Episode Three - Retrospective
My original design was to write a retrospective on the production of episode three, but as its conclusion coincides with the end of the year, it seems more appropriate to reflect here upon all that was Night Zero in 2009. I’ll try to avoid re-hashing too many of the specifics that I’ve already covered in posts throughout the year, and instead try and remain reflective of the experiences themselves… but no promises.
The year started right off with Jezebel, our first vignette, with three brand-new cast members and an ambitious shoot schedule. It was a learning experience about freezing temperatures, confined spaces, wonky costumes, and wow it was a blast. Even though episode two hadn’t begun online yet, we had already trumped the best of its shoots (thus far), and that’s really what would come to define the next twelve months. If 2008 was the year of “what the hell are we doing?”, then 2009 would be the year of “how can we do this better?”
When I think back on what it was to create Jezebel, the thing that stands out strongest in my mind is the trio of Sidney, Meagan, and Graham, who together made the piece everything that it is. The energy and enthusiasm they all shared, in spite of (or necessitated by) the numbing coldness and awkward, cramped quarters; the power of the emotional expressions they each brought without any rehearsals and barely a week with the script; and the genuine connection they had on set and on camera. My favorite aspect of Jezebel was the opportunity to work with the three of them, and the collective body of Night Zero is all the stronger because of them.
The benchmark set by Jezebel was readily met by our first serial shoot of the year, Yevgeniy’s house, in the beginning of February. This shoot brings to mind a sense of confidence, as though we were finally getting a handle on regular production. We had plenty of time to finish our schedule, plenty of people to manage the shoot, and a warm, well-lit location to spend the day. Not that every shoot previously had been in miserable conditions (although more than a fair share were so), but Yevgeniy’s house I remember as a particularly relaxed and well-oiled production, with top-notch photos on top of that.
All told, though, February was a busy and stressful month. We had four shoots within five weekends (Yevgeniy’s house, break, Claire’s dorm flashback, the alleyway escape, and Left 5 Dead), on top of our first book arriving and the epic release party that followed (not to mention the grueling hours spent preparing the “survivor packs” given away with pre-orders). In my other life, I was trying to move out of my apartment by the end of the month, but not into another apartment because I would be off to Germany and Austria for three weeks. February was brutal, for myself and those unlucky enough to help me, but we got some great product out of it and learned a good deal about advance planning and tempering our schedules.
The big game-changer of the year was the Emerald City Comicon, where we made our first attempt to reach the outside world with our bizarro “comic book”-type product. I’ve written in depth on the event itself in the past, but in retrospect, what stands out the most about that weekend was the quality of the Night Zero crew. Since my return from Europe I had been burning non-stop to get all the pieces coordinated for the convention, and it was a chaotic Saturday morning getting all the final parts where they needed to be before the doors opened and the throngs flooded in. I didn’t know what to expect from the show, but when the bell sounded and the show floor filled with eager fans, I was stunned to find that I was outside the chaos. Kelly, Alexander, Tara, Forest, and all the team at the photo booth were energized and in complete control; Jana was dominating the makeup station; and I was never prouder of my people. I could wander the show and talk to the crew and fans alike, I could leave the convention to fetch coffee and lunches for the team, I could step aside and chat about Night Zero in great depth to visitors from the film and production communities, and I could step in and out of the photobooth to help out, sign books, or just be in the way. In theater I’ve never been the kind of director who can open a show and then walk away, so it was a surreal experience for me to set the convention in the hands of my team and step back, admiring the incredible work they did with it.
A few more events peppered the year, as we tried to find our niche markets and spread the word about our project. The Crypticon horror convention was a great time, a much smaller show than the ECCC but much more intimate, with more time to actually meet and talk with people, make new contacts, and discover what other people are up to in the community. And there is no greater joy than working at a convention down the aisle from the [adjectives insufficient] Doug Jones. There was the world-record-breaking zombie walk in Fremont, a few appearances at the Fremont Outdoor Movies, and even a trip to Hollywood for a special event screening of Shawn of the Dead. At none of these events (not even the always-busy Comicon) did we net positive cash flow, or come close to breaking even, but they were a ton of fun and I look forward to returning to (at least some of) them in the coming year.
If there’s one way to describe the summer of 2009, it would be “pulling out all the stops.” From the three days of madness to assemble and shoot the skullhunters’ house, to the explosive growth and demands of the Sisters shoot, to the epic zombie takeover in downtown Seattle, all the way to the rainy day on the waterfront surrounded by stacks of shipping containers, we took no shortcuts and spared no efforts to get the maximum out of each endeavor. Thinking back, to the success of the skullhunters house I credit Eli, who was a carpenter, hauler, photographer, gaffer, and cinematographer all in one, and exceptionally so. To the success of Sisters I credit Jana, who assumed hands-on responsibility for costuming and makeup in what was our first attempt to seriously do either, while at the same time committing to a rigorous shoot schedule as one of the featured stars of the story. The success of the downtown shoot is undoubtedly thanks to Gina and Gale and Eric, who arrived out of nowhere just a few weeks before and descended upon the production with an army of energetic production assistants, not to mention the brains and the experience to coordinate them and a hundred zombies all at the same time. And as I recently posted, the accomplishment of the scratcher catchers scene is to the credit of Justin, who endured countless hurdles and rejections in his tireless attempt to find me the location I wanted.
Of course none of those shoots, nor any other, would have been anything without the one and only Kelly Ota, who has been a staple of Night Zero production since the beginning. Not only was she focused and patient through the longest of shoots, but the amount of preparatory work she put into each production made our work possible, from scheduling actors to following up on locations to creating the shoot schedule and shot lists for each day. Having wrapped episode three and the downtown photo shoot, she now moves on to pursue her own projects, and we all wish her the best of luck. I could not have asked for a better friend and teammate.
So when I think back on 2009, I see all the ways in which Night Zero has pushed the limits, not only of its own production capabilities and scale but in the forefront of photography and the photographic novel. We didn’t just make our way through the year, we crushed every obstacle and accomplished what would have been impossible to a lesser crew. Our family was joined by wonderful new people, our archives were filled with gorgeous new shots, and our benchmark has been set so high, I don’t know how we’ll ever top it next year.
But we will. That’s just what we do.