First Look at AMC's The Walking Dead Zombies as Production Begins

[CooperWasRight]

Actually, if they are shooting on film and wanted to go B&W, I don't think it'd cut costs; I think it'd be more expensive. B&W stock is hardly in demand, so I think it's more costly to obtain/develop. However, if they're shooting digitally, it's not like they can just take the footage without having to do any post to the way it looks. Even in B&W, they're still going to need someone to work on the black levels, contrast, etc - just as in color. I'm dead tired [rimshot] and ranting because I don't want to go to work. Color timing/correction for b/w is simple compared to color footage. With color you are not simply talking simple contrast and black levels. For the most part the process for b/w is set up a few rooms(what apple color refers to as dynamic custom presets) an apply,apply,apply with a little tweaking... You can pretty much convert a full film in a day or so... Color takes weeks. b/w film stock be it 8mm-35 is cheaper then color. This is why many directors choose this medium for there first entry from Romero to Kevin Smith and Darrel Aronofsky to name a few. The Walking Dead is being shot in color super16.

[bassman]

I looked around, but didn't see anything about this. Nothing major really, just a little tidbit... All around badass Thomas Jane has seen TWD, thinks its incredible, working out a future role with Darabont. "That show is going to be a a big f----- hit," he told us at the HBO post-Emmy party. "I've seen it and is fan-f---- tactic." Jane spent his Emmy night at dinner with "Walking Dead" director Frank Darabont, hatching out a plan to get on the show which begins airing on Oct. 31. If you haven't heard the "Walking Dead" hype, you soon will. The story of life after a zombie apocalypse is going to be a monster success. "I'm going to come on and do a guest thing," he says. "Maybe play a bad guy." Jane explains that he was originally supposed to star in the television series when it was destined to be on HBO. He ended up going with "Hung" and "The Walking Dead" went to AMC. Jane says he'll insist on being human in the guest role, however. He'll slay the undead, but he won't play one. "I'm not going to be a zombie," he says. "That's too much make up." So who could he be? The Governor maybe? Although that would be more of a continuing role....

[darth los]

I looked around, but didn't see anything about this. Nothing major really, just a little tidbit... All around badass Thomas Jane has seen TWD, thinks its incredible, working out a future role with Darabont. So who could he be? The Governor maybe? Although that would be more of a continuing role.... It seems to me that talent brought on the show along the lines of Thomas Jane can only be a plus. He's a star but not a mega star which is just right me thinks.

[AcesandEights]

Sounds cool, as long as the star power demands don't get too bad/OTT.

[ProfessorChaos]

how anyone could be anything other than bouncing-off-the-fucking-walls excited about this project is beyond me.

[bassman]

how anyone could be anything other than bouncing-off-the-fucking-walls excited about this project is beyond me. "But it's not Romero! They're moving too fast! Not enough zombies! Horses?!?"

[kidgloves]

how anyone could be anything other than bouncing-off-the-fucking-walls excited about this project is beyond me. I can only assume that not a lot of people here have read it and don't really quite understand what a superb piece of writing it is. Some of the stuff the characters go through and the choices they have to make as they deal with the apocalypse and their own reactions to it are very emotional. Its an excellent piece of work and, lucky for us, Kirkman uses the zombie apocalypse as the stage for an excellent story.

[Skold]

According to Darabont, the second-season order is just a rumor: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/46369

[shootemindehead]

"But it's not Romero! They're moving too fast! Not enough zombies! Horses?!?" HORSES???????? What the fuck??? Horses???? For fuck sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thorn]

According to Darabont, the second-season order is just a rumor: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/46369 While a bit of a let down, it makes sense I just wish the rumor wasn't out there to get me all excited. Hopefully it will come.

[bassman]

At this point I would be willing to put money down that Darabont is just being modest. They know how this show is going to do during the Halloween season. It's a no brainer. There will be a second season. Besides....why would he be talking to people about future roles when the first season is already in the can?

[darth los]

Its an excellent piece of work and, lucky for us, Kirkman uses the zombie apocalypse as the stage for an excellent story. Sounds like something GAr used to do.

[kidgloves]

At this point I would be willing to put money down that Darabont is just being modest. They know how this show is going to do during the Halloween season. It's a no brainer. There will be a second season. Besides....why would he be talking to people about future roles when the first season is already in the can? They even ran a competition to win a role as a zombie extra in the 2nd series before it was pulled. Guess lots of people are getting overexcited and jumping the gun.

[bassman]

Well, let's think about it. You've got a highly, highly respected Director in Frank Darabont who is over seeing the series, you've got the producer of such classics as Terminator and Aliens, you've got an established fanbase in the comic series, and outside of the comic series you've also got the countless numbers of zombie fans out there riding high on the recent wave of zombie films. It's not like Mad Men or Breaking Bad, which are great shows, but they didn't have any sort of background like TWD does. Yet they're working off of several seasons at this point. There's virtually no way this show would be dropped after this initial season. They know for a fact that a second is on the way, someone just jumped the gun and one of the higher-ups told them to chill out until it's official.

[DubiousComforts]

how anyone could be anything other than bouncing-off-the-fucking-walls excited about this project is beyond me. Okay, I'll give you an example of 'how' based on what has been shown so far... The 'bicycle lady' (or whatever it's called) is downright silly. They spent a great deal of time creating the illusion and for what? Only to give it away. Bad idea. Now this might be cool if your idea of the living dead is beef jerky hanging off of bones, but I see a lot of people wishing for a return to what made the genre "great" in the first place so I'd reckon they should understand this much: the point of the genre has always been the dead are us, not a horde of stylized Bernie Wrightson corpses. The series deserves every chance in the world simply because Frank Darabont is the director, and so every chance in the world is what I will give it. Just don't expect the mindless priase of sheeple if the end product plays to every bad cliche in the book.