By 2 A.M the nervous energy that the zombie extras had at the beginning of the shoot had vanished and was replaced by some exhaustion. Most of these people had day jobs and had been up for at least 18 hours at that point. You can buy a print of this image on my commercial site by clicking here.
2 A.M in the Mall
In 1978, Zombies were created almost exclusively through makeup. Today on shows like, “The Walking Dead” they use masks and other methods to create the effects. On Dawn of the Dead (1978), there were no harder working people than the makeup crew. Here is one of the makeup artists creating a zombie before shooting began. You can buy this images and others at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Time to Make the Zombies
We spent five days in Milan Italy last summer. It was a wonderful part of our European tour and we met great people, saw fantastic sites and ate exquisite cuisine. On one of our last days there we were looking for something off the beaten track and saw in a tour book a small note that said not to miss the canals of Milan. I thought Milan has Canals? That’s crazy, so off we went. This is not Venice or Bruges but the canals are lined with antique shops, clubs and bistros and offer short canal boat tours. The colorful buildings help to create an interesting ambiance. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Canals of Milan
One of the nights I was on location, the crew spent a lot of time filming a scene at the fountain. There must have been some sort of reflection problem and it required reblocking the scene and changing the camera positions. This is George Romero working on resolving the issue. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
George Romero Solving a Problem
Michael Gornick was the Director of Photography of some early Zombie Classics like Dawn of the Dead (1978). He was a really nice soft spoken man working with a very limited budget and inexperienced crew. He somehow managed to film one of the greatest cult films of all time. You can buy a print of this image on my commercial site by clicking here.
Michael Gornick Director of Photography
Dawn of the Dead (1978) was filmed in Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh between 9 P.M and 6 A.M when the Mall was closed. It was eerie being there in the middle of the night. Early in the evening, all the extras were excited and animated. Even during breaks, people would talk, get makeup retouches, drink coffee etc. Around 3 A.M. when this image was shot, most of the people were dead tired and the mall was strangely quiet. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
Between Takes
Jerry Garcia is best known for his brilliant guitar work as a solo artist and with the Grateful Dead. Early in his career he didn’t sing a lot of the songs but that changed quickly and he became known as a balladeer with a funny voice like Bob Dylan or Tom Petty. He wasn’t always on key but his voice had a raw emotion that made up for it. Here he is at Madison Square Garden in 1993. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden 1993
I was amazed at how long it took to make up a single Zombie. Not only did they need to have their faces made up but all so their arms, neck and any other exposed skin. They also had to be dressed so they looked undead.I don’t think the process has changed much. When I watch “The Walking Dead” I study the zombies in the background for the makeup effects and appreciate how long it takes to makeup an extra. This is a young lady sitting patiently while being made up for the 1978 “Dawn of the Dead. You can buy a print of this image on my Commercial Gallery by clicking here.
Zombie Getting Makeup
Other cities have taken the name city of lights, but we all know that the name refers to Paris and only Paris. Just as there is only one Big Apple, there is only one City of Lights. I have known Americans that refuse to go to Paris because they think the people are rude. My experience says that couldn’t be further from the truth. People are friendly and will go out of there way to help you, just like New Yorkers do. They will especially try to help you if you attempt to speak French to them. They may correct your French, but at the same time they will lead you to the Metro station rather than direct you. This is a view of Paris from Montmartre. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Rooftops of Paris
Another image of Stanley Clarke at the Stanley Theather in Pittsburgh during the 1970’s. This was taken during the School Days tour.
Stanley Clark Jams in Pittsburgh