Zombie Advice

[Ms JB]

Hi Folks!

As some of you know, I'm an accounting student and these days one of the awful parts of the course is having to do team-building exercises! (Someone thinks we live in cupboards with numbers and only venture outside to feed so must practise social skills). One of the classes I do requires a "How to.." video. My group consists of an uptight mother, a goth and a chilled out older lady so you can imagine my surprise when they agreed to my "How to Survive the Zombie Holocaust" suggestion! (YAY though!!) I've got it on the brains from LMS and his mag...

I had a couple of questions and thought you guys would be pretty clued up on the subject so:

1. If you have no money, how do you make someone look like a zombie on a vid? Make up/dress wise.
2. I need suggestions for un-violent weapons, such as water guns, plastic spades & old lps... (where have we seen that one b4? :D) Oh, and any other witty props.

Any other tips or suggestions welcome. Remember tho, this aint Hollywood, this is me trying to spruce up an utterly pointless and boring team hugging mumbo jumbo class with a bit of comedy. Chances are there's no editing equipment and shots will be in sequence and full of errors as well... lol. Film's about 20 mins long.

Cheers, Annie

[Max Kon]

How about a ruller?

and why would a goth agreeing suprise you?

[Byron Virgo]

1) Try going to a joke shop (if you have any near you) - you'd be surprised what you can get for a very small amount of money. The great thing about zombies is that they look pretty much like a normal human, so it's more about your body language than it is about the look. Try getting some fake blood - I'd suggest using contact lenses, but that might be needlessly complicated and painful.
[I actually wrote a (probably appalling) thing for Mr. Molcher on how to disguise yourself as a zombie, so if you're interested, drop me a line and I'll send you a copy.]

2) Replica handguns and airpistols are still pretty easy to get hold of, but will appear in almost every single student film ever made with a frightening regularity. Try and think more conceptually - if you were in your house, what would you reach for to protect yourself? For example, sauce and frying pans would proove effective, whilst remaining humorous, table legs, plastic childrens chairs (fall aprt really easily and are pretty cheap). If you have any sports equipment such as baseball or cricket bats, or a golf club, these would certainly be effective. Thinking off the top of my head, you could also use shoes, poi, briefcase/bag, light fixtures, ashtrays, remote control toy cars, hefty car maintainance manuals, or the nozzle from a vaccum cleaner.
However, I would under no circumstances ever use my precious vinyl defending myself against the zombie hoards. I'd rather die first!

[Ms JB]

Actually max, you're right - she was the supportive one. The other two took a bit of convincing.

Great ideas there Byron, I'll be hassling you for the disguise tips!

[Byron Virgo]

Well, I had some good experience (or bad, depending on how you look at it) being made up as a Giant Mutant Rat in our third year film at uni.

[Bico]

That would explain a few things.

[Byron Virgo]

Don't tell them our private details, or else you're forcing me to use the spurs again!

[Adrian Bamforth]

"If you have no money, how do you make someone look like a zombie on a vid? Make up/dress wise."http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/reuters_molt/2276874440.jpg">

[Matt Timson]

You could all get your make-up done by the uptight goth- then you'd all look like the undead.

Bit of a busman's holiday for her, mind...

;)

[Shakara]

Busman's holiday?

Good lord that's archaeic.

Whatever you do JB, don't put any 'tributes' to Shaun of the Dead in there, because it'll turn out crap...

...believe me

[Wils]

Remembering a little of the casualty simulation makeup we used to do in St John's many years ago (not a *word*, Eyebrows), one thing you can do easily is blistered, burnt or missing skin using Copydex and makeup. Paint an area of (as hairless as possible) skin with the Copydex and let it dry. Pinch the centre of the dried glue and pull away from the skin until it splits, then let go. This leaves a crater of skin in the middle of the glue which can be coloured pink or red depending on what kind of efect you want. Use face powder on the glue area to take away the shine and blend it in with the rest of the person's skin.

Any 3D stuff, like exposed windpipes, can be made out of play doh or plastercine and held in place with the Copydex.

Hope this is some help.

[Quirkafleeg]

You can do a lot with plain make-up... pale down the skin, blue lips, shadows round the eyes.

[Art]

You miss the days of new-romanticism, don't you Gary?

[Conexus]

And if you want all the zombie groaning to sound real, take them out on a bender the night before ;)

[Quirkafleeg]

Oh and do some googling for stage makeup tips