Friday, January 10, 2014

Noir Devil



I received an email from Pasadena citizen and Harvard student Hayden Betts, who "thought my readers might be amused by" his animation about the Devil's Gate Dam.

It's got a sinister edge to it. And you know what? With all the drama centered around the Dam lately, I thought we could use some amusement. Check it out.

Hayden says, "I made the video because I'm kind of obsessed with Upper Hahamonga. I grew up hearing that it was an EPA superfund site and then I ran cross country for 3 years and learned most of the trails. I started to find out about the "paranormal" stuff after high school. I know that a few people disappeared in the first half of the 20th century so I was kind of riffing on that with the Noir feeling. In general there's all kinds of crazy superstition around the dam. Paranormal believers go up there all the time and occultists in the Jack Parsons school feel that all of upper Hahamongna is possessed or something because he hung around there a lot to do rocket tests. Suicides are nothing to joke about but this stuff is so ridiculous and happened such a long time ago that I figured I could make a cute video about it...

"As for process I drew the backgrounds in photoshop and animated in Flash. I got a friend to voice it. Not much to it. Again, this is by no means a big piece of work just a little something amusing. I hope write something much more significant that is centered around the area though."

I want to thank Hayden Betts for thinking of us! It's great to do something a little different now and then. And now and now. And just for the record, I don't find Devil's Gate sinister at all. Hee hee hee.

14 comments:

John Sandel said...

This is delightful!

Unknown said...

Cool little video!

Unknown said...

Cool little video!

Bellis said...

It's really good! I like the graphics very much, especially the depiction of the lamps on the road over the dam wall, and the light circles they make. The devil eating his victim is very striking (and funny). It's about time someone incorporated that devil into the damn dam story. He's been making mischief ever since it was built, and he's at it again right now - I'm going to have to spend the weekend writing my response to the DEIR instead of walking in Hahamongna.

Petrea Burchard said...

I think my favorite thing about it is the rain. But I also love the long view of the dam, and of course the lamps.

Bellis said...

Rain? What's rain?

Petrea Burchard said...

We'll have to take you to England to show you some, Bellis.

Katie said...

How neat of Hayden to send this to you! Great animation and interesting to hear about the paranormal aspect of the area.

Petrea Burchard said...

Truly, Katie. I've never felt anything scary there. Then again, I don't hang out there much at night and the howling of a pack of coyotes can be pretty spooky.

TheChieftess said...

I liked how well his depiction of his face changed as he inhaled his cigarette (not that I'm a smoker...but my mom was a die hard and I know that look!)

Petrea Burchard said...

Good eye, Chieftess! I hadn't noticed.

LONDONLULU said...

Noir the the nth degree, loved that music too and had no idea all that spooky background about the place!

Petrea Burchard said...

It's such a great area, Lulu. So much history, good and bad.

Anonymous said...

HAHaHaHaHA! yeah!