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Sydney's Make-Up Effects Group to do zombie flick
[Mon 31/01/2011 09:54:06]
By Sam Dallas
Sydney special effects veteran Nick Nicolaou is doing all he can to get his zombie project off the ground.
It’s been a long journey for British-born Nicolaou – co-founder (along with Paul Katte) of Sydney’s award-winning Make-Up Effects Group – who is currently seeking investment for horror/thriller Mary Doe – the first in his ‘Femme Fatale’ trilogy.
The ambitious filmmaker is creating a fanbase online through an innovative marketing campaign.
It’s through this marketing campaign that he hopes will get people talking before the film even goes into pre-production, which will happen once investment is found.
“We’ve created an attractive project for investors and fans,” Nicolaou said.
Nicolaou, who has the support of Oscar-winner Richard Taylor behind him, is seeking a preliminary budget of $4 million.
“Persistence is the only way you’re going to get over the line,” said Nicolaou, who was inspired from horror/sci-fi movies and comics from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“I kind of feel that it’s in my blood to make this project.”
The Creative Nerve Entertainment/Genre Pictures project has been in development for about two years after another – Paradise Lost – didn’t come to fruition after unfortunate timing and other events.
Nicolaou, who penned the 110-page script, will take on directing and producing duties.
“It’s quite an intimate story,” said Nicolaou, 46, who has continually been refining the story for two years.
“It’s not just a slasher gore fest…there will be amazing effects and calibre of a much higher production, like a $15-20 million American feature.
“But we’re not just relying on the special effects…it’s a really strong story.”
The team at Make-Up Effects Group, which has worked on such projects as The Matrix trilogy and Nightmare & Dreamscapes, have already built animatronic creatures and miniatures for Mary Doe.
The website – launched last weekend – details information on the project while not giving too much away.
Creator of the online campaign, Daniel Gallahar, started on the project more than a year ago. The free zombie game The Undead Zone – a mod based on Left For Dead 2 – is about 80 per cent finished and will be launched in about five weeks.
The first-person co-op game, designed by Alex Young, is based on the film and will even have its own soundtrack.
A featurette on the making of The Undead Zone has just been released.
Information on the film, including the synopsis, is on the official website. A Blog detailing the filmmakers’ journey is also online.
[Mon 31/01/2011 09:54:06]
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