Hellavision Television Animation Show started as an excuse to explore 2D character animation without paying for a class or learn on a job. Friends and acqaintances who had never tried animation before had also expressed interest. Animation as a medium seemed so daunting; there was a need for an event that removed all pretense of quality. The screening was free, zines were free to attendees.

In developing the promotion for Episode 1 Peter Steineck drew a giant spider dancing on top of the burning earth. This idea, “the world is ending so why not make something fun, while you can,” A reaction to the beginnings of the Trump administration, the height of a strong wave of authoritarianism and anti-intellectualism in America.

A typeface, 'Can’t Face' was developed with hellavision in mind and was then used on promotional material for the show. Online Posters were given to animators to promote the show through social media.

A loose manifesto template was developed to help people understand the tone of the project as they planned to submit work. It was created as a tool to ideate animated short concepts. The idea of “half measures” as simple a structure for conflict. To think of things that aren’t catastrophes but casual every day annoyances or short-comings.

Hellavision is about half measures; Our anxieties, our obstacles, our inability to finish anything:
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Hellavision is like an ear infection.
Hellavision is like the feeling of failing your drivers test for the 4th time.
Hellavision is gaslighting you.
Hellavision is like thinking the banging radiator pipes is ghosts.
Hellavision is a dying fire alarm beeping somewhere.... Somewhere in this house....
Hellavision is like telling a joke at a loud party where no one can hear you.
Hellavision is forgetting everyone’s telephone numbers because the machines do that for us.
Hellavision is like trying to draw a map of the U.S. from memory.

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