Why Walk Alone When You Can Walk With The Dead? Wait That Doesn’t Even Make Sense…
Directing Information Rumor
Short piece of news on this one. As we all know our favorite producer, Frank, who we originally thought would be directing every episode of The Walking Dead (and is sadly only apparently directing a couple even though he is involves in all of it) isn’t. Now though we have learned that the producer (and part time director) of a “small” science fiction series that used to air is going to be directing an episode. Who is this you may ask? Well it’s Michelle Maclaren! Wait who? Oh the producer of the X-Files who directed a few episodes. Yes that “small” series that only ran for a ‘short time’ on Fox. While it’s not fully confirmed yet the source apparently is pretty accurate for Jo Blo to be announcing it. Still it is a rumor so take it with a grain of salt.
[via: Jo Blo.]
Interview with Greg Melton, Production Designer
AMC is continuing on it’s weekly set of interviews with staff members of The Walking Dead on AMC and this one is a great continuation with tons of fun filled information on the thought process behind how such a great (hopefully) mini-series is being put together!
AMC: How did you approach designing for The Walking Dead?
Greg Melton: I did Tales From the Crypt for many years, and I always approached that show from a realism standpoint — trying to set up a realistic world, and then let the surreal horror spin out of it. And that’s the strategy I’ve taken with this, to root it in reality as much as possible and let Rick move through this world and see it get more and more skewed. A great example is when he wakes up in the hospital. It just gets worse and worse. It’s like there was a running gun battle through this hospital. There were grenades. He comes outside and it looks like Dachau. Then as he comes to the parking lot, there’s going to be an entire military hospital unit that’s been overrun. It just keeps unfolding. When you read the comic, Rick walks outside and there’s a car crashed into a tree. [Laughs] I’m like, “OK yeah, we’ll do this burned out bus and dump trucks stacked with bodies.”
AMC: What visual inspiration did you get from the comics?
Greg Melton: It’s like having a storyboard of the whole production. Usually I get a storyboard of an effects sequence or an action sequence. But it’s very interesting to have something from beginning to end. There are a lot of iconic images in that graphic novel that we have taken into the series. People will go, “Oh yeah that’s the downtown Atlanta shot.” For instance the police station in the graphic novel: One day I was driving around and saw right behind our production office this little brick building that looked exactly like the police station. So there are a lot of points like that, and then the hospital is something we really took to a whole new level as far as the devastation and really showing for the first time the scale of the apocalypse in Rick’s town.
[via: AMC.]
Planning to attend Comic Con
Plan on being at Comic Con this year? Well if you are a fan of The Walking Dead this is going ot be great news for you to follow through with as there is a full panel in the works that will be full of a TON of information.
From the Press Release:
The stars and producers of AMC’s highly-anticipated series “The Walking Dead,†based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, will descend on Comic-Con 2010 for a panel event and exclusive sneak preview of the original drama.“The Walking Dead†panel, scheduled for Friday, July 23, at 11:30 AM in Room 6BCF, will feature series stars Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (“The Pacificâ€), Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Breakâ€), Laurie Holden (The Mist), and Emma Bell (“Law & Orderâ€). Joining the cast are writer, director, executive producer and three-time Academy Award nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile); executive producers Kirkman and Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon); make-up artist Greg Nicotero (George Romero’s Land of the Dead, The Mist); and Joel Stillerman, AMC’s SVP of original programming, production and digital content.
During the hour-long event, moderator Eric Moro of IGN.com will lead panelists in a discussion about their experience shooting the series in Atlanta and the process of bringing Kirkman’s comic book to life on the small screen, among other topics, followed by an exclusive first look at “The Walking Dead†and a Q&A session with attendees.
“The Walking Dead†panel will be complemented by a number of on-the-ground activities taking place throughout Comic-Con:
- Attendees will have an opportunity to get “zombified†by visiting “The Walking Dead†booth and putting themselves into a zombie scene from the series via a touch screen; AMC will email the photo to them.
- AMC will distribute limited edition “The Walking Dead” series posters from internationally recognized movie poster artist Drew Struzan (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Blade Runner, Hellboy and more).
- An autograph session will take place with Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero and Gale Anne Hurd in the Image Comic Books booth.
- AMC will distribute limited edition “The Walking Dead” series buttons.
- AMC will have “The Walking Dead†walkers around the convention center and booth.
- “The Walking Dead†booth will be a semi-recreation of a scene from the pilot episode.
[via: Dread Central.]
