American Zombies Retrospect # 2: Monster Crew By Roun Tamaki Storyboards: check! Shot list: check! Premium-boss-playa-game face: CHECK! The bathroom scene from episode 2 was the first day of shooting, and the first time I was to work with everyone. Needless to say I was very nervous, but I compensated for that by being overly prepared. I mean if the zombie apocalypse happened that day, I would've incorporated that into our flick (y'know for production value n shit). Because just like Vince Lombardi said, "the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." And besides, I've already convinced cast and crew that I'm the right man for the job. I got everybody in that mess so the least I could do was act like I knew what I was doing. But as soon as we got things rolling, everybody just got to working. After all, insecurities should be dealt with at your own time and not at the work place. Episode 2 is my favorite because I got to introduce the "Reverend," played by the hip and witty (but dangerous?) Cory Ringdahl, and I get to introduce "Bob," performed by my good friend and rogue adventurer, Bora Celebi. Episode 2 was also a mish-mash of different scenes shot in different days. And it is also the only episode that has a back and forth dialogue with a score (done by my brother, Kevin Tamaki) that feels like a grungy madhouse of dying things.
But what topped it off for me was the hotel scene with "Bob" and his "Wife," played by the lovely Corri Voorhees, who helped me pick out her sexy-time outfit at a Halloween store. I remember it was summer at the time, and Corri and I were at the check out and the cashier is looking at us while bagging the Robin costume. Finally she said, "so what are you going to use this for?" All in all it was a great show with great performances and the most fun to shoot. Lastly, none of this would have been possible without the help of our Art Director for the "Cage" scenes, Lawrence Iriarte, and the stunning and talented Robin Rosselli, our one and only SFX artist. Robin was indeed a crucial piece on the production chess board and I knew this from the very beginning. The project's aesthetics literally depended on her saying yes or no. To this day, the fact that I somehow managed to sweet talk her into coming on board was a lucky strike. Nonetheless I'll always take "lucky" whenever I can get it. At the end of the day, I'm just happy to deliver the goods and show the world what these talents bring to the table. Rock on!
Notes from SFX artist, Robin Rosselli: Oh man, American Zombies! How do I describe my experience working with this group of artists? First of all, I'd like to say that when I first met Roun Tamaki, I honestly was not even sure that I was going to take the job. I just thought that I would be kindly hearing him out and thanking hi Then Roun mentioned "Battle Royale," "Ichi the Killer," "Robocop" and an appreciation for practical effects, and I knew I needed to play this thing out. m for a lovely meeting. I knew that he was touching on something that has not been done yet and as a web series no doubt. Our first day of shooting was interesting to say the least. I had received his first few scripts so at that point I was not sure where this thing was heading. And Roun had also sent me some character sketches that were awesomely gruesome. Also, I was so ready to get going on the project because I was going to be working with one of my favorite talents, Joeseph Halay (I had worked with him previously on another Zombie project). Let me state for record that Joe is a very handsome man with nice features, great skin, lovely hair and a terrific personality, and I knew that what I was about to do to him was just awful.
Not only because of the hours that he will be sitting in the chair but what exactly I was turning him into. The process started at turning Joe into a much older man, so I had to age him up about 20 years and that process alone is about 3 hours. Then I had to rip his face off, as well as his shoulder and leg, then I had proceed to wrap him up in tissue paper and bloody him up. In the end he looked like a rabid mummy. This process to me is hilarious in the first place... just because you get to watch people change right in front of you and sometimes I cant help but roll into laughter. But it got even more funny as the day progressed. For instance, we had to run a tube down Joe's leg that started in the crotch area and ended at his ankle where the "wound" was to create a blood flow effect. I hadn't mentioned yet that I was very sick with the flu that day so I had my assistant blow into the plastic tube (near Joe's the crotch area) to squirt blood out! In my career, you are always trying to find uncommon solutions to problems especially when you are working on a lower budget project. For example, how to make heads explode, or how to create a face being bitten off, so I am no stranger to fixing situations. In my career, you are always trying to find uncommon solutions to problems especially when you are working on a lower budget project. For example, how to make heads explode, or how to create a face being bitten off, so I am no stranger to fixing situations. This was the first time for this sort of situation. By the 12th hour of the day we were finished and Joe was back in the chair and beginning his 2 hour removal process.
It wasn't going to end here. It wasn't over. We still had to shoot the rest of the sequence the following weekend and we had to start Joe's process all over again. We also d to shoot a honeymoon scene in a hotel room, watching "Bob" give his pep talk to his "member after taking what I can only remember to resemble Viagra. I will never forget having to hide under the bed waiting for the two love birds to shoot their intimate scene (shot with a handheld camera by actor Bora Celebi) just to wait for my chance to place blood into the girl's eyes for the reveal scene that she had been infected. I have never worked with such an animated, fun and outgoing bunch like the crew and talent of American Zombies and I would do it over and over again. They are crazy, creative, hilarious and exhausting for all the right reasons."