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Read the interview Below:
Interview with Gary Ugarek: director of "Deadlands: The Rising"
Gary Ugarek is the director of “Deadlands: the Rising”, an independently produced movie soon to be distributed by Tempe DVD. Recently, Gary took a moment to discuss his new movie with skullring.org.
Would you mind introducing yourself to our readers?
Hi everyone… I am Gary Ugarek, the writer, director, editor, visual FX engineer, actor and co-composer on Deadlands: the Rising… There were about 40 other roles I took on, but I think that’s more than enough credit to give to one person for a $15,0000 film.
This is a wetnwildradio film - this sounds awfully familiar - what else would readers have associated wetnwild radio with? Weren't you involved with promoting the "Dawn of the Dead" remake?
Yes I was… When they announced a remake of DAWN I was one of the lucky ones who signed the stop the remake petition… but something inside of me said hang on, a remake might not be such a bad thing especially if they weren’t copycatting the original. So I went on a search to find info about the film. I tracked down a production office phone # and told them I was the program manager for WNWR out of Baltimore md. They assumed I was a real radio station… WNWR (wetnwildradio) was an online radio station, but they didn’t ask so I didn’t elaborate and from that point on I just kept getting the good on the film. I think my pitch of “zombies fans across the net were not happy about the remake and this is your chance to set the record straight for everyone to see” worked pretty well… They scooped me on everything, which was awesome because major horrorsites like Creature Corner and B-D all linked to me. I did it for the fans and because DAMMIT it was DAWN of the DEAD and we as fans of Romero’s greatest opus had a right to know.
I understand that you were a zombie in "Land of the Dead'. As a Romero fan, what was that like for you?
A great experience. That night on LAND as a zombie is what made me want to make my own zombie film. Well visiting the set of DAWN 2004 started the itch and LAND was the start of the cure. Many Kudo’s to Greg Nicotero for hooking me up with that chance. I always loved Romeros zombie films… although I am not a fan of LAND. Yep I said it. A zombie in the film, and I think it was a weak entry and just not what I expected from George. I took a lot of slack for voicing that opinion especially from the people who helped me get on the set, but I stand by it. LAND just isn’t a Romero film to me… it’s too polished. Gimme Night, Dawn or Day anytime over LAND.
Having been in "Land" and involved peripherally with "Dawn", do you think that you've gained a greater understanding of what it takes to be a good horror director?
Nope. Indie pictures like mine and studio pics like LAND and DAWN are completely different animals. Those films have 100 guys just waiting for something to do. On our film it was 5 guys doing the job of 30. However, if I ever get to work with a decent budget then I will have an idea of how to make it all work, but nothing prepares you. You think you’re ready and BAM… you get knocked off your horse real quick. My advice is… do what you think is best. You have good days and have bad days. I am not afraid to admit that many scenes in DEADLANDS were re-shot because the vibe didn’t match the stuff shot before… but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and say **** IT… it is a learning experience.
What's the plot of "Deadlands"?
Deadlands has a plot? I thought zombies were all I needed. Damn, someone should have said something to me during the scripting stage.
How long did it take for you to conceive the plot and commit it to paper?
Deadlands was an ongoing process. Because everyone worked for $5.00 and a bag of cheeto’s it was hard to guarantee who would show up. So a lot of the film was done on the fly. I would see who made it and write down their lines on the spot and let them re-work them to make it comfortable for them. However, the initial concept started in Jan 2005 and was on paper by February 2005, but we couldn’t afford to shoot that version so it was re-vamped into what the film is now. The original concept was a year after the zombie outbreak.
When did initial filming begin, and how long did it take for you to wrap it up?
Filming started in the summer of 2005 and completed the summer of 2006. Since we only worked on weekends it was a slow process and because we are in Maryland we took 4 months off for the winter break.
I understand that this was the first solo directorial effort for you. What kind of learning curve did you experience?
Tons of curves. Nothing is what it seems. First I wish luck to anyone who takes on a film project, but I hate people who run and gun shoot then slap it together and say… look a zombie film when in all actuality I would rather watch 20 hours of my neighbors kids visiting Disney land. The biggest curve was having patience. Since I wanted a big budget look on a my peanuts and generic beer wallet I had to learn to give the DP time to light the film so it looked decent. Some days I would lose my cool on the fact it took 2-3 hours to light one scene but when I saw the finished look… I learned it is worth the wait. However, one thing you cannot do is manage a 9-5 job and try to shoot a film over a scattered schedule. It throws off the timing something fierce. Next time I shoot I will do everything back to back.
I understand that you have a background as a DJ. Did this come into play when choosing appropriate music for the movie?
Not really. I love electronic music, especially synth driven house and techno. However, when my composer fell through I just sat down and wrote a bunch of temp stuff so I could cut the film together.
Let's talk a bit about your cast - how did you locate them?
Craigslist.org. One of the best sites for locating talent. The bulk of the extras showed up once the film garnered media attention. However, the main cast… Brian, Michelle, Connor and Myself we all decided to do it.
As this was an indie release, I imagine that you probably didn't have the same level of financial backing that a major hollywood production would. What do you think the secret is of filming a good horror film with a limited budget?
I don’t know if there is a secret. You just have to do the best with what you got. Having a great producer helps… especially if they know people who can hook you up with free stuff.
Zombie horror fans tend to be fairly discriminating, what sorts of things did you NOT want to do with Deadlands?
I didn’t want them to talk or run like trackstars. I wanted running zombies but more like Dan O’Bannon Return of the living Dead style zombies. Other than that, I pretty much did whatever felt comfortable.
Are there any subtle nods or homages to other zombie films that we should look out for?
Tons of nods… The most blatant are ROTLD and Shaun of the Dead, but there is a nod to every Romero zombie film in DEADLANDS as well as the remake of DAWN and 28 days later…
How have the critics responded to the movie?
Fairly decent. I have had 13 positive reviews, one so-so and one bad one. The bad review was laughable as when I read it, I felt like the reviewer didn’t watch the film. Tons of misquotes, characters and producers names incorrect. I mean it was horribly written and it just slammed every facet of the film. Think he was expecting something on a budget of $1,000,000. I guess he didn’t read the enclosed press kit…. What a dumbass.
Let's talk about distribution. I hear that you've gotten a deal with Tempe DVD. How did this come about?
I sent them a screener and they made an offer I couldn’t refuse. Well I could of, but I chose to go with them because I just wanted to get it out there. I was never in it for the $$$$ I went into this with the expectation of not making a single cent back. I just wanted to do something for the fans and also to see if I could hack it as a filmmaker. I always wanted to make a film this was my chance.
Where can people go to learn more about the film?
Well they could type the film title into Google… but they can also visit the official site, http://www.playingwithdeadthings.com.
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