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Movies => Bad Movies => Topic started by: Zombie Town on March 20, 2007, 02:22:22 PM



Title: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on March 20, 2007, 02:22:22 PM
Alright.  So I'm the director of an upcoming zombie movie titled, aptly enough, Zombie Town.  As the director it was a tough decision as to put this in the good movie or the bad movie forum, but let's be honest.  Zombie Town's certainly a bit more Mortal Combat than it is Little Miss Sunshine.  The reason I'm here is that my production partners have been pushing me to start a viral marketing campaign.  I guess it's common practice to plant people on message boards to plug your movie.  I thought this seemed a bit silly.  Instead I thought I'd just come out and tell you I'm the director, Zombie Town's my film, and I'd love it is some of you guys could take the time to check out our trailer and let us know what you think of it.  The trailer link is below and the film will be released in the US later this year.  Thanks

Damon

http://www.artistviewent.com/horror/Zombie%20Town/zombie_town.htm


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: BTM on March 21, 2007, 07:40:28 PM
Looks neat, I'll keep my eye out for it. 

BTW, what's that song playing in the trailer? 


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Kooshmeister on March 22, 2007, 04:48:50 AM
Zombie Town, huh? Are there Condo Kings involved?

(A free cookie to anyone who gets that referance.)


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on March 22, 2007, 10:26:46 AM
Is that a Billy Joel reference


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: moravec on March 22, 2007, 03:10:12 PM
Lets see-- 1970's hairstyles- Wardrobe from the dollar store--Dialogue written for a 12 year old; guns- blood- gore, and Zombies! Might fly.


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: peter johnson on March 23, 2007, 01:16:48 AM
     Where was this filmed?
     Your voiceovers and cast sound American, yet the date given is 2 years ago/2005.  Were there great problems with distribution/release?
I am also confused by the disparity in Production Values:  You were able to afford 3 helicopters for a flyover, yet some of the individual scenes shown in the trailer seem to have very poor lighting, re.  Some scenes are properly lit, whereas others have a sort of "direct spotlight" quality that bespeaks a low budget.  If you could get 3 helicopters to fly by, why not buy several filters and another indirect light source?
     I'm not being a b***h, just deeply curious, as some scenes look as if they come from different movies.  Yeah, it does look like it has some comedic quality of "Shaun of The Dead" and seems to make reference to other Zombie movies, but the disparity between different scenes used in the trailer leaves me puzzled.  Did you have to fire some people & then resume filming at a later date?  Did you run out of your original film stock?  I've done that too.  It's just that your scenes look as if they're from different movies -- did you cobble together?  I don't mean to be insulting, I am, in fact, genuinely curious.
peter johnson/denny crane/movie veteran


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: JPickettIII on March 23, 2007, 08:56:58 AM
I just saw the trailer.  I like it.  Is it going straight DVD or theater?

I will be picking up a copy of it if it comes to DVD first.

Good job.

Also, welcome to the site.

John


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on March 23, 2007, 09:15:47 AM
Peter,
Thanks for all the questions.  First, we filmed in and around Rutland, Vermont.  As for the date on the Artistvew site, that's a mistake on their part.  I'd never noticed that before so thanks for pointing it out.  Our principle photography did take place in 2005, with the film going through post during 2006.  A year is not an uncommon length of time for post on a feature film, particularly one with model work, blue screen, and other effects work to be done after principle photography ends.  We were fairly certain we would be going with Artistview and MTI for foreign and domestic distribution before we finished post, so there were no real with finding a home for the movie.

As for the helecopters, I don't want to give away too many secrets but those were, of course, miniatures.  Aquiring a real military helicopter for a shoot would not only be way too expensive, but require assistance from the military.    For some miniature shots we did change film stocks to get a tighter grain structure, perhaps that's somthing you're picking up on between shots.  If so, great eye.  For some establishing night shots we did have to do some day-for-night as well.  Perhaps you're noticing that in the trailer as well.  As for personel changes, I'm proud to say that of the many, many independent films I've worked on ours was one of the most strife free and pleasent.  No one fired, no stops in filming for disasters, didn't run out of anything, not even much in the way of overtime.  Hope that answers some questions for you.


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: peter johnson on March 23, 2007, 06:01:58 PM
Heck, yeah, hope it does Gangbusters!
Those are some very good looking minatures, then -- or I have a very crappy computer screen, or both.
Yes, I do know how expensive helicopters can be -- A ton of money was blown on just one with a cheesy explosion for ROBOchic --
Thanks for the compliment, re. my eye -- yeah, you watch enough post on these things, you start picking up on where they go from flood to wash to spot to blown-out bulb, etc. etc.  Lighting problems have always been of special interest to me, as they can effect the whole thrust of a scene, and perhaps break suspension of disbelief for the audience.  Sorry you had to go "day for night", as that's a booger-bear in anybody's book and I don't care how much money you have --
Anyway, yes indeed I'll watch for this & said I chatted with the director to whoever!! 
Hope you all make a bit of lunch money on this endeavour!!  One of my short things, "Still Water", is getting a Hollywood screening sometime this summer from Flickering Images Film Festival. 
Look me up if you ever film in Colorado!!
Showbizzily Yours
peter johnson/denny crane


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Jim H on March 27, 2007, 12:39:04 AM
Peter,
Thanks for all the questions.  First, we filmed in and around Rutland, Vermont.  As for the date on the Artistvew site, that's a mistake on their part.  I'd never noticed that before so thanks for pointing it out.  Our principle photography did take place in 2005, with the film going through post during 2006.  A year is not an uncommon length of time for post on a feature film, particularly one with model work, blue screen, and other effects work to be done after principle photography ends.  We were fairly certain we would be going with Artistview and MTI for foreign and domestic distribution before we finished post, so there were no real with finding a home for the movie.

As for the helecopters, I don't want to give away too many secrets but those were, of course, miniatures.  Aquiring a real military helicopter for a shoot would not only be way too expensive, but require assistance from the military.    For some miniature shots we did change film stocks to get a tighter grain structure, perhaps that's somthing you're picking up on between shots.  If so, great eye.  For some establishing night shots we did have to do some day-for-night as well.  Perhaps you're noticing that in the trailer as well.  As for personel changes, I'm proud to say that of the many, many independent films I've worked on ours was one of the most strife free and pleasent.  No one fired, no stops in filming for disasters, didn't run out of anything, not even much in the way of overtime.  Hope that answers some questions for you.


So you're actually shooting with film?  It was hard to tell from the trailer, it looks like it (the trailer itself I mean) was sourced from video.  And I must say those were excellent miniature shots.  It was probably partly the relatively low quality of the trailer, but they're still very good.  I'm usually great at picking that sort of thing out, and didn't suspect it there.

That aside, the movie looks entertaining.  Based on the trailer alone, it's already better than Dead Life, at least.   :tongueout:

BTW, the poster art is fairly decent, but there's one thing I wish more releases would do...  Air brushed posters.  Just a small suggestion, as it makes it instantly stick out on the store shelfs and usually looks better than photoshopped stuff. 

A recent example is the cover of The Fallen Ones.

(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000A3XY6Y.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)

I just love the look and wish more releases would use it, especially with certain straight-to-video releases getting such AWFUL photoshopped covers.  I know local artists who could do a good airbrushed poster in a couple days for like $200.  You can just give them a print of the existing cover, tell him to airbrush it and make it look a bit cooler if he can.


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Kooshmeister on March 27, 2007, 02:46:21 AM
Is that a Billy Joel reference

*Gives you a cookie.* :)


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on March 28, 2007, 08:39:32 AM


So you're actually shooting with film?  It was hard to tell from the trailer, it looks like it (the trailer itself I mean) was sourced from video.  And I must say those were excellent miniature shots.  It was probably partly the relatively low quality of the trailer, but they're still very good.  I'm usually great at picking that sort of thing out, and didn't suspect it there.

That aside, the movie looks entertaining.  Based on the trailer alone, it's already better than Dead Life, at least.   :tongueout:

BTW, the poster art is fairly decent, but there's one thing I wish more releases would do...  Air brushed posters.  Just a small suggestion, as it makes it instantly stick out on the store shelfs and usually looks better than photoshopped stuff. 

A recent example is the cover of The Fallen Ones.

(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000A3XY6Y.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)

I just love the look and wish more releases would use it, especially with certain straight-to-video releases getting such AWFUL photoshopped covers.  I know local artists who could do a good airbrushed poster in a couple days for like $200.  You can just give them a print of the existing cover, tell him to airbrush it and make it look a bit cooler if he can.
[/quote]

We did indeed shoot on film.  I know there are a lot of economic benefits to the various video formats, but I'll fight to keep shooting film as long as possible.  It just looks better and, having worked with film cameras for the past seven years, I have enormous affection for the format.

Thanks for the complements on the miniatures.

As for you suggestions on the cover art, they're appreciated.  This may or may not surprise you, but I actually have very limited involvement with that decision.  It is an advertising tool and, as such, the various regional distributors have final say on how they market the film.  I did sign off on the American poster, which is the one you've seen.  I know they have slightly different cover art in Australia which I actually quite like.   


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Jim H on March 28, 2007, 01:40:29 PM
Quote
As for you suggestions on the cover art, they're appreciated.  This may or may not surprise you, but I actually have very limited involvement with that decision.  It is an advertising tool and, as such, the various regional distributors have final say on how they market the film.  I did sign off on the American poster, which is the one you've seen.  I know they have slightly different cover art in Australia which I actually quite like.   

I should have realized that.  Ah well.  Got a link to the Aussie poster?


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on April 04, 2007, 12:10:20 PM
You can see the Australian poster on any of the Australian equivilants to Netflix.  www.videoezy.com.au, and www.quickflix.com.au are two of them.


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on July 25, 2007, 11:48:15 PM
Hello folks,

It's been a while since I've been able to get on here and post, but I wanted to stop in and give you the newest Zombie Town news.  MTI Home Video has set our release date in the US for November 20th.  It'll be out in stores and on-line.  I hope you'll look out for us.

Between now and then I should be doing some promotional events.  I was at Flashback Weekend in Chicago a few days ago.  I'll let you all know as we hit conventions and festivals.

Thanks for all the interest,
Damon LeMay


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: CheezeFlixz on July 26, 2007, 12:41:26 AM
Your link in post 1 is now dead, at least I'm not getting anything.

Found it here ...

Zombie Town (http://www.artistviewent.com/Catalog/FilmLibrary.asp?txtQuickSearch_FilmTitle=%7B90D52DAE-D5E0-401C-B5A2-4EE57920E454%7D)


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: raj on July 26, 2007, 09:35:22 AM
Dang, I must have missed this thread the first time around.  The trailer looks good, I've seen some independent B-movies where the production qualities are, um, below Plan 9 standards.  This one looks very promising.

And karma for not doing a sock puppet viral marketing campaign.  I much prefer honest marketing.



Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on July 26, 2007, 11:17:39 AM
Sorry about the dead link.  Artist View Ent. changed their site and I didn't update it.  My bad.  The new link is:

http://www.artistviewent.com/Catalog/FilmLibrary.asp?txtQuickSearch_FilmTitle=%7B90D52DAE-D5E0-401C-B5A2-4EE57920E454%7D&txtQuickSearch_FilmGenre=%7BB3BC7187-E77C-4B7E-BEC2-3B6A496FDC62%7D

Thanks, and I hope you check it out.

Damon


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: ghouck on July 26, 2007, 06:24:36 PM
It looks like something I could get into. I'm definately going to give it a try.


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Mr_Vindictive on July 26, 2007, 06:34:21 PM
just viewed the trailer here on my work machine, albeit without any sound

looks like a pretty fun film.  you'll have to come back and post about it in November to remind us that it's coming out!


Title: Re: Zombie Town
Post by: Zombie Town on October 16, 2007, 11:58:18 AM
Hello,

I just wanted to stop in and give people some new Zombie Town news.  First, MTI Home Video has given the movie some new cover art which you can see over at www.edgewoodstudios.com (it's also my avatar). I'd love to know what people think of it.

Second, while the American release date remains November 20th, the film has now become available for preorder through a variety of sites, including amazon.com, for those who are extra eager.

Finally, I'll be down at ScreamFest Orlando this weekend, so if anyone is down in that area during the 19th-21st please stop in and say hello. It'd be great to meet some of the folks who've been so supportive thus far.



Thanks as always,

Damon LeMay