BACK TO PROJECTS
Having written a short script, which was best designed for animation (and quite large scale too), I wanted to take the basic idea - the last man standing delivering his final message before his demise - and transplant it into something that I could film easily.
The original script, called 'The End', is a highly visual piece, with lots of dramatic action sewn amidst the grotesque zombies. 'Signing Off', on the other hand, is far less about the visuals and more about the central performance.
It's a zombie themed short, which features no zombies. All the action is told through the sole protagonist's story. Mason Wood, a Medical Orderly at the West Midlands Refugee Camp #3, has escaped an invasion of the undead on the last human strong-hold in the entire British Isles, but not before getting bitten.
We meet him as he staggers forth on his last legs, collapsing at what will become his final resting place. Mason Wood, as played by Sean Connell (the first zombie in my 2005 short 'Trapped', and brother of DeadShed regular Ben), sets about delivering his final message, and this is the focus of 'Signing Off', a simple but effective short.
We returned to the woods of Llangarron (where in 2004 I shot 'my NIGHTMARE', in 2005 short part of 'Trapped' and in 2006 shot 'I Am Zombie Man'), and it was also the setting for 'I Am Zombie Man 2'.
Once again, in true DeadShed 'no budget' style, we shot quickly and efficiently, yet still in a mere couple of hours I gained over forty immediate insect bites, which ran havoc across my hands and arms for days upon days. Evidently, the insects had missed me since 2005, and were up for a damn good feast.
Similar to 'VHS: Long Play', I decided to shoot with 2.35:1 in mind, and continued my love affair with the software plug-in Magic Bullet to bring the frame to life.
As for Sean's performance - this was the first time of working with someone who's actually setting out to make a career from acting - he did a great job, and aside from a few key words of direction prior to filming, I let him just take charge of the acting side while I focussed on the film at large.
It was certainly a joy to work with Sean, and to see my script come to life so vividly. Then again, it's been a joy to work with all those who have participated in previous DeadShed shorts, who have all endured being doused in fake blood, insect bites, bitter cold and whatever else is par for the DeadShed course.
