robmyers
Active member
so i went out for a couple of drinks with fellow washingtonian, dvx moderator, & martini pounder, barry_s, the other day. after the tech talk was settled the topic turned to zombies. barry was amazed at the number of entries for the zombiefest so far. i admitted that i, too, though it would have been a third of that but, hey, what do i know about contests? he admited that his tastes ran more along the lines of french/art-house cinema and marvelled at the appeal of zombie flicks. i said, i thought i could guess a thing or two about why they're the sardine of the film world. my top four:
1. it's a genre. there's a reason why so many great directors cut their chops on early scifi or horror/zombie films. you get a built-in audience of people who are willing to suspend their disbelief a little more than they would watching another type of film. you also have the limitations of the genre which help you make decisions while crafting the piece. limitations = good. (we should all know that by now.)
2. bang for the buck with the makeup. if you can get an ambitious/talented/experienced (pick two) makeup artist you're halfway there. the goop and lipstick needed for a zombie film are cheap, and people are expecting it, so it goes a long way as far as the production is concerned. plus, they're waiting for you to go over the top, and pride themselves on pointing out the artiface.
3. acting. even family members and friends can act like zombies.
4. "zombies." there's just something there in the concept. like "sharks" or "drugs." you look around the bar and you wonder. maybe someday a bunch of undead folk are just going to wander through here. creepy thought, dude.
rob
p.s. thanks for the drinks, barry! :thumbsup:
1. it's a genre. there's a reason why so many great directors cut their chops on early scifi or horror/zombie films. you get a built-in audience of people who are willing to suspend their disbelief a little more than they would watching another type of film. you also have the limitations of the genre which help you make decisions while crafting the piece. limitations = good. (we should all know that by now.)
2. bang for the buck with the makeup. if you can get an ambitious/talented/experienced (pick two) makeup artist you're halfway there. the goop and lipstick needed for a zombie film are cheap, and people are expecting it, so it goes a long way as far as the production is concerned. plus, they're waiting for you to go over the top, and pride themselves on pointing out the artiface.
3. acting. even family members and friends can act like zombies.
4. "zombies." there's just something there in the concept. like "sharks" or "drugs." you look around the bar and you wonder. maybe someday a bunch of undead folk are just going to wander through here. creepy thought, dude.
rob
p.s. thanks for the drinks, barry! :thumbsup:
