Interview with Tara Valdez, Brittney Jean in Teen Zombies in Love.
Tell us about your charachter.
Brittney Jean is Tiffanys best friend, and they do everything togther, but not the sort of girls you'd want to take home to mom.
Yeah, I understand you ate brains in the movie.
That was the most FUN! I love all the gory stuff, and I've never eaten brains before, so that was really pretty cool. And they were good.
This was your first feature, what was it like.
It was a great experience, seeing first hand all the ins and outs of filmmaking, plus you make so many friends working that closely, day after day. The hours are BRUTAL, but there's this energy there, and I guess, like a comeraderie of shared suffering, or shared insanity or something.
What was one of the things you enjoyed most about the experience?
Big toss up, If I had to pick one, I would say that since I'm a HUGE horror fan, working in the genre was a thrill, cutting heads off, that sort of thing is just a lot of fun, as well as being on set and on all the different locations we shot at.
What was your least favorite part of the process?
Nothing really, I was a little apprehensive in the scene where I get dunked in the ocean, having to trust the other actor not to drown me but making it look like he was drowing me for the camera, that was a little freaky, since I don't swim, really.
Also, there was a mishap with a power drill.
Power Drill?!?
Yeah, I was supposed to be killing somone with a drill, and there was a prop bit in it, but I missed and hit my leg with the drill running full blast, so after that there were about 2 weeks where I had to call early for leg makeup to cover the bruises.
You're kind of hot for a serial killer.
And why not, just cause a girl's good looking, doesn't mean she can't enjoy viciously slaughtering people.
What are some of your favorite moments on the set?
We had a lot of fun watching Aaron and Wang in costume, and some of the looks from the civilians on location watching us film--it was pretty cool. And Byron and Ryan goofing off all the time, they were pretty funny. And I loved cutting off Byrons head, I'd do that every day of the week if I could.
Also the beach scene, that was a blast.
I understand you had a nicname on the set.
Yeah, I was going to school, doing finals, working and shooting at the same time, so I crashed on set a LOT, and they got to calling me the Napster.
What do you take with you out of the expereince?
It was a great addition to my acting expereince, and it was amazing just how much work and dedication it takes to work on a feature.
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Filmtalk Stringer Jerry Ryman had a conversation with the producing/directing/writing team that brought you Teen Zombies In Love-- Andrew Kress and Rick Stephenson at one of the producers Florida Beach Home in September, 2008. This transcript has been edited for language and content.
So tell us about the movie.
RS: Teen Zombies in Love follows the adventures of three clean cut divinity students on spring break, who find themselves trapped on an island full of nymphomaniac zombies.
AK: Brain eating Nymphomaniac Zombies.
RS: Right
Sounds Cool.
RS: Well, the project presented great opportunities for Gore and Gratuitious Nudity, since there was no nudity in it.
Huh?
RS: Thats the core of the PUNKZIMEMA thing.
Ok, again, HUH?
RS: the concept of Punkzinema is that you can go out and make a real feature if your willing to trade all of your balls and most fo your bank to do it.
AK: Like indie has gotten to be this thing thats 10-20 million per pic with major stars and a staff aromatherapist. And an awful lot of it is STILL four people trying to work out a bad chilhood in a single, weakly lit room.
RS: Which Sucks
AK: Balls. And we wanted to just do it, just go ahead and make a summer romp with no apologies to anyone, and show what a small group of committed people can really do.
How Small.
RS: Not very.
AK: Yeah, we just had to build a full size movie company with mostly volunteers. I think the final count was like 70 people, cast and crew. 12 Primary cast, with 15 primary extras.
YIKES!!!
AK: Well, it had to be done, and in our part of the country, it can be. There's a lot of filmheads here, and not many features shooting that a first timer can get onto.
Let's go back to the Nudity Thing.
RS: Well, part of the idea of punkzinema is to break through all possible barriers. And so often gratuitous nudity is written into the plot. In this case it wasn't which gave us a chance to film and randomly insert nudity for NO REASON AT ALL.
AK: RIGHT, TRULY GRATUITIOUS.
RS: Right.
So, who does what, are you the producer, or director?
AK: On a real indie set, not the $20M indie sets where the LA star is bitching cause theres only two macrobiotic choices on the lunch buffet, but real indie, most everyone does everything at one point or another, but in general, I write, then Rick story edits, I rewrite, we both produce, I'm setrunner, and he directs, and I watch and we just kind of both make sure that we have the kernel of the thing being captured. Scotch?
Not while I'm Working.
RS: Bong?
Same principle applies
AK: Sad. You were asking?
So, you're just about out of post?
Yeah, few more weeks, and that's it, we will strike master, and she's a movie.
Long Year?
(Groans) AK: Yeah, well, the best advice I could give anyone thinking about making an independent film would be in two parts...1--DO NOT MAKE AN INDEPENDENT FUCKING FILM. It will drive you crazy, break your bank, break your balls, lead to heavy drinking, drug use, and depression, You will work 18 hour days, seven days a week for like almost two years, and then you will collapse for a week, and start pre on the next thing, cause this filmmaking thing is like crack.
RS: Worse
AK: Yeah, worse for sure.
So what was the other part of the advice?
AK: Oh, yeah, MAKE AN INDEPENDENT FILM. It is the most electrifying, exhilerating, incredible experience you will ever have. You will meet and work with the most incredible talented people you will ever know, and on your deathbed, hopefully many years hence, you will thank god that you took on the project.
Anything else?
RS: Talented actors and acresses are crazy, and you need talented actresses and actors.
So?
RS: Wear something loose and and carry a stun gun at all times. Makes you more confident on the set, too, I think.
You're armed right now, aren't you?
RS: Not as far as you know.
