Archive for the ‘Concepts & Development’ Category

The Things You Take

Posted: 17th June 2011 by Jana Hutchison
Categories: "The Things You Take", Concepts & Development
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On the inception and development of “the Things You Take”

This vignette is distinguished from the others in several ways. Not only is it the only one we’ve shot with absolutely no blood or special effects, it also holds the record for the most words in a title.

Although the team has kicked this kind of idea around for quite some time now, the impetus to actually do it came after a particularly bloody and demanding shoot for episode six. It’s funny, when you are cooking along in the days leading up to a shoot, and the shoot itself, it’s easy to lose perspective on the actual photos that are happening. It was one of our bloodiest to date, featuring the commanding presence of our actor Kate Sumpter (who we met in “Special Delivery”, another very demanding and uncomfortable shoot day). At the end of that shoot, after dropping some of our gear and before our post-shoot debrief dinner, Anthony started loading photos from the day onto his computer. We were somewhat…astonished. It was bloody. It was gross. It was violent. We were disturbed.

We needed some relief.
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Advance Productions

Posted: 27th May 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: Concepts & Development
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On the relentless production schedule of Night Zero 2011, and its impact on blog post regularity.

First announcement: the previous blog post did not get posted to the front page, so if you get your blog updates from there you may have missed it. The full post (and photo gallery) is available here: Downsizing Development.

The Night Zero machine has been in full-steam pre-production mode recently, as we continue assembling all the component pieces that will create our grand finale in Episode Six. In the past seven weeks we’ve knocked down three shoots from the episode (encompassing a total of five scenes) as well as two full originettes, and in the next two weeks we’ve got another originette shoot and another episode shoot to take care of three more scenes. It’s strange, having so much work to generate content that’s part of something so big, it won’t even begin to assemble together for many more months. Almost like we were making a film, or something.
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Downsizing Development

Posted: 6th May 2011 by Phoebe Richards
Categories: "Maternal", Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Concepts & Development
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On how the story of “Maternal” developed from a big picture to a defining moment.

I had wanted to write and direct a vignette for NIGHT ZERO since I started working as assistant director on the project. Last winter, when we were shooting the “Three Speeches” with the military, messengers, and skullhunters, we brought in so many talented people to play extras, and we realized some of them could star in vignettes that would broaden and enrich the core NIGHT ZERO story.

My friend Chris Allen, a very talented improviser, came in for the Military Speech shoot and I decided I wanted to write my first NIGHT ZERO script with him at the center. Originaly I planned on writing it for the big battle coming up in episode six, when the city has collapsed and the soldiers and messengers are trying to evacuate the civilians to safety among scratchers and skullhunters. The idea I had was that Chris’s character (eventually named Darren) had become haunted by the memory of his sister after he killed her when she became infected on night zero.

Blood, Blood, Everywhere

Posted: 22nd April 2011 by Phoebe Richards
Categories: Concepts & Development, On Location
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On the conception, shooting, and post-production of the “Maternal” vignette

        The “Maternal” shoot was my first time directing for NIGHT ZERO. (For that matter, it was also my first time writing, but I will delve into that in next week’s blog.) Having worked as assistant director for the project for the past year I knew it would be difficult, yet rewarding, to direct.

        I decided to use my father’s house for the location because it is nice and easy to get. The only concern I had was the blood element. Much of the blood we use washes out of things very easily; however my father keeps his house really clean and I couldn’t risk staining any carpets or bedding.
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Relationships and Origins

Posted: 1st April 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: "Inertia", Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Concepts & Development
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On the relationship origins of the “Inertia” vignette, and the upcoming origin vignettes.

In my previous blog post on the development of the “Inertia” vignette, I discussed how the story was conceived around the sudden relationship between two students on the night of the zombie apocalypse. In the early development stages, I tried many different variations: the age difference between the two characters, which character started with a better weapon, what kind of prejudices or respect each character held for the other.

True to the butterfly effect, changing just one aspect of the initial conditions started divergent paths that spiraled out into entirely different storylines. Some of the storylines I rejected because they shared too many similarities with stories we’ve already told, while others I rejected because they went in dark and unsettling directions.  Read the rest of this entry »

Students and Professors

Posted: 25th February 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: "Inertia", Concepts & Development
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On the development history of the “Inertia” vignette, and how it came to be two tales side-by-side.

Unlike nearly every Night Zero vignette before it, the final product of “Inertia” is very, very close to the original concept from which it developed. The inspiration first came about when the production team moved in to shoot the military segment of Episode Five’s “Three Speeches,” in a mid-century building on campus at the University of Washington. Even though the scene itself had nothing to do with school or college personnel, seeing the environment prompted my brain churning. I wanted to visit the college campus on the night of the zombie apocalypse, and that’s where the vignette development began.

Some vignettes grow from a particular visual I want to actualize, some are inspired by a particular location I want to use, others by a particular actor I want to work with. My favorite vignettes, though, begin with a relationship, and grow into something from there. For “Inertia” that relationship was between two students, meeting for the first time as the world collapses around them.
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