ZOMBEES!

We're deep into pre-production for "Witch's Brew", my latest horror feature... but I took some time out to produce another installment of Lost Trailer Park. I'm trying not to miss a month (we'll see how that goes once we start shooting on July 15th).

Anyway... if the summer heat/humidity is getting to ya... just think... atleast there aren't giant mutated bumble bees around... you know... like this month's installment...

ZOMBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!




INFLUENCES
There have been many killer bee flicks... The Killer Bees, the Swarm, and my personal favorite... The Bees (with a ridiculous cameo from former US President Gerald Ford).

I was a projectionist/manager at a small afro-centric theatre in Baltimore for a bit, and we showed a 16mm print of "The Bees" one summer. If you've ever seen the film, you know how ridiculous it is... the best is offensive/homophobic ending where the military/scientists try to turn the bees gay so they can't reproduce. Yikes...

So, I checked out some quick trailers for that plus some other classic bug joints like "Kingdom of the Spiders" and "Giant Spider Invasion"... but nothing was really a direct rip. The title, Zombees" pretty much lends itself to a silliness that may just be "too campy".

BEHIND THE SCENES

Years back, in my college days... I thought up "Zombees". It was a funny title, but not much else. Late last year, my friend Justin Lanham (who played a monster in last month's "Frankendiner") texted me the title, telling me I should make it a flick. I didn't tell him I'd thought of it previously, but knowing that his discovery of it made him contact me... I knew it had "legs" and I could use it at some point. Lost Trailer Park was a perfect opportunity.

"Zombees" was a very fracture production. We shot my brother and Bob Creager (the scientist)'s bits on a Saturday. I taped my sister and brother-in-law on a weeknight (that's their adorable son, Oliver, my godson, as the desperate toddler). Finally, I shot some inserts and the footage of Ann Evans early one Friday morning.

The primitive (to say the least) bee animations were done in Photoshop and Final Cut. I made layers of the bee body and arms... then, greened around them and keyed them out in Final Cut.

Perhaps it would be easier to learn After Effects better... but I think that would take away some of the charm.... or maybe I'm just full of it.


CAST
Gardener... Ann Evans
Scientist... Bob Creager
Hero... Mike LaMartina
Husband... Andy Korch
Wife... Brooke Korch
Toddler... Oliver Korch

CREW
Written, Directed, and Edited by Chris LaMartina
Voice-Over by Andrew Shearer