Jordan Thompson
Staff Writer
If some future journalist had the chance to visit the past and ask high school students what makes their generation different, the answers could range anywhere from Dubstep to the iPhone.
But if one thing is for sure, they would almost all agree that vampires, werewolves and zombies dominate their world of entertainment (think Twilight and Zombieland). A few students and teachers at Coppell High School might even say that zombies are by far the best of them all.
Those teachers and students would probably be physics teacher Andrew Patterson, Junior KCBY member Josh Brunelli and everyone else who is currently involved with the narrative film project Let There Be Zombies, written and directed by Andrew Patterson with help from movie enthusiasts Doug Lowe, Michael Vergien, Matt Bowden and brothers Gustavo and Manuel Monsante.
“About a year ago, this crazy idea to make a zombie movie popped into my head, and it just hit me,” Patterson said. “Zombies are crazy, but it’s a cool medium to address a lot of issues like why people would rather be in there own house instead of getting to know new people.”
The film is not an attempt to provide answers to all the problems in the world; it provides a very relevant message.
“It is a combination of good old-fashioned zombie bashing fun and a unique look at our desperate need for social interaction at a time when we know more about Hollywood stars than we do our neighbors,” Patterson said.
Let There Be Zombies takes place during the first few days of the zombie apocalypse and follows the journey of a middle school teacher, computer repair technician, alcoholic and high school freshman that somehow survived it. They are all faced with a choice; they can either sort out their differences and defeat the zombies or continue to try and outrun them forever.
Needless to say, they realize that in the real world things are not much different; you can’t run from your problems no better than you can from a creature that never sleeps.
But what makes it more than just a zombie film is what is happening behind the scenes. The project, though vividly painted in Patterson’s imagination, relies on people who are willing to help-especially financially. The film will not be funded unless at least $35,000 is pledged by April 25. They currently have $9,436 with three weeks to go.
“It’s a lot of money,” Patterson said. “And we’re getting closer to that time crunch. Even without the fund we would still make it but it would be toned down which is not what I want to happen at all.
Patterson’s team is also extremely passionate about the film being all or nothing.
“Ever since I was little I dreamed of shooting or being apart of a film,” junior Mason Adams said. “There’s nothing in the world that is more satisfying than completing a film and showing it to others.”
Adams is one of the many KCBY students involved with the project at CHS who have devoted their talent and time to making Let There Be Zombies, in the hope of fulfilling their vision.
“The students have been awesome,” Patterson said. “People in KCBY have been working as we make our promo films- they have been shooting it, they’ve been editing, they’ve been putting graphic work into it-there is such a great connection between these students and the film.”
“I have definitely learned a whole lot,” Brunelli said. “It’s a privilege to be on the set itself and witness what an actual casting call looks like as well as learn how to run a professional environment on set.”
Brunelli works behind the scenes as an assistant to Executive Producer Gustavo Monsante.
The promo films currently displayed on the kick-starter website, www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewpatterson/let-there-be-zombies, were filmed nearly eight months ago, and the ‘zombie’ team was brought together by the power of social networking and word of mouth. Even now the project is still fervently working towards attaining over 150 ‘zombies’. The first casting call took place on April 1st and nearly 60 people attended.
