This is going to be a sickeningly quick series of blog posts as I attempt to make an eight-minute vampire movie in twelve days, using only what I can borrow from the office and bribe my friends into doing. At stake, so to speak, is $1000 in prize money and, now that I’m telling you all that I’m going to do it, my honor. This is the contest; entrants are invited to make their own episode of the vampire web series
The Hunted
. The deadline is Sunday.
When I was getting ready for the project, I watched this video on makeup effects; I’d rather spend a dollar on a pack of gum than five dollars on scar wax, so when it’s time to find the bodies, it’s Trident Strawberry-Mint vampire bites. I let Nina chew her own, but sadly the first attempt fails and we have to use mine. Good thing we’re close friends. Add a little foundation, white powder, black eyeliner, and a bottle of stage blood:
We have three scenes scheduled; given that I failed to film the right scene last time, this makes me nervous. I leave Nina to costume everyone while I take Danny aside to film Macbeth’s little camera confessional. It’s one of the things that crops up in the actual Hunted series, so I figure as long as I’m sliding on some of their other conventions, I’ll make a nod. With only one actor and no moving parts, we’re done by the time everyone else is dressed.
The next scene is more complicated; I call it “Gina gives the actors five minutes to places,” and it’s a series of shots that I’ll have to cut together coherently, God help me. Mendez is taking garlic pills, Brent doesn’t have his pants on yet, and Lorraine has the idea to meditate in that overblown actor-y way. From gruesome death to underwear jokes in a single evening!
Stay tuned for “Curses, Not Loud But Deep,” or, We Finally Get Some Good Outtakes
All the stills are © the lovely and talented Ellen Wright and are used with her permission. More pictures from the shoot are here!
