Archive for the ‘On Location’ Category

A Director’s Break

Posted: 29th April 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: "Maternal", Behind-the-Scenes Photos, On Location
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On the production of the “Maternal” vignette, from the perspective of the non-directing director.

It was a unique experience for me to be on the set of “Maternal” as assistant director, while Phoebe stepped up to direct the vignette she wrote. Over the three and a half years of Night Zero’s production, only twice before have I not been the director: for the Untitled vignette in early 2009, which was directed by our photographer Forest Gibson, and for the general “crowd/battle” sequences in the protest shoot in late 2009, which were directed by the 2nd A.D. Gale Benning.

As the creator and producer of Night Zero, these rare opportunities to step away from the driver’s seat are simply wonderful. Being able to watch the Night Zero project roll along is, in many respects, a greater accomplishment than when I’m leading it myself, and an opportunity I hope to have a few more times before the year is out.
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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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Inertia Part Two: Loew Hall

Posted: 25th March 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: "Inertia", Behind-the-Scenes Photos, On Location
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On shooting the students’ half of the “Inertia” vignette

There are times when the Night Zero schedule is relaxed, structured, and done well in advance. This February, with the production of “Inertia”, was not one of those times. Between proofing Volume Three (now shipping) and on the eve of a 2 1/2 week trip to Europe, there was not a lot of time available for the vignette, and while early plans had us shooting the two halves on consecutive weekends, the availability of the cast (on which I did not want to compromise) pushed us into shooting both halves on consecutive days. And due to the building schedules at UW, our second shoot day was moved to a new location that we didn’t see until the night before. It was going to be a tough day.
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Inertia Part One: Denny Hall

Posted: 18th March 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: "Inertia", Behind-the-Scenes Photos, On Location
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On shooting the professors’ half of the “Inertia” vignette

The production schedule for “Inertia” was rigorous, to say the least. Shooting was done on location at the University of Washington on a single weekend, with each half of the vignette taking one day. The first shoot, Saturday, was spent in Denny Hall, home of the Germanics and Anthropology departments and much of my undergraduate studies. In past years I’d spent many hours in this particular classroom, discussing Goethe and Lessing. For this day, we would be discovering the story of Richard and Elisabeth, professors and colleagues on the night of the zombie apocalypse.

In a typical film production, shoots are split between on-location and sound stage, with as much as possible being done on stage because it’s easier, faster, and cheaper. At Night Zero we shoot everything on location, so for us we can only grade difficulty relative to other locations. The University of Washington is a very friendly and accommodating facility, so gaining access to the space is about as painless as could be hoped for, but working in actual classrooms in a building well over a century old, there are other challenges to face.
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The Penultimate Finale

Posted: 11th February 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Episode 5 - "Reversals", On Location
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On the various casting, costuming, and shooting challenges for the “Three Speeches” finale of Episode Five

Despite terrible weather battering the Midwest, the presses for Night Zero: Volume Three are alive and on-schedule. We expect to start shipping preorders the second week of March, with delivery to comic shops and the rest of our orders shipping the fourth week. If you enjoy reading Night Zero, if you appreciate the free thrice-weekly updates on a completely ad-free website, please show your support and preorder your copy today. Just twenty four dollars, independently produced and proudly printed in the USA.

On last week’s blog I talked about the movie-montage inspirations for the “Three Speeches” closing of Episode Five, as well as some of the developmental stages we went through to piece the whole sequence together.  That’s all essential to the pre-production, but coming up with a concept is only the beginning. The true success or failure lies, of course, in the execution of the design, and on that front I’m pleased to say it came together swimmingly.
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Lawful Evil, Chaotic Evil

Posted: 21st January 2011 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Concepts & Development, Episode 5 - "Reversals", On Location
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On the exchange between Valentin and Jezebel, following the protest attack and Dariya’s death

The Valentin/Jezebel scene we recently came out of was not the first meeting of these two characters, as eagle-eyed readers know, but it is their first significant exchange even though it arrives so near the end of the serial. We always knew this scene was coming, but its tone changed significantly as we discovered more and more about the two.
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