Fields Of The Living Dead exclusive!

[John Titor]

Joel Trujillo, director of Fields of the Living Dead was kind enough to answer a few questions I posed. Fields of the Living Dead is the sequel to Joel's Dusk Of The Living Dead.

Me : For those of our users that don’t know already could you explain Dusk of the Living Dead is?

Joel : Dusk takes place the same day as the events take place in NOLD. This time with my ast. Director, Randal Greenwood, we've moved the setting to Southwest Kansas. We wanted to show the auddience I diffrent view but stay true to Romero's vision of NOLD.

Me : Your film is paying homage to Romero. Did the film evolve as production went on and how did it feel to finally have it finished and out there?

Joel : Dusk went really well durring production. Randal Greenwood and I couldn't ask for a better crew to work with. Our actors and actresses brought life to the characters. When it was time to wrap up it was really sad to say goodbye as Randal Greenwood and didn't plan on doing any more zombie moives let alone a sequal to Dusk. Randal and I were really excited at the world permier. To see everybody's face when watching our vision on film.

Me : Romero is obviously a big influence, what or who else influenced Dusk and the upcoming Fields of the Living Dead?

Joel : My influences for the Dusk and Fields were from what George brought the world with his dead movies. My father, Joe Frank Trujillo influenced me. He's quite the actor and comedian. He incourged me and inspired me to pick up a camera when I was 13 and start filming. And the first thing I would film would be my first zombie movie with dad as the zombie and my uncle as the victim.

Me : How do you feel when you look back at Dusk? Is there anything you would have changed or maybe anything you would have liked to have done but couldn’t due to budget constraints etc…

Joel : I don't know what Randal and would have changed? We're happy with what we had. What Randal and I would have liked would have been better camaras, computers and soft ware, more make-up crew help and time, but most of all to pay everybody in pay checks that was involved in making Dusk and to make Fields possible. One day JFT Productions will be able to do that.

Me : Can you tell us about the characters in Dusk, are they straightforward good or bad or can we expect some twists and turns? Will the characters be appearing in Fields and if so how have they evolved?

Joel : The characters in Dusk are all the same when comes to beining traped and surrounded by zombies. We have a newspaper reporter, a drunken Vietnam vet and survivalists, a cowardly young newspaper photographer and a rescued young woman. Later on some more people come but will die off soon. The only one that will make it will be the newspaper reporter, Kennie Porter, who's played by D. Brent McKinley. The reason for that is everybody in Dusk minus Kennie the Vietnam vet and the young girl are suppose to die. Those three make it in the end. When Dusk permiered, the fans watnted more. So what else to give them more.

The only problem is that the Vietnam vet in real life played by Mirky Edward Nordrum is really sick at this time and is under alot of medication. So Randal and I had to come up with a way to kill him. Randal and I only planed on filming the begining of Fields for Mirky's sakes. Everybody agreed to come back. The day of filming what would be our Trailer to fields was a nightmare!! Not only did we have to kill the Vietnam vet but now the young girl part, Nikki Weatherman played by Vanessa Bailey. Vanessa asks if we kill Nikki as she can't be in the movie no more for reasons that I will not mention. That was a blow to Randal and I. Reason why is that we had writtin the Script to Fields to be about Nikki and Kennie surviving and falling in love with each other. So we had to kill Nikki and with the scare that day Randal and I decided we better start filming Fields now before we lose D. Brent McKinley too. Kennie in Fields has had to really become brave and take care of himself as well as others now.

Me : What can viewers expect to take away from viewing Dusk? One thing I always enjoy is a zombie movie with a story to tell or a point to make.

Joel : Viewers can take with them after watching Dusk a sence of reliving History as it happened. Not just in the horror film history but the U.S. History. In 1968 the Vietnam war was still going on. We talk about that in the movie with the Vietnam vet. There's a scene in the movie where you can see a picture of LBJ hanging on the wall. The point is is that everybody has to survive againts the flesh eating zombies.

Me : It seems Dusk was a real labour of love, what where the highs and lows of making the film?

Joel : The high was filming with the cast and crew and making this thing happen to share with everybody else. The low was not enough time and money.

Me : I loved the fact this was in black and white, also there’s one image up on your website of the man running down the dusty road which just screams Hitchcock, where you set on this way from the very start or did you take input and help from where ever possible?

Joel : The only way to make Dusk more believeable was to film in B/W and film it as if it was 1968. Finding the vintage cars was hard for Randal and I but we pulled it off. Yess Hitchcock influnced my camera angles and look and feel of the movie as well as what Romero did with NOLD. That's classic in itself. Next was using the chololate syrup to look like blood. Hitchcock idea as well.

Me : You’ve gone with the GAR style zombies from Night, can we expect to see any subtle evolution in the zombies in Fields like how GAR’s changed from Night to Dawn and Day to Land?

Joel : Yes we will see the zombies start to look even more dead but still stick to what George did in NOLD Dawn and day. Not so much Land.

Me : Is there an explanation for your zombies existing or are they an analogy for something? Can we expect to learn anything new about them in Fields?

Joel : The analogy I leave for the fans is the same in NOLD to Land. We don't know what caused the mutation. Was in fact the Venus probe? The zombies in Fields will be the same as they where in NOLD to Day only. I would love to have a Bub zombie that has some feelings but at this time and the way the script looks… the zombies are the monsters and not so much the humans.

Me : The trailer for Fields of the Living Dead looks like great fun, how far along are you on this one and what can we expect to see?

Joel : Like I said before, what you see in the trailer is what Randal and I've got so far due to Vannesa and Mirky. We plan to pick up production in September of this year.

Me : Is there anything planned for Fields that you couldn’t include within Dusk? One thing I’ve always noticed is that many zombie filmmakers have to leave something out, even the great Romero had to cut back when it came to Day

Joel : More Zombies and a little more Day make-up effects the Later Tom Savini looks and feel but only done in B/W. By the way I do the make-up with a little help from some make-up people. Tom Savini influenced me there as well.

[John Titor]

Me : With Fields is there anything you’re doing differently, maybe a new style or a change in acting or aesthetics etc…?

Joel : With Fields Randal and I plan on keeping the same just more zombies and story. Randal and I are shooting for an hour and half like we wanted to the first time with Dusk.

Me : What kind of a release can we expect for Fields? I’m in the UK so sometimes certain zombie films are hard to acquire, can we expect a two film box ser maybe or any special features?

Joel : Don't know yet but via our website something will be available to our fans as far as DVDs are concerned.

Me : What do you feel will make Fields stand out from the crowded zombie market? What are your hopes for the film?

Joel : The feel and look of NOLD and what I think George would of loved to have done and maybe expressed more as Vitenam was a touchy subject in 1968.

Me : What are your hopes for the future of the zombie genre and what your plans for the future, can we expect more zombie films from yourself?

Joel : Randal and I hope to see more Romero films maybe work with Romero or just meet him and talk to him for an hour. As far as more zombie movies from Randal and I… Fields will be it for now. We want to film other stories.

Me : And finally, what’s your favourite zombie film and why?

Joel : All the dead movies from George Romero. The reason why is they get better as time goes by but the story stays true. If you're a little kid like I was when you watched a Dead movie, you'ld a wished you had a snorkal to go sleep with because the air gets really thin under the covers hiding in your room.

Big thanks to Joel Trujillo for taking his time to talk to us. More information on Dusk of the Living Dead can be found on the zombie nation at http://zombie-nation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8630

Dusk of the Living Deads main website is http://www.reeldiaries.com/jft/films/dusk.htm not only is there lots of information, images and trailers etc but the dvd can also be purcahsed there.

Fields of the Living Dead cn be found at http://www.reeldiaries.com/jft/films/FOLD/fields.htm where there are a few images and a downlaodable trailer to be viewed.

Dusk of the Living Dead synposis

It's 1968 as the recent dead come back to life as flesh eating, mindless monsters on the attack in the southwest Kansas! Will a newspaper reporter, a drunken Vietnam vet and survivalists, a cowardly young newspaper photographer and a rescued young woman be able to fend off the zombie hordes from inside the local newspaper office? It is a constant struggle to survive against the growing numbers of the relentless flesh eaters from the dead! If they hope to survive this world wide event they must temporarily leave their sanctuary to gather up supplies and weapons. Along the way they discover a few other survivors who join them. Will this band of misfits be able to hold out until help arrives, or are they doomed?

[John Titor]

Liberal filmmaker to have auditions for horror movie

By Tim Vandenack

The Hutchinson News


tvandenack@hutchnews.com

The living dead are coming back to southwest Kansas.


Joel Trujillo, an amateur filmmaker from Liberal, is making a reprise to his zombie flick, "Dusk of the Living Dead," and will be seeking out actors at three auditions starting next Friday.

"It's just a blast to make our own movies," said Hugoton photographer Randal Greenwood, who will be co-writing and co-directing the movie - "Fields of the Living Dead" - with Trujillo.

Brent McKinley, who plays intrepid reporter Kennie Porter in "Dusk," will star in the new movie, but numerous other supporting roles have yet to be filled. The filmmakers also are looking for zombie and human extras and others to help with behind-the-scenes details.

Friday's audition is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Point Rock Room at 625 Colorado in Elkhart. Subsequent auditions, also from 7 to 9 p.m., are set for Aug. 21 at the Community Building at the corner of 9th Street and Pershing Avenue in Liberal and for Aug. 25 at Greenwood Photography at 623 South Main in Hugoton.

"We're open to anybody who wants to try out," Greenwood said.

The filmmakers, who call the movie a "low-, low-budget sequel," aren't offering pay, but rather are touting the fun and experience of being involved as compensation.

"Dusk," inspired by George Romero's 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead," tells the tale of some flesh-eating zombies run amok and the living humans who combat them. "Fields" takes up where "Dusk" left off, following Porter as he battles zombies and seeks protection at a "camp for survivors," Greenwood said.

Greenwood said he and Trujillo are trying to hone their screenwriting skills and figure the best way to do it is to make movies and see what works and what doesn't.

"Fields" is to be filmed on location in Elkhart, Hugoton, Liberal and Johnson City, mainly on weekends and afternoons, so as not to interfere with the participants' day jobs. Go to www.ree ldiaries.com for more information.

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/region...ie081206.shtml

[John Titor]

Joel Trujillo, the guy behind this flick, just got in touch again. After three casting calls Randal Greenwood and Joel have selected the cast to star in FOLD. Filming will start Sept. 16 and 17 in Elkhart KS.

HERES THE GREAT PART! (look aicn caps style!)

Even though the speaking roles have been filled they can always use more zombie extras. They neexd you!

http://www.reeldiaries.com/jft/films/FOLD/fields.htm check the updated website for more details!!

[TwoGunBob]

Hey JT, get me a date with Ginger Barnes when you get a chance?


I can't figure out where they are based out of. Kansas?

[John Titor]

There are some things even I cannot manage I'm afraid.

[TwoGunBob]

Saw it was indeed Kansas I'm blind dur-dee-dur like the dead guys in my current sig I guess.

Please pull those strings, JT. Ginger Barnes was obviously meant to fall in luv wif m3.

[John Titor]

Have you been drinking today?

[TwoGunBob]

Water, booberry Kool-Aid, and a ch3rry cok3./ Y du u ask?

[John Titor]

Don't rub it in about the cherry coke.