FANGORIA's International Contributor Penny B. Dreadful returns with a look at the grassroots effort to bring a new breed of UK Zombie film to the big screen...British filmmaker Antony Lane is taking 'independent' filmmaking in a very literal way, by attempting to independently raise a minimum of £100,000 (approximately US$225,000) through donations over the internet. INVASION OF THE NOT QUITE DEAD already has the backing of some of horror's most iconic names (Ken Russell, Kevin Pollak, Tom Savini and Leslie Simpson among others). Things are off to a good start for Lane with a spot in a BBC documentary; a Guinness World Record attempt at a zombie gathering; and legions of ravenous fans already under his belt. We talk to Lane about his unique approach to filmmaking.
Your first feature film, 'Invasion of the NOT QUITE Dead' is tipped to be one of the most anticipated horror movies of 2010. How do you deal with this kind of pressure?
As any filmmaker will know, the real pressure comes from writing the script. Now that's done, it should be smooth sailing from here. Haha, yeah right! To be honest, I am trying not to think about how much of a cult following this film has, as it scares the hell out of me. I am just a UK filmmaker that has managed to tap into something that has excited the fans. The real pressure comes from trying to attempt something new and unique; I don't want to piss off the Zombie community if I make a boo boo.
You have gained a lot of support from some very well known and iconic names in horror (Ken Russell, Kevin Pollak, Tom Savini, David Hess, Leslie Simpson, Lloyd Kaufman, James Gunn, Ezra Buzzington... the list goes on) without shooting a single frame of your first feature. Why do you think that is?
One of the things I have found, is that there are a lot of filmmakers that support Independent Cinema and when a scruffy looking English lad says, "hey guys, I want to make something different and fund it differently", all of a sudden you have their undivided attention.
When I approached Ken Russell in 2007 to support the movie project, I asked him for some advice. He told me that when you make a big studio film, you can expect to find about 10-20 people all with different views and ideas, and all wanting to make a different movie. He went on to tell me that he lost a lot of control on some of his bigger studio films, so he kind of warned me about the bad side to the industry. So, luckily for me Ken is a real supporter of Independent Cinema; he jumped at the chance of supporting me and my project, especially when he found out that I planned on raising the budget myself and would keep creative control of my Zombie franchise. Believe it or not ,Ken is actually a big fan of Zombie movies. He told me his favourite was '28 Days Later' - Although to me, it's technically "not quite" a real zombie movie... but that's a debate for another time.
The same goes for all of the big names I have approached. They can see that I have a distinct vision for my franchise and they support my ambition to make it happen independently... I think when someone thinks out of the box and attempts something new and dares to take a chance, you will find that they become something of a folklore. I seem to be some kind of hero to the Independents.
You're taking a unique approach to zombies. Can you give us a clue as to what we can expect?
I got asked this question during a newspaper interview yesterday and realized that it is very hard to sell my film idea without giving away my main twist. I guess "frustrating" is the word; all I can really say is that I have taken things from some of my all time favourite horror films and have centred my story around a Zombie epidemic unlike any other. Lets just say that the people in my film won't be able to sleep again... That right there is a huge clue... I have already said too much.
Why zombies (lovable as they are)? What do you think it is about zombies that is so popular and has stayed 'fresh' through the decades?
I think the Zombie genre was established so well by Romero, that it takes a hell of a lot to make it fresh and make it work. Let's take for example 'Return Of The Living Dead'; that movie took a different spin on the genre and it worked. The same goes for 'Shaun Of The Dead': Spoofing the genre but at the same time, making it scary, made big business and led to a huge fan base. Even the '28 Days Later' franchise is booming with new fans. So it can be done, and I am hoping that there is room for one more Zombie movie success story. I have to say that the latest craze of making fast zombies has ruined the franchise a bit. To me, a Zombie is scarier when slower. The idea of letting your guard down just for one second, is the real horror. And the latest Hollywood Zombie movies rely on fast Zombies running, grabbing and eating the flesh at an unbelievable rate. 'Bring back the slow zombie' is my campaign.
What films influenced you when writing 'Invasion...'?
That's a great question. I think it's hard to write scenes and not be influenced by other horror films. When I began writing 'Invasion...' I would think about what has made my favourite films so enjoyable; what makes them classics. I am hoping that it's those elements that I have managed to get out there in my script.
One of the main influences has to be 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers', I love the "small rural town dealing with a crisis" scenario. Other films that pushed my buttons over the years have included the original 'Dawn Of The Dead'; 'Gremlins'; 'Return Of The Living Dead'; '28 Weeks Later'; 'The Thing' and 'An American Werewolf In London'. I have taken elements from all my favourite horror movies and tried to subtly include them in 'Invasion Of The NOT QUITE Dead, so it should make the movie trivia people excited.
Are you 'anti' Hollywood? Why not make this movie by conventional means, through studio backing? What's the difference?
I would never say that I am "anti" Hollywood, but at the same time, I have read a lot of bad things about studio funded movies. Sam Raimi commented on how little control he had on his first mainstream movie, 'The Quick and The Dead'. He said that the lead actor Gene Hackman had more of a say than he did; so creative control is something a filmmaker fights for right the way through, and that has been my biggest fear since starting this project. I have no problem working with people to make it better, but to risk them saying, "we love your characters, but change the story"? HELL NO... So for now keeping 'Invasion...' independent is the best way of making sure that the film turns out the way I have envisaged it.
You're an entrepreneur and you're using an innovative business model in raising funds for this film. These days, is it necessary to have those qualities as a writer/director in the business of filmmaking?
I think a real Film Producer is someone who writes/produces/directs and raises the capital themselves. Someone who puts blood, sweat and tears into a production. To me the term "film producer" is used very lightly these days. I am a big fan of people like John Carpenter, George Romero and Wes Craven who really pushed the boat out to get their movies produced and released. Those are the real heroes of the filmmaking world.
You've recognised the internet as a powerful tool in fundraising, sourcing talent, generating interest... In what ways are you connecting with people to get them interested? What was your motivation to use the internet in the way that you are?
During my last year of university, I noticed how well 'The Blair Witch Project' did because of their internet marketing skills. I wondered if it could possibly work to create a buzz even before a script had been written. So in 2007, I launched 'Phase 1' of the Indywood Project. The idea was to use the site as a way of raising awareness and asking if there were any Hollywood filmmakers that would come on board to help make my film a reality. To my surprise we had a whole Hollywood crew contact me, most of which had blockbuster movie credits to their name. Then, well known celebrities began contacting me for a role and before I knew it, we were being advertised on Europe's largest online DVD rental store as a future release.
I think the internet can attract a huge fan base just from a short synopsis and movie poster alone; thats how the buzz began with my movie, and before I knew it, word had spread across the 'net that there was a "new" and "unique" Zombie movie in the making.
I have recently come across Twitter, a networking site that lets you give out small updates in real time. Within a week of joining, 2 000 people began following my film-funding journey. They have been sending me video messages of support as well as adding the project to their websites. I think once you can attract a fan base, they will do the hard work in spreading the word.
Filmmaking is a highly collaborative endeavour and the finished product never truly belongs to one person. Do you think that the people who donate funds to 'Invasion...' will feel a sense of pride and ownership too? How are you intending on ensuring that people are happy with how their money's been used?
My fundraising project is relying on the fans to make it happen; so I hope that they do feel pride in the film being made, because without their money and support, it wouldn't even be on the horizon. The same goes for the cast and crew; this isn't just "an AD LANE film", it's an INDYWOOD film; a collaboration of the horror industry's most dedicated fellowship coming together to help me make my dream a reality.
I have tried my best to offer people different packages, so that they feel as though they are not just donating to the project, but getting something in the here and now. For example for £10 (roughly US$15) they get a Zombie photo makeover - the only place on the 'net that they can get this done digitally. For £20 (approximately US$30) they can pre-order the Limited Edition DVD, with the benefits of receiving merchandise from the film as well as being invited to play a small extra role if they live in and around the UK. We are also looking for businesses to sponsor the movie; they can advertise on the website which is already receiving thousands of hits per day. We will even be looking at offering product placement.
Do you think fans will accept product placement within the film?
The fans should be aware that I won't be accepting any product placement offers that will take their eye off what is happening in the story-line. I personally hate it when someone is holding a Pepsi can, or pulling into a McDonald's drive through; so they should rest assured that I will only be offering it to companies that don't mind their product sitting in the background... the word "subtlety" comes to mind. I think the fans would prefer this movie be made right and through any alternative funding ideas, rather than for us to sell out and have a studio take it over and make another regular "Hollywood Zombie Movie", with the same formula, same characters, same blah blah blah... Hopefully they will trust my judgement on this one.
You're offering the opportunity for fans to donate £20, to be zombie extras in 'Invasion...'. How are you expecting them to respond?
The fans seem to love the idea of becoming a Zombie for this movie. I am hoping it will be talked about, like when fans went down to film the zombie scenes in the original 'Dawn Of The Dead'. I hope this opportunity will keep fans talking for years to come about their day on the set of 'Invasion Of The NOT QUITE Dead'. We are also offering the fans a chance to get their name on the IMDB as a producer, this is also attracting a lot of attention.
How do you define 'success' in regards to 'Invasion...'?
My definition of success would be completing the movie and giving it a theatrical release, anything below that is just a work in progress...
In recent times, musicians/bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys have used the internet to sell records (a similar approach to what you're doing), with mixed results. Do you think that film, or more specifically the horror/zombie genre has a better chance at making money using this method?
I think it does to be honest, because the Zombie Horror genre has such a huge mass following on the internet, it means that you can instantly attract a large number of supporters, like my trusty followers on Twitter. I know there has been a lot of various attempts at fundraising over the years, mainly in the States; most of which have been unsuccessful. But what I have in my favour is a film that has some big names supporting it and we have a very unique fund raising campaign. So I am hoping that this type of fundraising will attract other filmmakers here in the UK to take more chances to then make the kind of films that should get made, but don't because the studios think they're too risky.
Pending your success in raising the required funds to make this film, would you say that this project could be revolutionary for independent filmmaking? Would you encourage other independent filmmakers to use a similar method in fundraising?
I am very confident that this project will be successful in raising the films budget. Within 5 days of launching the site, we have made £1630 from sponsorship and selling pre-orders; so it shows that there is already a lot of support at hand, even in the first week.
We are proud to already have two big companies on board to help us get this project off the ground. They are starsinmyeyes.tv and Bromley Mytime.
What will be the most important asset/ingredient in making your film a success?
I think right now the biggest ingredient is raising the £100,000 budget. I want it to look and sound like a proper Hollywood production.
You're still to cast some principal roles as well as gather the rest of your crew. Can fans audition/apply?
I am actually setting up a part of the fundraising site that allows people to send in to me their audition tapes, we will of course be doing live auditions in the coming months, so we welcome any one to come on down and show us their talent.
Tell us what your favourite zombie film is and why?
All time favourite horror movie has to be the original 'Dawn Of The Dead', It's one I can just watch over and over again, I have a lot to thank Mr Romero for, in regards to the inspiration that has come from his original trilogy; the 'Dead' movies. When you watch that movie ['Dawn of the Dead'], you can tell that there was only one mind in control of the vision.
And lastly, this film sounds awesome... Can I have a role?
Of course you can, just line up for 6 hours at our next audition date here in the UK! Haha, you think I'm kidding...
Thanks for your time, Antony, and best of luck with your film!
Thank you for asking me questions that I have a 50% chance of getting right, wait did I get any right? haha
If you would like to contribute money to 'Invasion of the NOT QUITE Dead', please visit http://www.theindywoodproject.com
If you're on Twitter, you can follow Antony at http://twitter.com/IndywoodFILMS
Comments (4)
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|2009-08-29 11:26:04 michael furie
the more i read about this, the more excited i get about it. i'm a zombie nut, and love it when people find ways of bringing fresh ideas to the screen. i'm spreading the word about it to all my undead lovin friends!
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|2009-08-23 14:50:32 Richard Neal
great article and great project! Needs some space in a future edition of Fangoria.
For those interested and haven't done so, take out a producer package and get involved.
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