NY Lottery "Nightmare," ShareBuilder.com "Control," Tabasco "Hurts So Good"

Click to watch NY Lottery "Nightmare"

Click to watch ShareBuilder.com "Control"

Click to watch Tabasco "Hurts So Good"

Credits (director, writer, DP, producer, etc.)

Director (ALL): Chris Akers
Writer (Sharebuilder): Dan Sorgen 
Writer (NY Lottery): Aron Fried
Writer (Tabasco): Andrew Lincoln
DP (ALL): John Orphan
Producer (ALL): Buffalo 8 Productions, Luke Taylor
Editor (ALL): Eric Gross
Production Designer (ALL): Wade Morrison
Hair/Makeup (ALL): Marina Coria 
PA (ALL): Allen Aceves 
1st AC (ALL): Jenna Hoffman 
2nd AC (ALL): Dominique Chen 
Steadicam Operator (Sharebuilder): Mike Nelson
Gaffer (ALL): Ovidio Jimenez 
Key Grip (ALL): Francisco Esparza 
Best Boy (ALL): Matt Arner 
Sound Recordist (Tabasco): Dennis Schweitzer 
Sound Recordist (Sharebuilder/Lottery): Luis Molgaard 
Sound Recordist (Lottery): Pete Orlanski 
Sound Mixer (ALL): Chris Parker
Colorist (ALL): Cody Cuellar (Lite Post)

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

These scripts are all based on character comedy. To me they are funny because they are grounded in reality. The concepts are not broad necessarily, just twists on seemingly simple and universal concepts that people can really relate to. 

What was the casting process like?

The casting process is always important, but for these spots it was especially tough because I was looking for very strong, specific actors who would need to carry each spot. The spots depended on actors who were grounded and could portray sincerity, humor, and confidence truthfully. The concepts and the situations were funny and I needed actors who would not be too broad and allow the situation around them to deliver the comedy. Finding the right actors was difficult, but I exhausted all possible avenues (posted breakdowns on numerous casting sites) and even went through my entire network of acting friends to see who might be right for the spots. It took me many phone calls, meetings, and 2 full casting days to find the right people, and even then I didn’t find one of the actors to the very last slot on the last day. 

How did you search for/lock a location?

Anytime you do something on spec, finding the right location is probably the most difficult thing to lock down. For me especially, it was near impossible. I was shooting 3 spots over 3 days, so besides having to find all the locations that would be perfect for each spot, I had to find locations that could be scheduled and used efficiently within those 3 days. In order to get all the spots done in that amount of time, we had to find 1 location that could work for 2 of the spots. And we had to do all of this on a budget, which made it that much more challenging, because really good locations can cost money, so we really needed to be smart about the order we shot things and the days we scheduled actors, because all of that can easily hurt your budget. 

How did you select your DP, crew?

I took a lot of time finding the right key crew. First was finding the right scripts from the right writers, and Spec Bank was a huge help with that. In narrowing down scripts, I was able to really focus in on ones that would serve my voice, as well as be relatively logistically easy to shoot (no big stunts or crowds etc.). I found John, the DP, through my friends. He shot something that a friend of mine was in and I loved the look and his comedic storytelling ability. And he is very experienced in the commercial world, which was very important to me. I also sought out a strong producing partner, someone who could bring solid, experienced crew, but was willing to do so on a budget. I actually put out an ad on Mandy.com which helped me clarify what I was looking for an gave me a lot of choices. Luke and the guys at Buffalo 8 were a great find. They are hungry and constantly looking to grow their business and do interesting projects so we just hit it off right away. From there, Buffalo 8 sourced most of the rest of the crew from people they’ve worked with in the past. 

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

I believe very strongly in preparation. Doing the work before hand allows the shoot day to be the easiest part of production. Yes, of course, there are always challenges on set, but if you’ve done the right work before hand, those challenges are almost exclusively about how best to achieve a shot, or how best to serve the script. And you’re free to really attack those challenges with a clear and creative mind. You don’t want to be worried about anything else on set. And as I mentioned earlier, we had a very limited window to work, and we had to be very efficient and focused. Because we all put in a lot of good work before hand, and I had great people around me who were all supporting the shoot and working hard, we had a very smooth 3 days. 

Tell us about editing and finishing.

It was very important to me to finish this commercial as professionally as possible, I really wanted to send it through a high level post-production process, just like a regular network commercial. Yes, I could probably save some money if I edited, sound mixed, and colored them all, but there are really talented people who do those things for a living, and are really good at them. So why not let them bring their expertise to my project. Commercials are nothing if not extremely collaborative, and good post-production people can really bring out the best in a spot. I followed a similar process as I did when finding key crew and casting: I exhausted my personal network and professional job posts all while looking for that magic combination of experience and hunger. I was lucky enough to find Eric who is an extremely talented comedy editor, and John (DP) recommended Cody (Colorist) while Chris (sound mixer) was a Buffalo 8 recommendation.  

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

Yes. Always. It’s called “learning”, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Pedigree "Alone"

Click here to watch. 

Credits

Writer - Alexander Valyukh

Director - Bennett Johnson

DP - Sacha Glastra Van Loon

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

Concept is always key when building your commercial reel and the quality of the script was the main factor.  It had a clear punch line and structure.  I have mainly worked in the storytelling space/beautiful images but this spec helped broaden my portfolio showing that I wasn't pigeonholed to just those niches.

What was the casting process like?

The casting process was relatively indie.  My brother and girlfriend have both been trained as thespians and their looks were right for the vision.

How did you select your DP, crew?

I had a mutual friend with the DP and we were put in touch to make this ad as he is also interested in building his commercial reel.  He did a great job; it's lit beautifully and cleanly.  Sacha is currently at Met film school and brought some of his friends and collaborators to work as crew.  

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

Shooting went fine.  The only struggle was the timing we had in the supermarket.  We underestimated how long it would take to set-up and just got our takes before we were chucked out!

Tell us about editing and finishing.

I edited and graded the piece as I have some background in post-production.  We shot the ad on a 5d mkiii and were going to shoot with ML RAW capabilities.  However, as you can't playback with ML we just decided on using the standard video settings and applied the beautiful CINEMA picture style which enhances the cinematic quality of the camera. Lastly in the grade I used FILMCONVERT to give that added quality to the image which I think turned out well.

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

In retrospect I would have maybe edited to dog sequence running around the house a bit quicker and had him doing more activities. As an editor I have always aimed to shoot for the edit but getting some more coverage if you have the time is a must.

Smirnoff "Neighbors"

Credits:

Production Company: 5ive By 5ive Studios, LLC

Cast:

Nerdy Girl: Dana Chapman

Cool Girl: Katie Peterson

Female Wrestler: Jessica Pike

Student #1: William Sterling

Student #2: Jason Rosenwatch

Student #3: Jason Sensation

Crew:

Director | Editor: Richard J. Lee

Executive Producer: Richard J. Lee

Producers: Jeannine Sturtevant, Stacey Crawford, Felicia Davis

Copywriter: Eric Hansen

First Assistant Director: Kevin Brennecke

Second Assistant Director: Dedric Washington

Cinematographer: Alex J. Rodriguez

First Assistant Camera: Michael Blue

Second Assistant Camera: Chris Miller

Gaffer: Joffrey Mason

Best Girl: Michelle Erdman

Electric: Christopher Lamb

Key Grip: Craig Massie

Grip: Jeremiah Magan

G&E Swing: Matthew Perry, Joey Schmitz

Production Designer: Rebekah Barr

Art Director: James Barr

Art Production Assistant: Denny Greene, Shelley Starrett

Production Sound: Kile Stumbo

Script Supervisor: Kristin Rapinchuk

Hair | Make Up Artist: Kristi Hesselberg

Hair | Make Up Assistant : Sarah Morales

Costume Designer: Maranda Nichols

Still Photographer | Craft Service: Claire Scarisbrick

Driver: Tom Cliff

Production Assistants: Ivon Millan, Frederick Alfonso, Philip Reese, Ronald Gray, Zach Perry, Rupali Wilson, Mike Budd

Post Production Sound Design: Henry Correa

Color Correction: Alex J. Rodriguez

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

Eric Hansen, the Copywriter, created a very funny script where it dealt with perceptions and inhibitions.  When I was looking for a project to work on, I knew it was for me.  It had all the attributes that I was looking for: comedy, a little sexy/flirty, and a lot of outrageous.  While visualizing and also in pre-production, I dug how I was finding way to heighten the reality and just go all out on everything.  As a director, I want to try to make every frame visually interesting while making the audience laugh and sometimes, for a moment, go WTF.  When you get bombarded with 15 to 20+ commercials in an hour, I think that is a way to be memorable.

What was the casting process like?

Casting for this project went in three phases, we had a general casting call posting on Breakdown Services and LA Casting for our two leads.  After well over 1000 submissions, we narrowed down to the top 40 and had video submissions.  From those video submissions we were able to choose the ladies for call backs.  We casted the Cool Girl, Katie Peterson first.  She fit the role perfectly and has an amazing comedic timing.  The hiccup was we were not able to find that right combination or sultry and nerdy for the Nerdy Girl.  One of our producers, Felicia Davis, contacted some agents and there were able to direct us to Dana Chapman, who blew us away with her screen test.  The final phase was finding the three male students, the female wrestler and background, which was done once again through Breakdown Services, LA Casting and we added in Model Mayhem.

How did you search for/lock a location?

We were on a three month long location scout.  Shooting in Los Angeles, the one thing I knew was I did not want it to look like Los Angeles.  LA complexes generally have a bland white medical lifeless look and feel to them.  I wanted a Chicago or New York City vibe, two toned, sconces, pillars, and in general craftsmanship.  I wanted the location be a character in itself and make the audience wonder what other crazy things have the nooks and crannies of these walls seen over the years.  

We contacted multiple apartments, hotels, and condos, but nothing had the look or feel that I wanted.  In the end we probably looking at over 100 locations when we decided the best course would be contacting and visiting standing sets around Hollywood.  One week before beginning of production, our bet paid off and we found our location at the Herald Examiner in Downtown Los Angeles

How did you select your DP, crew?

Minus three projects, Alex J. Rodriguez has been my Cinematographer for the past nine years.  His attention to detail is incredible and because of working together for so long, we have developed a shorthand that saves us infinite amounts of time.  As for the rest of the crew, they have been people I have worked with one way or another over the past years and I have been able to see first hand the talent and creativity they graciously bring every time to every project.

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

Minus running behind slightly because of technical difficulties beyond our control, this was one of the smoothest running sets I have been a part of.  

Tell us about editing and finishing.

Editorial process with quick and easy.  We had storyboards and script notes that helped making the choices in best that much more easier.  We cut the project in 4K and the timeline was editorial for 1 1/2 weeks, A day of V.O. Recording, and two days of Sound Design done remotely.  Color Correction was a single 12 hour session.

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

Had more Red Bull on set.  LoL.  No, the thing I would have done differently would be in pre-production with the location scouting.  I wish I had trusted my gut and looked at sound stages first.  It would have saved us months of looking at locations that I knew in my gut would not work, all in the sake of trying to save money.  Now with that statement, I am not saying just to spend and waste money, but sometimes, you have to weigh the value of your time versus how much you are going to save and figure out for yourself if it is worth it.

Any other thoughts.

The one key wisdom I would part with is always, Always, ALWAYS, have a tech/pre-rig day.  Yes, it is an added cost, but having a day were the crew can pre-rig lights, where camera can run tests, run blocking and solve problems, is invaluable.  One might argue that you don’t have the time for that luxury or that you don’t need it.  Well, make the time.  And yes, you do need it.  Everyone does.  The tech/pre-rig day allows you as a director to experiment, lets your cinematographer paint his light canvas and ultimately increase the quality that will be put up on screen and impress the client and agency that will hire you the next time.

Personal Website: http://www.richardjlee.com

IMDb:  http://www.imdb.me/richardlee

Technical Details:

Aspect Ratio:  4K Digital Capture

Camera:  Sony F55 CineAlta Camera

Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Prime

Dolly Provided By: Chapman-Leonard

Post Workflow:  Adobe Premiere CC | Speedgrade CC

Powerball "Machine"

Click to watch.

Credits

Director: Ryan Patrick

Producer: Brynne Copping

DP: Jeff Bierman

Copywriter: Carlos Wigle

Lead Scientist: Dink O'Neal

Millionaire: Logan Pietz

Scientists: Poonam Basu, Alfred Rubin Thompson, Gerold Wunstel, Justin Joseph

Gaffer: Brice Bradley

Production Designer: Elizabeth Burbach

Editor: Chris Amos @ Final Cut LA

Colorist: Tyler Roth @ Company3 Chicago

Sound Mix: Alex Reeves @ Point of Blue LA

VFX: Tanner Merrill

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

I love quirky storytelling, especially narratives where you can get in there and design the environment. A lot of spots and music videos land in the desaturated, fly-on-the-wall realm these days, but I get excited about creating little, unique story worlds. Directors like Dougal Wilson, Patrick Daughters and Andreas Nilsson do the kind of work I look up to. So hopefully I can get to their level one day.

What was the casting process like?

We spent just one day casting all the roles. Dink (the lead scientist) and Logan (the millionaire) both were immediate standouts for me. From there, it was finding actors to fill the supporting roles. A lot of it was trying to make it a bit unconventional. Take Alfred, the scientist who pulls the power switch. He's an amazing actor who's been on a ton of TV shows. But he's always cast as the security guard or tough guy. But he totally works here as a scientist, a role I don't think he's ever played. I love thinking of him as the union scientist who's fed up with his switch pulling gig.

How did you search for/lock a location?

In my treatment, I was originally looking for a Cape Cod-esque house. When when I started searching, I just couldn't find anything that fit into the location budget. So I got with a location scout and he showed me some options that had a more modern look. When I saw the one we ended up shooting at, it really felt like it had a balance between a laboratory and a home, which I think fits with the concept. From there, I worked with the production designer to not only bring it lab equipment that felt as clean as the space but also wanted to make sure we added touches of home to the environment – pillows, blankets, etc. Just to make it feel slightly less sterile.

How did you select your DP and crew?

Jeff Bierman shot the spot. I first heard his name after he shot a short my friend was doing with Shane Carruth. When I saw the footage from that, it looked great, so I made a note of his name and just kept his work in the back of my head. When we were prepping the spot at a production company's offices, I bumped into him by accident while he too was prepping another job. And from there, he jumped onboard.

Brynne Copping, the producer, has been a friend of him for a few years now. We used to work at a production company together but have always kept in touch. She produced one of my music videos in the past and it was just a natural fit for something like this. She now produces for Humble.

And lastly, I have to give a hand to Elizabeth Burbach, the production designer. I could not have done this without her and she worked her ass off to make this look amazing. I met her through another production designer that I did a job with last year. And since the Lotto shoot, we did another music video for Atlantic Records which will be out soon.

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

Shooting went fantastic and we didn't hit any bumps in the road. The challenge is all in the preparation.Once we got to set, I knew it was time to have some fun and experiment. Because I was a little nervous about getting timing right, I ended up shooting a version with and without the whip pans. But thankfully, the whip pans worked out great.

Tell us about editing and finishing?

My editor came to set and tapped into the monitor so he could record a live feed and do an on-set edit. By the time we were finished shooting, we had a rough cut going. This helped a ton with timing and making sure we were hitting that 30 second sweet spot. For the ending line, we shot a ton of different options. Instead of Bieber, I grabbed everything from Waterworld to Beanie Babies to just an embarrassing situation. We showed it to a handful of people and it was soon clear that the Biebs was the most universally recognized.

After that, we composited in some effects onto our computer screens and sent it off to Chicago for a color pass at Company3.

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

I think I would have pushed myself to get more options from the actors. When you have a full day to shoot a 30 second spot, there's no reason not to try a billion different ways to deliver a line. While we definitely had a handful, I would have pushed myself (and the actors) a bit more. I feel like great comedy is often about playing the opposite. If you're playing a lumberjack, try it soft and sweet.  Make that question a statement. And so on. The spot came out great – but I find myself wondering where it could have gone if we played around more. But that's probably what I'll always be wondering.

Any other thoughts?

Just excited to make more! 

Las Vegas "Shoulda Been Me"

Click here to watch. 

Credits: 

Director: Russell Perry

Writers: Jedd Levine, Vaughn Blake

DP: Fred Miller

Producer: Russell Perry

Gaffer/PA: Ian Leith

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

This was one of the Spec Bank scripts I read that I immediately envisioned how it would look.

What was the casting process like?

I had recently edited a TV show that cast some local actors. I contacted a few of them, and chose one for the secondary character. For the lead I contacted a local casting agency who send   me some submissions. I was really happy with both actors which was critical since this spot needed strong performances.

How did you search for/lock a location?

In an effort to save money I just shot it in my apartment that I share with my fiancee Danielle and our cat Quita. 

How did you select your DP, crew?

I contacted a DP I had worked with recently, he was booked but he referred me to Fred Miller. He and I met and discussed the look of the spot and equipment. And I asked my friend Ian Leith to help out with as crew. I’ve known him for years and worked with him before. Since it was just 1 location I felt like I didn’t need a lot of people.

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

The shooting went great. The only thing is to make sure you have enough coverage. But I’m happy with the final result. I think it turned out great.

Tell us about editing and finishing.

Being an editor for 7 years I edited it myself. I was in communication with the writer of the spot. I shot and edited an alternate version, but we ultimately went with his original idea.

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

I probably would have asked 1 or maybe 2 more people to help out on crew. But everything worked out fine.

Any other thoughts.

I think the Spec Bank is a great way for people like me to build their reels. I look forward to shooting more!

Dodge Dart "High Speed"

Click here to watch. 

Credits:

Director: Matt Devino
Producer: Francoise Saint-Pierre
Production Co: Snackhaus

Mr. Fisher: Alain Azoulay
Guy: Erik Duchesne
Girl: Wendie Weldon

Executive Producer: Emile Hanton
Copywriter: Alan McCoy
DP: Darrin P Nim
1st AC: Kevin Hughes
Sound Design: Steve Devino
1st AD: Neil Arnote
Makeup Artist: Marley Gonzales
VO: Erik Duchesne
PA: Jake Torossian, Jeffrey Sicile, Simone Silva

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a
commercial director?

I chose the "High Speed" script for a few reasons. It grabbed my attention immediately, and it was a great concept that included a kind of quirky comedy that I'm drawn to. My favorite kinds of commercials use comedy in a way that makes you think "what the heck is going on here" and then you laugh about it, like the Old Spice spots or the recent Skittles spots. I also liked that it was a car commercial, and for some reason I've done a lot of work with cars and other vehicles in my directing career already so I had experience with that. That last thing that I liked was that it was simple yet compelling, just one location and a few driving shots, so I felt achievable on a tiny budget.

What was the casting process like?

The casting process was great, we used Cazt in Los Angeles and had a fairly big turn out. It's a really cool service where they give you casting space for free and film each audition which is automatically uploaded to their server for you to watch later. All you have to do in return is give written feedback on each actor's audition. In the end I had to make some hard choices between some really good actors, but I think my cast for this spot was great and they all played really well off of each other.

How did you search for/lock a location?

Getting a location for this spot was fairly easy. There's only the one conference room location, so we used the office building that my Dad works in and were able to get it for free. Living in LA there's a few obvious choices for locations when shooting vehicles, and the canyons that run between the PCH and the Valley are what we went with. The winding roads and beautiful back drops really helped add a dynamic feel to the car footage.

How did you select your DP, crew?

My crew mostly consisted of friends I've met over the years working in the film industry in LA, everyone donated their time on this and I couldn't thank them enough. My DP, Darrin P. Nim is a friend who I've known for a while but never had the chance to work with before. I'd always really liked his work, especially a recent music video he DP'd for Alkaline Trio featuring Milla Jovovich. My producer Frankie Saint-Pierre was actually interning with the production company Snackhaus that I do a lot of work with. She'd been interested in producing so I brought her on as a learning experience for her and she did a great job. My Dad did the sound recording and post sound work, he works in the music industry full time, but it's fun to work with him on projects like this. Everyone else from my 1st AD to AC's were friends of mine or other people on the crew, and we got a few PA's and Hair & Makeup off of craigslist.

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

Shooting went pretty well overall. The office stuff was just about running the scene enough times to get some funny reactions from everyone that worked together. The piece of paper hitting the Mr. Fisher character in the face was a complete accident, but he didn't break character and it worked out great in the final spot. The biggest challenges revolved around the car itself. My DP originally rigged Kino bulbs along the sides of the ceiling of the car for the dialogue shots, but because we were forced to mount the camera on the hood of the car we saw the bulbs in the frame. We ended up having to lose those and go with a much smaller Kino in the center of the ceiling near the dome lights. This only provided light for our actress Wendie, so when we did the car to car stuff we had to drive around running the scene over and over until we got a good take with the right amount of natural light on our two male actors in the front seats. The other challenge was getting the beauty shots of the car, normally you'd want a russian arm for that sort of thing but that was way out of my budget. We settled for shooting out of the back hatch of an SUV with the camera on a tripod. It sounds like it shouldn't work but we were able to get quite a lot of good shots, way more than what made it into the spot.

Tell us about editing and finishing.

Editing was interesting on this one. I was an editor full time for quite a few years before moving into directing, so I still like to edit my own projects. We shot the spot on the Canon 5D Mark III using the Magic Lantern hack so we could shoot Raw video. The picture quality is amazing, it's similar to a RED camera for a fraction of the cost. Where you pay for that is in post. Right now there isn't any editing software that supports the files it creates natively, so getting every shot processed and into an editable quicktime format adds a ton of work. There's a great article that explains the whole process here - http://nofilmschool.com/2013/09/tutorial-canon-5d-mark-iii-magic-lantern-raw-offline-online/ Once I got a handle on the workflow it was editing as normal. 

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

I can't really say I would have done anything differently on this spot. If we had a budget for some bigger and better equipment I would have done things differently, but that wasn't the case. We used what we had and made something I'm really happy with. With the right crew of talented people and some creativity you can make something good without a huge budget, you've just got to have the motivation to do it.

"Brides VS Zombies"

Click here to watch.

Credits:

Director: Laura Somers

Director of Photography: Erik Forssell

Brides: Tricia Pierce, Tunisia Hardison, Claudia Perea, Michelle Halterman, Lorren Cotton

Zombies: Popeye V, Cole Taylor, Larry Herron, Patrick Herncamp, Robert Bravo

Zombie Makeup:  Robert Bravo

Why this script/concept? How does it reflect your vision as a commercial director?

I picked this script because I LOVE ZOMBIES!   Well, all horror, actually, and I’ve never gotten the chance to direct anything of that genre.   Also, the concept is hilarious – having been in many weddings I can tell you angry brides fighting zombies would be a tough call.   

As for my vision as a commercial director, I just like creating offbeat worlds with a sense of humor and I thought this really fit the bill.

What was the casting process like?

Casting was easy on this one.  I direct for a web-based sketch comedy group, and called on all the actors I work with to come down and do the spec.   They loved the idea of a girls vs. guy thing. 

How did you search for/lock a location?

I found the zombie alleyway through a search on craigslist.  This was the back of a tiling store in Van Nuys that rented itself out to indie filmmakers for a good price.  They loved having zombies on their property and even asked for a group photo.  You gotta love property owners like that.

For the brides, I picked Newport Beach because it had an iconic pier that a lot of wedding photographers use for their backgrounds.  I thought it would be a great way to unconsciously sell the brides being on the beach, because it was the type of location that people often think of for weddings.  We contacted the City to find out about permits, and they said since it was such a small group we could get away without one.  Nobody bothered us, and we showed up at dawn for the shots.  But boy, that beach filled up with people quickly!

The third location is my home.  That’s mine and my husband’s arms fighting over the remote at the end.  That’s the closest I’ll ever get to convincing him to be on camera.

How did you select your DP, crew?

Erik Forssell the DP is always my go-to guy.  He’s extremely talented and loves to have a good time on set.   He brought along a couple of his friends to help out with grip and second camera.  We’re all just people who like to shoot stuff as much as possible.   I own a handheld audio recorder and got wild audio for the zombies and brides at the end of the shoot.

I’ve been doing all the costumes and art direction for my specs.  I don’t like to work alone, but it helps keep costs down.  I distressed the zombie costumes with a hand-held sandbelt and some coffee grounds, tea bags and mud.   It was a blast!

How did shooting go? Any challenges?

Shooting went relatively smooth on this spot.  I think the biggest challenge was that the all of zombies’s prosthetics kept falling off.  Those poor guys had to hold their heads at weird and uncomfortable angles to keep their makeup on.  I think it helped them get into character.

Tell us about editing and finishing.

For the edit - it was all about the music for me – I let the pacing be dictated by the two compositions I used.  I knew at what point in the story I wanted the action music to ramp up, so everything that came before that cue was about keeping the story moving forward.

I worked with an excellent post team who was able to do some magic on the shots – the colorist brightened up the dark beach skies and made the color tones match the zombies.   Another colorist was able to smooth out the shot of the pull back from the television – it was a little bumpy and steppy.  I think they added some extra frames.  It’s really nice looking now.

In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?

I had originally wanted to shoot the brides in a botanical garden but I didn’t want to spend the money – it was crazy expensive.  But in retrospect, I wish I had.  I was disappointed with the beach, because the sky was gray and ugly when we shot it. I forget that you’ve got the marine layer out here in California in the early mornings pretty much without fail.  Or maybe we should have shot at sunset – but then we’d have a huge crowd of people behind us.  Fortunately the colorist was able to help out a bit and give it some life.  Plus the girls are so colorful in their dresses that it makes the shot pop.