Short Zombie Video

Old Tom

Hey,

Would anyone be interested in making a short (15-20 minutes) zombie video for youtube?
It would obviously require a bit of planing, a script, suitable locations, makeup, etc. and probably loads of things I don't know about.
Also 4-6 people plus the camera operator. I always wanted to make a video like that, but it's quite difficult to get people to take part in it, as you can imagine. The point is to make it short, but very realistic and really scary - hence I'd prefer people who know zombies over the "casual" ones.

Tzar Chasm

What?
Where?
When?

I'm interested, however I would not be what one might consider a Creative tour de force, so there'd be no point in as in me about script ideas or the like, but if ya need someone to make tae or go to aldi for chocolate digestives, thin i'm her man

ScumLord

This is on my to do list. I have a green screen, studio lights, special effects software and some pretty decent cameras. I've also been reading a lot on production and there's a shed load of work involved in getting ready to shot. If we decided right here and now to make the film there would probably be a few weeks if not months of prep work even if it's only 15 minutes long.

I know google docs lets a group of people work on the same documents so we could collaborate. I even have bits and pieces of scripts.

Old Tom

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback.


Well, to tell the truth - I don't know the details. That's why I've started this thread and that's why I need you.

I have a few ideas myself, but I'd like to discuss all of the ones we gather together and pick the most interesting ones. Even best ideas have bad points, who else can point them out better than you? :cool:

I have a blow-back airsoft gun, I know how to make fake blood and I have loads of creepy music (free licence to use to any project) and I believe I can be good at adding it to the scene to produce the appropriate effect.

I can provide some zombie children too :rolleyes:

Honestly, I realise that there is a bit of work ahead, but doing this (shooting the footage) over 2 or 3 weekends (I work full time during the week) sounds totally doable to me.

Location: Dublin or not too far from it. Damn, if I have to travel I do it for the sake of the film.

When: Some May weekend (as the initial start date)?

ladypip

Oh wow this sounds AWESOME!! If it does go ahead, Id love to be a zombie!:D. I have an interest in special effect make up but I wont pretend im an expert maybe if someone has some experience in make up i could be their assistant. Also my bf is a sound engineer I could ask him if he would be interested in getting involved?

ladypip

We could also supply a zombie child

Doc Ruby

I've storyboarded a few productions and come up a few scripts if that's any good to anyone, only remote work right now though.

degrassinoel

ladypip wrote: »

We could also supply a zombie child

lol ladypip!

ScumLord

Forgot about my airsoft stuff.

Blowback:
Beretta
Glock
Sig Sauer P226
Mac 10

Non blow back:
Thompson M1A1 (military tommy gun) with replica WW2 strap.
Revolver

Also have a US military uniform.


I have a scene in mind to do for a while now.
It would take place a few months in, a group from a fortified town are going to a house that has a family in it. The town has organised with surrounding farmers to trade food to and from them so they know the people in the house. There is a leader that is a very rational and logical man, the kind who would have been the most friendly and sensible pre zombies but he's logic now dictates he be ruthless and take no chances. There is a young lad with them around 16 who has a romantic notion of zombie hunting and is mad to get into killing zombies. He annoys Mr sensible.

When they arrive they find the man of the house turned in the kitchen, the mother and two children are in another room hiding. They take out the man of the house and then run outside when they find the mother and children are quite clearly infected one child is a full on zombie (I have a good few pages written out on how the disease would progress and how it should look. In my version people can get stuck in emotional states, they will mostly end up violent but many can get stuck in a moment of despair and plead for help until they turn). The mother is begging for mercy for her children one of them is gnawing on her and trying to break free to get at the group the other is manic but not yet fully zombie.

The rational leader wants the young lad to kill the mother and children as his initiation to zombie hunting outside the fortified town. (the kid would have known this family) The kid is shocked as are the rest of the party and think it's too much for a young lad to do on his first day out but rational man figures that this is the job, if he can't do this he can't be relied upon. Some one else does the deed in the end as the mother turns releasing the children.

The reason I liked this scene was because it shows how people would change and how the people we think are sound and rational now may not seem so in these difficult situations and it's not like rational man was wrong. It would be a horrible life with horrible decisions to make I think that scene would highlight that but while it would be relatively easy to pull off as there's little post preproduction it might be the hardest to act out.

Doc Ruby

Is it possible to include armed travellers without running roughshod all over political correctness?

I was thinking where the gang might be trapped in a car before being rescued by travellers, then they go with them for a few hours before being summarily dumped out the back. One of the group was bitten, which was noticed, but not mentioned to the rest of the group, maybe they get a few guns as well or something.

Its Irish, topical, role-reversing, and not a little cheeky...

ScumLord

I think whatever we do it should be distinctly Irish rather than just a rerun of the typical American story in and Irish setting.

I have friends that hung out with travellers a lot and can pull off a decent accent. As long as we don't make the travellers out to be scumbags and automatically the bad guys I don't see a problem.

It could be a warehouse raid, I have access to warehouses.

Doc Ruby

ScumLord wrote: »

I think whatever we do it should be distinctly Irish rather than just a rerun of the typical American story in and Irish setting.

I have friends that hung out with travellers a lot and can pull off a decent accent. As long as we don't make the travellers out to be scumbags and automatically the bad guys I don't see a problem.

Yeah something like Snatch only more positive. A good sense of humour will go a long way too, much as I hate to talk about Boy Eats Girl, it had some funny moments like when that woman stole the moped off the granny.

ScumLord wrote: »

It could be a warehouse raid, I have access to warehouses.

I'm getting distinct overtones of Reservoir Dogs here.

Kash

I would love to be involved in this, but I am a) miles away from Dubland, and b) heavily pregnant. Happy to work remotely on scripts/sound effects or whatever though

ScumLord

The script work will be very important. Seeing as people would be meeting up from across the country this would have to be planned down to the last detail before any one goes anywhere. What filming work I've done has always suffered from not being prepared, someone is going to have to keep things organised on the day, that would be a critical role.

Tzar Chasm

Does it have to be a Dublin based project tho, there are plenty of areas that would be equally as accessible around wicklow or kildare, if ye wanted something beach/cliff based with loads of old Norman ruins ye could come down my neck of the woods, I could probably cajole a boat even if ye wanted to film on one of the islands bleak bird/seal snit covered rocks just off the coast

Old Tom

Folks,

Nothing has been decided as of yet.

I personally don't mind the location, it's a lot of time to discuss the plot. So far we haven't even decided whether the zombies are the fast zombies, or rather the slow "Romero" ones. I got a decent amount of stuff to read through from ScumLord and we have to see if we have at least a similar approach to the idea and how easily we can compromise, etc.

I am awaiting feedback from ScumLord regarding the initial setup and organisation of, let's call it, "a virtual, shared office" and bringing the project to the very beginning of it's life.

If we have to make something, it has to be well planned and perfectly organised. I really, really wouldn't like the idea to die in the next few days or weeks.

Personally - if it goes ahead, I hope to have great time working with you on making this video. So fingers crossed and let's hope that all goes well.

Doc Ruby

Here's a Galway short that got funded on fundit, just some food for thought...

http://www.fundit.ie/project/who-needs-enemies---completion-funding

an oul sitewide announcement and who can say? If we can capture the feel from a few seconds of footage like at the very start of this where the guy lights up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGC-_o6QteU

Pure class. Thats if anyone wants to even get money involved, I dunno.

Old Tom

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Here's a Galway short that got funded on fundit,

Nice, shiny special effects work, really pro if you ask me - but that's all about it.

Red eyed zombies...? Come on. Unless they are feckin terminators.
The film itself may be quite pleasant too look at, but is not a bit scary. Looks like tens of other new generation zombie films - a show for the teenage vampire lovers. No comments on game characters, the whole idea deserves no more than just a facepalm in my opinion.

Too much fantasy and computer effects, but lack of the atmosphere, sweat, fear, the feeling that makes you look through the window to make sure nothing's there...

My idea is to make something very heavy, very dark, very scary and memorable. Something that makes people feel uncomfortable... I am not about extreme gore and tons of fake blood, no. Instead of making a computer show, I'd rather invest in creepy lights, scenery, sounds...

Well, we'll see. I have a few ideas but I would like to hear from ScumLord first.

Doc Ruby

Old Tom wrote: »

Red eyed zombies...? Come on. Unless they are feckin terminators.
The film itself may be quite pleasant too look at, but is not a bit scary. Looks like tens of other new generation zombie films - a show for the teenage vampire lovers. No comments on game characters, the whole idea deserves no more than just a facepalm in my opinion.

Sorry you misunderstand, the kind of western gothic sepia feel in the first few seconds and the callous ruggedness of the last few seconds are about all I was referring to. I like that lived-in atmospheric feel. Edit: also the galway short isn't that movie, click the fundit link.

Old Tom wrote: »

My idea is to make something very heavy, very dark, very scary and memorable. Something that makes people feel uncomfortable... I am not about extreme gore and tons of fake blood, no. Instead of making a computer show, I'd rather invest in creepy lights, scenery, sounds...

Sounds great, the trick will be to avoid the "everyone turns on one another" psych at the same time. Done to death and reanimation to be honest.

Old Tom

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Sorry you misunderstand, the kind of western gothic sepia feel in the first few seconds and the callous ruggedness of the last few seconds are about all I was referring to. I like that lived-in atmospheric feel.

Ah yeah. I misunderstood.

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Sounds great, the trick will be to avoid the "everyone turns on one another" psych at the same time. Done to death and reanimation to be honest.

Now this is it.

I find scary whatever appears to be real. If something looks real enough, it's scary. My idea is to use our daily environment, places that people find safe. We could make them safe no more :rolleyes:

Gunshots, action, a little army walking along the road shooting everything with automatic guns with limitless ammo? Meh.
Saving survivors? Meh, done billions times.

A black&white footage, a blurred figure in the dusk, slowly walking into the forest dragging in complete silence a shape that reminds a human body? Yes... This is more of my thing.

Doc Ruby

Being honest, although its probably not a popular notion, the zombies in Rec and Rec2 were terrifying, vicious and malicious in equal quantity. It was like a cross between the Exorcist and Dawn of the Dead. And really if the only excuse for not liking it is Science, we're talking about the walking dead here. Science Says No right from the start, there's no combination of social situations and biological vectors that would cause a zombie apocalypse in nature or indeed in bioweapons development.

Just my opinion of course, I'm not pushed one way or the other.

To go a bit meta, if the survivors assumed the zeds were like the movies at first (ever notice nobody in zombie movies has ever seen or heard of a zombie movie?) before the horrifying realisation that they were more like Rec, that opens a lot of avenues, changing zombies from a passive background to active enemies.

Old Tom wrote:

A black&white footage, a blurred figure in the dusk, slowly walking into the forest dragging in complete silence a shape that reminds a human body? Yes... This is more of my thing.

That right there, sex.

Old Tom

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Being honest, although its probably not a popular notion, the zombies in Rec and Rec2 were terrifying

Agree..

I also hate when people try reinventing zombies. Add red-glowing eyes, super powers like running on the ceilings, etc. I personally find it tragic that today's zombie films are made by people who have no idea what zombie is or what is vampire, etc. They are in 99% an utter pile of crap.

I like the unusual and at the same time very classic things.

I don't like teams, I rather prefer lone survivors as it would most likely happen in the real world.

I don't like too many guns, very few people have actually access to firearms. Unless someone finds an old Glock in the abandoned Garda station, there is very little chance to see a group of 5 (all obviously great looking, fit and super cool :cool: ) spreading a rain of bullets all over the place. What actually most of us would do? Feck all to be honest. Grab a metal pipe or an axe from the shed in most cases, crying loud and trying to hide.

I also don't think that the explanation where the disease comes from is necessary. Seriously though, what for and who really cares? It's not Zombie Survival Guide and lecture about the Solanum virus.
It's only an argument that we give to people who want to find weak points in the plot. Have you watched/read "The Road"? Excellent film, an absolute masterpiece. Did they explain what caused the disaster? No, and it's even better this way, as viewers can use their own imagination.

Ah, there are so many more little things

I find this one real quality...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdDle4BzRM

Doc Ruby wrote: »

That right there, sex.

Laughed :pac:

ScumLord

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

Does it have to be a Dublin based project tho,

It would probably be easier if we did stay out of the city. You'd have more control over your environment in a countryside setting.

Doc Ruby

Old Tom wrote: »

I also hate when people try reinventing zombies. Add red-glowing eyes, super powers like running on the ceilings, etc. I personally find it tragic that today's zombie films are made by people who have no idea what zombie is or what is vampire, etc. They are in 99% an utter pile of crap.

I have to admit, the resident evil drilling through the foundations zombies kinda lost me. I'd settle on sort of low-grade Deliverance style psychotic redneck zombies, with a dull but vicious cunning, and occasional bursts of really active nastiness like cutting power lines or secreting themselves in the trunk of a car. Also lots of opportunities there for a bit of dark humour.

Old Tom wrote: »

I don't like teams, I rather prefer lone survivors as it would most likely happen in the real world.

Bit risky to hang the whole thing on one character though.

Old Tom wrote: »

I don't like too many guns, very few people have actually access to firearms. Unless someone finds an old Glock in the abandoned Garda station, there is very little chance to see a group of 5 (all obviously great looking, fit and super cool :cool: ) spreading a rain of bullets all over the place.

As mentioned earlier, PC or not, travellers would likely be the ones with the guns. Snatch dealt with that pretty well, but in something like this I'd imagine them to be more agents of convenience than the puppetmasters they were made out to be in that movie.

Old Tom wrote: »

What actually most of us would do? Feck all to be honest. Grab a metal pipe or an axe from the shed in most cases, crying loud and trying to hide.

Some of us have already picked out the boglands we're going to fade away into!

Old Tom wrote: »

Have you watched/read "The Road"? Excellent film, an absolute masterpiece. Did they explain what caused the disaster? No, and it's even better this way, as viewers can use their own imagination.

Keep them guessing alright. Some of the best stuff is where the mysteries are never explained, look what happened when the force turned into midichlorians in star wars for example. The force became the farce.

Old Tom

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I have to admit, the resident evil drilling through the foundations zombies kinda lost me. I'd settle on sort of low-grade Deliverance style psychotic redneck zombies, with a dull but vicious cunning, and occasional bursts of really active nastiness like cutting power lines or secreting themselves in the trunk of a car. Also lots of opportunities there for a bit of dark humour.

Romero zombies are best. There is a lot of fear in their slow, but unstoppable, twitchy moves. Watched the Night from 1968 last night - still scary!

Humour? Not a slightest chance. Comedies are for humour, zombies are pure fear and apocalypse scenario. Mixing the two makes both look sh1t. And no, I don't get "fantastic" films like Zombieland. Can't be afraid, can't really laugh. Meh.

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Bit risky to hang the whole thing on one character though.

Well, how about 3 (2,4) separate stories about 3 different people in 3 different locations and circumstances who find themselves in the middle of the zombie outbreak? All 3 stories in the 20 minutes footage. Lots of variety, lots of action (not the "shoot everything" one of course) - can't get bored! Lets make it a bit unpredictable. Each character will be acting a different way, they won't be helping anyone and they are all gonna die.. Or maybe not? There is plenty of room for ideas

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Some of us have already picked out the boglands we're going to fade away into!

But the trick is that the 99% haven't

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Keep them guessing alright. Some of the best stuff is where the mysteries are never explained, look what happened when the force turned into midichlorians in star wars for example. The force became the farce.

In my opinion we would also need to decide what each one of us finds most scary (whether it's walking dead, the collapse of society, feeling of constant danger, etc) and try to pick the common bits, then apply them to the story or use for building the zombie world.

Doc Ruby

Old Tom wrote: »

Romero zombies are best. There is a lot of fear in their slow, but unstoppable, twitchy moves. Watched the Night from 1968 last night - still scary!

Humour? Not a slightest chance. Comedies are for humour, zombies are pure fear and apocalypse scenario. Mixing the two makes both look sh1t. And no, I don't get "fantastic" films like Zombieland. Can't be afraid, can't really laugh. Meh.

Well there's humour and humour in it. I already mentioned the dark humour of Boy Eats Girl in the moped robbing incident, its not quite slapstick but it does raise a chuckle. Even truly bleak movies like La Horde had a few laughs in there, as when the old guy starts quipping about his tubby wife.

The big issue with a slow tomb herd, or even fast zombies is they are basically pack predators. People have successfully dealt with pack animals for hundreds of thousands of years, even before guns. Its hard to swallow that they could be a serious threat witout mitigating circumstances like a seriously mean attitude and a dash of intelligence, even if random.

Old Tom wrote: »

Well, how about 3 (2,4) separate stories about 3 different people in 3 different locations and circumstances who find themselves in the middle of the zombie outbreak? All 3 stories in the 20 minutes footage. Lots of variety, lots of action (not the "shoot everything" one of course) - can't get bored! Lets make it a bit unpredictable. Each character will be acting a different way, they won't be helping anyone and they are all gonna die.. Or maybe not? There is plenty of room for ideas

Hrm. For a feature I'd say yeah, but you won't get any empathy between the characters and the audience in a short if you're splitting it across three unconnected stories. Maybe it could work but you'll be falling back on stereotypes if you want an instant connection. The damsel in distress, the naif, the rugged hero.

Old Tom wrote: »

In my opinion we would also need to decide what each one of us finds most scary (whether it's walking dead, the collapse of society, feeling of constant danger, etc) and try to pick the common bits, then apply them to the story or use for building the zombie world.

Fear by committee! Its got potential.

Old Tom

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Hrm. For a feature I'd say yeah, but you won't get any empathy between the characters and the audience in a short if you're splitting it across three unconnected stories. Maybe it could work but you'll be falling back on stereotypes if you want an instant connection. The damsel in distress, the naif, the rugged hero.

I mean more like 12/14 year old boy, 30+ year old office worker and an old woman. The skill is to avoid any stereotypes, maybe to give them characters that wouldn't be "expected" (like the office worker doesn't have to be a dickhead or the boy can be really bad and cause death of his own family?), sure 3-4 heads could make this look really good! It's just a free idea that came to my head when I was on the Dart home from work :P

Doc Ruby

Old Tom wrote: »

I mean more like 12/14 year old boy, 30+ year old office worker and an old woman. The skill is to avoid any stereotypes, maybe to give them characters that wouldn't be "expected" (like the office worker doesn't have to be a dickhead or the boy can be really bad and cause death of his own family?), sure 3-4 heads could make this look really good! It's just a free idea that came to my head when I was on the Dart home from work :P

Its doable alright, just you have to make sure your plot and character development are mostly the same thing. Tricky but achievable, you don't want the audience fading out over three inexplicable randomers but at the same time you don't want to just be rehashing two dimensional stereotypes. I get the strong feeling there's a middle ground we're groping blindly towards.

Peetrik

Always thought the magizine fort in the pheno would make a cracking setting for a Zombie experience.

I'd be up for being an extra. For what its worth, I'm an athlete, in case you were looking for sprinter/28 days later type zombies.

ScumLord

A Dublin family fleeing the city and being ostracised by country folk afraid they're either gang members or infected would be a very likely scenario.

Kash

Agree with Scumlord.

From a 'down the country' perspective, then I think you'd be getting a lot of people shutting up shop and not letting anyone else next to near their property. Cue lots of non-infected being shot at (never met a farmer without a gun) , run down, attacked with shovels/dogs/whatever is close to hand or ran off the land, etc.

Realistically, I think you'd encounter a lot of people actively not coping: drunk out of their minds, or in shock, or ignoring the threat entirely hoping it goes away. I think that's where you get the dark humour - and I'd be with the Doc on that - done right, it adds to the tale rather than detracts. Of course, it needs to be subtle, but it is human nature to make light of something that is freaking you out - at least until the lights go out...

Also, if you are going for realism, then I'm not big on lone survivors. Sure, groups would be whittled down before they are wiped out, so you would get a few (and more as time progressed) but initially, you would get small units - families, friends, colleagues - whoever happens to be nearby when the proverbial hits the fan. So i suppose your group size depends on how long the zombie outbreak is going on. Plus, a lone survivor gives next to no chance for dialogue, unless you have a voice over - which would automatically imbue your short with a 'film noir' feel. Again, depends what you are trying to achieve.