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
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
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
You don’t often get the opportunity to watch an artist work. Tom Savini was the creator of the Zombies for Dawn of the Dead in 1978. He worked with a small staff and created all the makeup effects. The man could make ligaments from a bucket of goo. Here he is backstage creating another Zombie for the Zombie Classic. You can buy a print of this image on my commercial site by clicking here.
There is a lot of waiting around while filming a movie. On the original Dawn of The Dead, the extras would arrive early for makeup and then hang around until they were needed in a specific shot. Sometimes they would wait so long, they had to have their make up retouched. During coffee breaks they had to make sure they didn’t mess up their make up. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Zombie Coffee Break
Another shot of Jerry Garcia playing with the Grateful Dead at Madison Square Garden in 1993. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
Jerry Garcia at Madison Square Garden 1993