Regular blog readers are familiar with how the original concept for Night Zero was a series of semi-independent stories, with crossover casts and occasionally intermingling storylines. That idea was shelved in favor of the six-episode serial arc, but stayed alive in the form of the vignette. A way for the team to try out new techniques, cast new faces, and get a break from the day-to-day production of the serial comic, the vignette concept was that of low-overhead and low-expense productions, short shoot schedules, and quick turnarounds. “Jezebel” and the untitled vignette were both perfect examples of this, each being shot in two short sessions with minimal crew, the former costing less than $30 and the latter costing nearly nothing to produce.

When “Sisters” was developed this last April, it was supposed to follow suit. It was to be a short story, a quick production, and it was supposed to accomplish three things. First, I wanted to explore the personalities and relationship of Dariya and Nadia, who are very complex characters with unfortunately little screentime in the serial arc. Second, I wanted to flex our action muscles and see what we could do. The last time we shot a real “action” scene was the very first day of production on Episode One over a year ago, and the next time we’re scheduled to shoot will be in the middle of downtown Seattle with a cast and crew of nearly one hundred people. Naturally, I wanted to give the team a little bit of practice before then. And third, I wanted to get some up-close and personal time with our zombies, which also have relatively little screentime in the serial arc.
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