Zombie shoot challenges

[trueindie]

My scene has a maximum of 4 zombies who have pinned a human to a wall who pleads with them not to eat him. That's it. That's the extent of the scene, not ambitious at all.

But since I've never shot one, I was just wondering if you could give me some tips on the pre-production. How do I keep costs low and still shoot a good scene. Questions like

1. Do I have to go to the thrift store and get clothes and then ruin the clothes on the pavement and then make the zombies wear them, or should I just say in my craigslist ad, 'looking for actors with a zombie wardrobe?' I'd love it if I could get away with the latter.
2. How much should I budget for makeup? Anything in particular I should be on the lookout for?

things like that. Feel free to indulge me with your expertise please, however insignificant you think it is.
Cheers,
Aveek

 

[Rodney Petrie]

It depends on how graphic and detailed you want the scene to be not only in terms of the effects but the costuming. If you are casting via something like craigslist (which of itself I have had no experience in) then all you should need to state is something like:

"Looking for extras, aged (insert age) to play zombies in a (feature or short?). Please note that you will be required to have special effects make-up worn/applied to your skin as well as your clothes." - something like that. You are stating that you want extras, they know what they're going to be needed for and they know that it's going to get messy.

Search the internet for blood recipes and look at what recipes contain ingredients that can be washed out of clothes.

The other alternative is to go to a shop that sells old clothes, get the extras details about their size and then spend a small amount of money on those clothes.

In terms of make-up are you going for a zombie look that is more about the flesh looking old or is it gory make-up where you see holes and tears, which would require prosthetics?

On a zombie movie I directed I made a make-up brief and gave it to the person doing make-up to show them what I was looking for.

 

[trueindie]

Thanks man.