Posts Tagged ‘writing’

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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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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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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A Story of Death Foretold

Posted: 12th November 2010 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Concepts & Development, Episode 5 - "Reversals"
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On the stylistic and plot decisions surrounding the death of Dariya in Episode Five

In preparation for the coming workload to publish Night Zero: Volume Three, I’ve pre-written a number of blog posts surrounding this post-protest sequence with the Nazarov government, which ensures regular Friday updates for at least the next month. If you’re not familiar with our books, take notice of how banner-free and ad-free this website is and then head over to learn more about our self-published collections and show your support for our independent production.

Like episode four before it, episode five is primarily divided into two storytelling segments. Episode four preceded its two segments with an opening montage and interim scene, while episode five will close with the same. The choice was made in episode four to shuffle back and forth between the two halves (Claire and Edge in the warehouse; the protest shoot); in episode five I thought it would be more compelling to deliver each section in solid blocks, uninterrupted. Similarly, each of the sections was shot in a single production, not broken among multiple shoot days and locations as has typically been done. The result is an overall lighter load for the production team and a more continuous story flow, at the expense of diversity. Which is better? Hard to say, but from the beginning Night Zero has been an experiment in photographic storytelling technique and this is just another chapter in that saga.
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A Forward-Moving Reversal

Posted: 8th October 2010 by Anthony van Winkle
Categories: Concepts & Development, Episode 5 - "Reversals"
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On the plot and story structure of Episode Five

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to episode five. This is the penultimate chapter of the serial saga “City Planning”, which in turn is the benchmark by which the Night Zero project is measured. Compared to our earlier serial work, this episode is substantially more complex on the production side and we are operating on a much shorter turnaround than we used to, for better or for worse.
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