It was a great pleasure and career highlight for me to be invited by Hazel Baird of Elastic to lead on the opening titles for “Ba’al”: episode 5 of Ryan Murphy’s "American Horror Stories" anthology series.

Over the years, I have admired the various "American Horror Story" serieses both for their darkly compelling storytelling and lush, inventive style. Naturally each of the quality and memorable title sequences did not escape my notice. As somebody who has enjoyed the genre since childhood, I have long yearned to direct a horror opener, and for the opportunity to present itself in relation to this series felt both like a dream and a formidable responsibility.

The bold design and searing colour scheme I proposed having been selected by Ryan Murphy Productions, I firstly set about fleshing out a full storyboard embracing the creepy otherworldliness of the episode and the tone of the series as a whole.

It is quite rare that I animate these days but I relished the challenge of bringing my designs to life and developing a eerie and off-kilter animation style for both scenes and typographical treatments. I began by bringing motion and depth to the "sect" shot, followed by the attic which I always fancied as the opening shot. I used a combination of AE and C4D throughout. Rigging and adding spines and hair to the spider and the various projection mapping shots (doll face and cellar girl) allowed me to develop skills I have not used extensively. But probably my favourite shots to animate were the goat-headed demon along with dynamic curtains stirring in a midnight breeze, and the lady sprouting wings and horns in a lonely woodland garret.

It was a tough deadline and a lot of shots but I’m thrilled with the result. I’m grateful to the exquisite timing and sensitivity that Rachel Fowler brought to the edit, and for the animation support offered by Bruno Ferrari and Daniel Moreno. Thanks to Margherita Premuroso for the use of two of her beautifully creepy illustrations for flash-frames. A huge thank-you to Hazel Baird and Elastic for allowing to spread my wings on this truly special project.Thanks above all to the wonderful Audrey Williart for moral support and playing hand model on the seance shots, also to Louise Miller for the kind use of her thrashing head on the asylum shot.

Below are a selection of my production style frame designs:

Featured in Behance curation, Motionographer.