'Doomed' to success
They are classic stories, set in the heart of rural Saskatchewan: A young couple in love, friends spending time together on a quiet afternoon, small-town kids looking for a good time.
By The Leader-Post (Regina) - April 17, 2006 - Original Link
They are classic stories, set in the heart of rural Saskatchewan: A young couple in love, friends spending time together on a quiet afternoon, small-town kids looking for a good time.
And zombies. Lots of flesh-eating zombies.
That's Doomed, a short horror film set to premiere at the Kramer IMAX Theatre on Tuesday.
"They're relaxed, hanging out, being on the farm, and then -- zombies," says Lowell Dean, the film's writer, director and co-producer, explaining the plot of his short film.
The project was conceived less than a year ago, after Dean, an aspiring movie maker, decided he wanted to shoot a film that was set in Saskatchewan. After drafting a script, the film was shot over the course of four intense days in July, and then finished in February, after SaskFilm grants came through to pay for the costs associated with developing and editing the 16-mm footage.
Co-producer Erin Erlendson says the subject makes sense for Dean, who had previously shot a mock documentary video about a struggling filmmaker trying to make a zombie movie.
"I would say Lowell has an unhealthy fascination with zombies," she says. "It isn't the first zombie movie he's made and it won't be the last."
Dean agrees that's a fair assessment of his interests, and says there's something about zombies that makes good film fodder.
"Werewolves are an isolated thing," he says. "But with zombies, it's like, the end of the world. When you see one, there's always a lot more."
There's something especially scary about zombies in the Prairies, where, as Dean points out, "You can see them coming from a mile away, but you're still trapped. There's no escape."
Set primarily in Craven, but with scenes shot in White City and Regina Beach, Doomed has a cast of eight or nine principal characters, 20 to 30 zombies, and several other extras who lent their talents for "the massacre on the soccer field" scene.
Dean says he owes a lot to the talents of local special effects designer Emersen Ziffle, who transformed live actors into the decaying undead, and Saskatoon cinematographer George Hupka, who set his sights on the gruesome scenes.
The 14-minute film was made with a budget of about $19,000, using volunteer cast and crew members.
Dean and Erlendson say those who contributed to the film worked long days for little reward, and with simple motivations.
"They either love zombies or they love filmmaking," Dean says.
The film's public premiere kicks off at the IMAX at 7 p.m., and will be followed by a documentary about the making of the movie. Admission at the premiere is free.