving the basement, with Judy taking her place to watch over young Karen.

I started off tracing the background and foreground elements, but to change things up, I’m using my “cartoon” style on the characters. Does it save time? Well, there’s a lot more planning up front, drawing all the character pieces. Once that’s done, it’s simpler to move them around… except Helen has to turn around to leave! I haven’t drawn her from the rear yet, so it’s back to the drawing board.

Here’s the first part of the animation. Helen stands up:

Lo and behold, I’ve finished the scene. The leering, lurching Bill Hinzman zombie attacks Barbara, she screams, and Johnny leaps to the rescue. It’s only 14 seconds, but I think I put in more hours on this [...]]]> It was a marathon session tonight. Just me and my Ustream channel and a few friendly observers.

Lo and behold, I’ve finished the scene. The leering, lurching Bill Hinzman zombie attacks Barbara, she screams, and Johnny leaps to the rescue. It’s only 14 seconds, but I think I put in more hours on this section than the last one, if possible.

All in all, my method is pretty… methodical. George Romero is a director who uses a lot of cuts and handheld work, which means time intensive roto.

Enjoy the scene below. I’m sending it off to director Mike Schneider and going to bed.

Roto is tedious. I’m doing sketchy work, but every 2 frames. That’s 15 times a second. Per character. Now my wrist hurts.

To prove it, I actually recorded my work habits with a webcam today. [...]]]> Same section as last time, but now Johnny has lip sync, the zombie is properly rotoscoped, and so is Barbara.

Roto is tedious. I’m doing sketchy work, but every 2 frames. That’s 15 times a second. Per character. Now my wrist hurts.

To prove it, I actually recorded my work habits with a webcam today. See my Ustream channel for two hours of NOTLD:R Roto work.

Really, it’s boring. Don’t bother.

But, you can enjoy the animated result below:

But… I wanted to get this test [...]]]> Weeks later, I’m back on this “Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated” scene. I’m jumping around a bit, so Johnny still needs lip sync. The Hinzman zombie is a junky placeholder — I’m thinking of rotoscoping him in that shot. There’s also a severe lack of Barbara there.

But… I wanted to get this test up to show what I’ve been doing with Johnny. He’s probably the most fun character to draw so far. Something about the horned-rim glasses, I guess.

Behold, the latest trailer! If you [...]]]> All this week, while I was focused on animating a few scenes, Mike Schneider was thinking about the big picture. He was getting all the pieces in place for a relaunch of the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated website, along with a new trailer for the project.

Behold, the latest trailer! If you watch closely, you’ll see some of my animation.

Exciting! It sounded fun and easy. I just worked on the first few seconds for a couple hours, but I don’t even have [...]]]> I heard today about a short scene early in the movie that still needed attention. It’s about fourteen seconds of action in the cemetery featuring Barbara, Johnny, and the Bill Hinzman zombie.

Exciting! It sounded fun and easy. I just worked on the first few seconds for a couple hours, but I don’t even have lip sync yet.

Well, it’s still fun, but it always takes longer than I think. Anyway, here’s what I have so far.

My half rotoscope / half flash puppet method is very time consuming. If I’m called on to do some more orphan scenes (which I’d [...]]]> Here is the completed animation for the 49 second section I’ve been working on. The deadline for content is the end of this week, so I’m sending my files off tonight.

My half rotoscope / half flash puppet method is very time consuming. If I’m called on to do some more orphan scenes (which I’d love to do) I’ll be using a different approach.

This latest test features Ben making a phone call. More difficult than you might think!

When I’m done [...]]]> Here’s some more work from that same scene for Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated. My style is changing from shot to shot because I’m playing around, having fun. When finished, the whole movie will have a patchwork quality, so I don’t feel the need to stay consistent from shot to shot.

When I’m done with this sequence, I may move away from rotoscoping and do something with a cartoon look.

Jason: The Rebirth from Mike Boas on Vimeo.

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods, which previously had a home in the “demented” area of the media site, has a new address at http://www.awntv.com/videos/the-other-gods

There’s plenty of other great independent animation at AWNtv.com, so head on over [...]]]> The AWN’s media website has changed its name to Animation World Network Televeision, or AWNtv for short.

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods, which previously had a home in the “demented” area of the media site, has a new address at http://www.awntv.com/videos/the-other-gods

There’s plenty of other great independent animation at AWNtv.com, so head on over and check it out!

There’s a new feature over at Unfilmable.com (the world’s greatest news site for Lovecraftian films). In the upcoming months, guest writer Tom Sullivan will be sharing his “Reviews of the Infinite Abyss.” I’m proud to say THE OTHER GODS is the subject of his first review.

Here’s a sampling of what [...]]]>

There’s a new feature over at Unfilmable.com (the world’s greatest news site for Lovecraftian films). In the upcoming months, guest writer Tom Sullivan will be sharing his “Reviews of the Infinite Abyss.” I’m proud to say THE OTHER GODS is the subject of his first review.

Here’s a sampling of what Mr. Sullivan had to say:

“The story is an accurate and unsettling warning about tempting the Gods, and although short like the original story, it is just as effective. When Barzai gazes upon the face of Nyarlathotep, Rhodes gives us a psychedelic experience generations ahead of his time.”

For the entire review, click here.

Tom Sullivan is an artist whose otherworldly paintings have been published in a number of H.P. Lovecraft publications. I first came to know him as the designer of “The Book of the Dead” from the Evil Dead series. It’s an honor to be reviewed by Mr. Sullivan, as the Evil Dead movies were my gateway into the world of Lovecraft.

For future reviews, keep an eye on the news section at http://www.unfilmable.com

The morph animation was done pen and ink. The room construction and camera moves were done [...]]]> 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.

I’m pleased to announce H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be screening at the 2007 Eerie Horror Film Festival. Come out to the Erie Playhouse October 11 at 6:30 PM, when The Other Gods will play ahead of the new Lovecraft inspired feature, Cthulhu.

For more a complete list of films playing, [...]]]>

I’m pleased to announce H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be screening at the 2007 Eerie Horror Film Festival. Come out to the Erie Playhouse October 11 at 6:30 PM, when The Other Gods will play ahead of the new Lovecraft inspired feature, Cthulhu.

For more a complete list of films playing, visit http://www.eeriehorrorfilmfestival.com

To see a trailer of Cthulhu, visit http://www.cthulhuthemovie.com/

The AWN Media Center is a new, comprehensive online video portal devoted exclusively to animation and showcasing the work [...]]]> “H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is now featured on Animation World Network’s “That’s Demented” channel. AWN is a website catering to animation artists and fans worldwide, and I’m happy to be a part of their website.

The AWN Media Center is a new, comprehensive online video portal devoted exclusively to animation and showcasing the work of independent filmmakers from all over the world . When I submitted “The Other Gods,” I wasn’t sure what category it would fall under. “That’s Demented” seems like a good match.

To see mine and other “freaky, fun, and frightening flicks,” visit http://media.awn.com/popup/thats-demented

Along with The Other Gods, the following subjects also played, courtesy of This past weekend in H.P. Lovecraft’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, a new festival dedicated to literary and film fandom took place. The Other Gods screened during PULP UNCOVERED‘s “Afternoon of Lovecraft” at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Along with The Other Gods, the following subjects also played, courtesy of Lurker Films

• The Music of Eric Zann by John Strysik (1980, 17 minutes)
• Out of Mind: The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft by Raymond Saint-Jean (1998, 56 min)
• The Call of Cthulhu by Andrew Leman & Sean Branney (2005, 47 min, silent film)

This is one festival I wish I could have attended, but my work schedule made it impossible. Hopefully, I’ll get another opportunity next year!

That’s what the generous Brooke from the Supernatural Things blog had to say about H. P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods.

As far as compliments go, that’s a pretty nice one. Thanks, Brooke!

—–

In addition, Jason Olshefsky of jayceland.com had this to [...]]]> “Delicious, occult eye-candy for the darker sensibilities of the soul.”

That’s what the generous Brooke from the Supernatural Things blog had to say about H. P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods.

As far as compliments go, that’s a pretty nice one. Thanks, Brooke!

—–

In addition, Jason Olshefsky of jayceland.com had this to say about the screening at the Little Theatre:

The films were generally very good but I particularly liked H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods by Mike Boas which Mike had “restored” a formerly “lost” shadow-animation… all plausible and rather spooky, actually.

For [...]]]> I want to extend a hearty thanks to everyone who braved the cold weather for Monday night’s Emerging Filmmakers series.  It meant a lot to have family and friends there for The Other Gods’ first local theatrical screening.  I had a great time talking movies and seeing what other indie artists had to show.

For those who missed it, don’t fret!  I now have the entire short online for you to watch and share with your friends.  Visit http://www.maddogmovies.com/theothergods/video.html

-Mike

“H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is a five minute short produced by yours truly, Mike Boas. This horror adaptation tells of a prophet [...]]]> Just a reminder for all Rochester film fans to come out this Monday night to the Little Theatre. Two pieces produced at Animatus will screen as part of the Emerging Filmmakers series.

“H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is a five minute short produced by yours truly, Mike Boas. This horror adaptation tells of a prophet of the Dreamlands who scales a forbidden mountain to look upon his deities. This silent film is animated in silhouette style, with a score by Rochester musician Keith Handy.

“The South Africa Stand” is an animated short from one of my Animation Workshop students, Adrian Esposito. It tells the story of an American family that moves to South Africa in the 1970s in the midst of apartheid. Appalled, they eventually become involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. I’m especially proud of Adrian, who is expanding beyond animation exercises to produce personal stories with social content.

So come out to the Little on Monday night. Adrian and I will be on hand to take comments and questions.

EMERGING FILMMAKERS SERIES AT THE LITTLE THEATRE
240 East Avenue Rochester, NY
Monday, February 26, 2007, 9:15pm

For the entire line-up of films, visit
http://www.little-theatre.com/moviePage.php?filmID=447

A NIGHT OF HORROR is a new film festival premiering in Sydney, Australia this coming March. In their call for submissions, they specified three entry categories: general horror, animation, and adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft. So I had to enter, didn’t I?

Today I learned that THE OTHER GODS has been chosen to screen [...]]]>

A NIGHT OF HORROR is a new film festival premiering in Sydney, Australia this coming March. In their call for submissions, they specified three entry categories: general horror, animation, and adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft. So I had to enter, didn’t I?

Today I learned that THE OTHER GODS has been chosen to screen at the festival. The organizers received 180 short films from horror filmmakers in 20 different countries, so it’s rewarding to know my film made the cut.

To learn more about A NIGHT OF HORROR, visit http://www.anightofhorror.com or check out the Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/nightofhorror

For you residents of Rochester, NY, “The Other Gods” will be screening as part of the Little Theatre’s EMERGING FILMMAKERS series.

Come out for a night of short films Monday, February 26 at 9 PM. The Little Theatre is at 240 East Ave, Rochester, NY.

Find out more at http://www.little-theatre.com/emergingFilmmakers.php

The interview is featured in episode nine, now online (in three parts) at http://poc.graveworm.com

To listen, visit the POC site, [...]]]> I recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Powers, who hosts a podcast entitled “Podcast of Circadia.” We had a great time discussing writer H.P. Lovecraft and the challenges of adapting his work.

The interview is featured in episode nine, now online (in three parts) at http://poc.graveworm.com

To listen, visit the POC site, click each link and download the MP3 files to your computer. If you use iTunes, the POC feed is http://poc.graveworm.com/pocrss.xml

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods has been selected to play at this month’s Tromadance Film Festival, presented by Troma Entertainment.

As someone who has read and re-read Troma president Lloyd Kaufman’s books on filmmaking, it’s a thrill to be part of this festival devoted to the independent spirit.

The 8th Annual TromaDance [...]]]>

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods has been selected to play at this month’s Tromadance Film Festival, presented by Troma Entertainment.

As someone who has read and re-read Troma president Lloyd Kaufman’s books on filmmaking, it’s a thrill to be part of this festival devoted to the independent spirit.

The 8th Annual TromaDance Film Festival will be held from January 22nd to 27th 2007 in Park City, UT.

http://2007.tromadance.com

Hey, it’s not a runaway viral phenomenon, but it feels good anyway.

Check it out and leave me a comment if you so desire!

If you love Lovecraft and can translate (accurately) into Spanish, French, Italian, or German, we need your help! If you’d like to donate your time and expertise, please write [...]]]> As the Special Edition DVD of The Other Gods takes shape, a vital component is lacking… We’d like to include subtitles for non-English speaking persons.

If you love Lovecraft and can translate (accurately) into Spanish, French, Italian, or German, we need your help! If you’d like to donate your time and expertise, please write to us at info(AT)maddogmovies.com.

Not sure if you can take on the whole project? It’s a short film, so there’s only about 25 lines of text. Check it out here:

The Other Gods – English text
(Right-click and save to your computer.)

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 [...]]]>

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.

Visit YouTube to see it yourself.

I received a “telegram” from the festival announcing the utter horror the projectionist suffered at having seen the film, which was a [...]]]> 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!

It’s rewarding to even be considered for such a list, [...]]]> I was quite pleased to open my email this morning and find a message from Sergio Gaviño, who writes for Spain’s CineFantastico.com. He informed me that Jason: The Rebirth was ranked number three in their article on the 12 Best Fan Films online.

It’s rewarding to even be considered for such a list, which contains such notable fanfilms as Troops, Grayson, Batman: Dead End, and World’s Finest.

Here’s their fanfilm rundown:

12) TROOPS
Kevin Rubio, 1997

11) CATWOMAN: COPYCAT
Collin Blakeston, 2006

10) FIGHT OF THE UNIVERSE
AMDS Films, 2006

9) FAST TIMES AT HERO HIGH
Kyle Peck, 2003

8 ) BATMAN LEGENDS
Aaron Schoenke, 2006

7) STAR WARS: REVELATIONS
Shane Felux, 2005

6) LOBO PARAMILITARY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Scott Leberecht, 2002

5) WATCHMEN: PAGE 5
Bryant Hodson, 2005

4) BATMAN: DEAD END
Sandy Collora, 2003

3) JASON: THE REBIRTH
Mike Boas, 2003

2) GRAYSON
John Fiorella, 2004

1) WORLD’S FINEST
Sandy Collora, 2004

If you want links to each film, or you read Spanish and want to see what they’ve got to say, visit CineFantastico.com

Visit www.fanfilms.net

From Fanboy Theatre:

“This short is meant to fill in the gap between Firday The 13th 1 & 2 and it does just that. Using an scratchy and loose drawing style with a limited color palatte really gives [...]]]> A careful search of the internet has yielded a couple more reviews of “Jason: The Rebirth.”

From Fanboy Theatre:

“This short is meant to fill in the gap between Firday The 13th 1 & 2 and it does just that. Using an scratchy and loose drawing style with a limited color palatte really gives this film an eerie feeling, and Mr. Boas even uses actual music from the original Friday The 13th films adding more to the overall coolness of the short. Very brave, very unique, and a damn fine Fan Film. I would have liked this short to be a tad longer, but sometimes in the world of Fan Films that can become a bad thing and ruin the finished product. Nope, this one is definitely a keeper, Awesome stuff!”

And here’s some thoughts on franchise animation from VisibleH20.com:

“I found this (Jason Animation) inventive and fun. I hope that someday we will see much more animation for such works. Perhaps many such works that are awaiting new creative juices to flow, should be animated until better scripts and or creators are at hand. Take The Batman, for instance, the Cartoons continued with or without the live action movie. It took ten years or so for Batman to Return.”

Lastly, I see that “Jason” is listed with other F13 fanfilms at scabboy.net.

As I get into promotion mode, I’ll be putting plenty of new text and images there. For now, there’s a selection of artwork from [...]]]> I now have an online gallery at the Animation World Network Showcase website. People who have never heard of me can now stumble onto my member pages over at AWN.

As I get into promotion mode, I’ll be putting plenty of new text and images there. For now, there’s a selection of artwork from Jason, The Other Gods, and my Animatus projects.

The big question seems to be… do I write my bio in first person or third person? How pretentious am I, really? I like to think Mike Boas is without ego.

View my own and other galleries at http://showcase.awn.com

Peter Sciretta writes:

“The animation is better than you’d expect, with a style of its own”

TDavid writes:

“That washed out green/black texture for the fanfilm has its own dark flavor to it. This is actually much better than [...]]]> Cinematical.com has been running features on fan films lately, and “Jason: The Rebirth” made the cut.

Peter Sciretta writes:

“The animation is better than you’d expect, with a style of its own”

TDavid writes:

“That washed out green/black texture for the fanfilm has its own dark flavor to it. This is actually much better than I thought it would be.”

I suppose the trick is to keep people’s expectations really low, so they’re pleasantly surprised with the film itself…

Read the story at http://www.cinematical.com/2005/06/11/fanfilm-jason-the-rebirth

“Yours and Rupert Takes Manhattan were winners. Yours screened on a 10 foot screen facing Hollywood blvd. all night (looped) on Thurs. night a ‘coming attraction’ for the weekend. It was a cool spectacle.”

So [...]]]> The “Friday the 13th” 25th anniversary celebration was a big success. I heard from Eben, convention head honcho:

“Yours and Rupert Takes Manhattan were winners. Yours screened on a 10 foot screen facing Hollywood blvd. all night (looped) on Thurs. night a ‘coming attraction’ for the weekend. It was a cool spectacle.”

So I’m imagining unsuspecting passers-by walking down Hollywood Boulevard, being subjected to my strange little cartoon. Pretty wild. This sort of response makes me want to get my next shorts out to festivals as soon as possible.

This sparked a bit of controversy among the fans. See some discussions on the Horror Channel Boards and over at MovieManiacs.net

Another discussion: Call of Cthulhu Forum