Aleatoric Imagemaking
NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE
BY
THE MOONTREKKERS
A tribute video to the classic instrumental.
Produced by the sonic enigma Joe Meek and released in 1961, the BBC banned the record for being "unsuitable for people of a nervous disposition". Presumably they thought people would be so paralysed with nerves that they wouldn't be able to switch off their radios.
​
Everything you hear is on the original recording, including what is said to be Joe Meek himself screaming at the end.
I was inspired to interpret the screams, creaks and the rich instrumentation into something visual.
​
I'd wanted to have a go at a Merry Melodies type animation for a while; where lots of the movements are based on short loops that flirt around the rhythms, or sync' up with them in great ways.
Many of Joe Meek's productions lend themselves to the visual and Night of The Vampire is one of his best.
The video was shown at Gallery Lock In, Hove around Halloween 2022. Visitors were encouraged to See! Scorch! Soak! & Shred! the artwork, creating a unique, interactive event.
You'll find many tribute videos online, even for this tune, but I'm pretty sure this is the only hand-drawn, haunted house bunny animation designed as an allegory for how the Tories drain the blood out of the defenseless.
But I could be wrong...