1
00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,440
- You want a light?
Mm-hmm.

2
00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,040
How are things
down the other end?

3
00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:05,930
This is like living in Pittsburgh.
If you can call that living.

4
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,420
<i>A couple of people
have made that observation,</i>

5
00:01:11,510 --> 00:01:13,330
<i>that it's like working
in a foreign country,</i>

6
00:01:13,410 --> 00:01:16,830
<i>- working in Pittsburgh.
It gives you a lot of freedom.</i>

7
00:01:16,910 --> 00:01:19,830
<i>In addition to freedom,
it gives you a different perspective.</i>

8
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,840
<i>You're not so much
a victim of trends,</i>

9
00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,340
<i>of popular thinking,
of, you know...</i>

10
00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,320
<i>What's in the State-of-the-Art
head right now.</i>

11
00:01:32,830 --> 00:01:36,000
<i>This is a scene from
"Night of the Living Dead,"</i>

12
00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,830
<i>a low-budget film
co-authored, directed,</i>

13
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,310
<i>photographed, and edited
by George Romero...</i>

14
00:01:41,390 --> 00:01:43,360
<i>In 1968.</i>

15
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,260
<i>Already the head of a successful
commercial production house in Pittsburgh,</i>

16
00:01:47,340 --> 00:01:50,960
<i>this was his first venture
into feature Filmmaking.</i>

17
00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:53,240
<i>Its flaws were mainly budgetary,</i>

18
00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,120
<i>while its virtues
were clearly visionary,</i>

19
00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,980
<i>earning it popular success
as a horror film,</i>

20
00:02:00,070 --> 00:02:02,490
<i>and a cult following
for exploratory uses</i>

21
00:02:02,570 --> 00:02:05,570
<i>of genre and technique.</i>

22
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,550
<i>Style is difficult to define.</i>

23
00:02:25,630 --> 00:02:27,540
<i>Even in this disembodied clip</i>

24
00:02:27,630 --> 00:02:29,880
<i>the technical aspects
of Romero’s style</i>

25
00:02:29,970 --> 00:02:31,890
<i>are making themselves
apparent...</i>

26
00:02:32,870 --> 00:02:35,190
<i>They're in his cutting...</i>

27
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,430
<i>His camera angles...</i>

28
00:02:41,210 --> 00:02:44,430
<i>In his two-dimensional design
within the film frame...</i>

29
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,840
<i>Great spatial movements
from shot to shot...</i>

30
00:02:54,730 --> 00:02:56,700
<i>And even within shot.</i>

31
00:03:03,140 --> 00:03:05,410
<i>Just making films
in Pittsburgh for 10 years</i>

32
00:03:05,490 --> 00:03:07,960
<i>has become a sort
of stylistic statement.</i>

33
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,960
<i>In January of '78,</i>

34
00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,890
<i>Romero and his Producer
Richard Rubinstein</i>

35
00:03:14,980 --> 00:03:17,960
<i>allowed a film crew from the
school of visual arts onto the set</i>

36
00:03:18,050 --> 00:03:19,970
<i>of their latest production,</i>

37
00:03:20,050 --> 00:03:22,030
<i>the second part
of the "Dead" trilogy,</i>

38
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,850
<i>"Dawn of the Dead."</i>

39
00:03:24,940 --> 00:03:27,190
<i>Using footage shot
over one long weekend,</i>

40
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,220
<i>a documentary took shape,</i>

41
00:03:29,290 --> 00:03:31,840
<i>focusing first
on the Filmmaking process</i>

42
00:03:31,930 --> 00:03:35,260
<i>and secondly
on directorial vision...</i>

43
00:03:35,350 --> 00:03:37,630
<i>What part of it
reaches the screen unhampered,</i>

44
00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,840
<i>what external forces affect it.</i>

45
00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,270
<i>But first,
let's introduce our cast.</i>

46
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,740
<i>In pre-production...
George Romero, Screenwriter.</i>

47
00:03:48,810 --> 00:03:52,230
<i>Richard Rubinstein, Producer.</i>

48
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,990
<i>In production...
George Romero, directing.</i>

49
00:03:56,070 --> 00:03:58,490
<i>Richard Rubinstein, producing.</i>

50
00:03:59,580 --> 00:04:03,000
<i>Michael Gornick,
Cinematographer.</i>

51
00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,000
<i>Carl Augenstein,
Lighting Director.</i>

52
00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,000
<i>Tom Savini,
Creator of Special Makeup,</i>

53
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,100
<i>Actor and Stuntman.</i>

54
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,760
<i>Ken Foree,  Actor.</i>

55
00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,760
<i>Scott Reiniger, Actor.</i>

56
00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:22,260
<i>David Emge, Actor.</i>

57
00:04:22,350 --> 00:04:24,770
<i>John Amplas, Actor in "Martin"</i>

58
00:04:24,850 --> 00:04:26,770
<i>and Casting Director of "Dawn,"</i>

59
00:04:26,850 --> 00:04:30,270
<i>and in post-production...
Editing the film.</i>

60
00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,160
<i>Pre-production involves
writing the screenplay,</i>

61
00:04:36,250 --> 00:04:38,670
<i>raising the money
and organizing the shoot.</i>

62
00:04:38,750 --> 00:04:41,290
<i>- All aboard.
- Good morning.</i>

63
00:04:41,370 --> 00:04:42,790
<i>Hiya.
How long to Pittsburgh?</i>

64
00:04:42,870 --> 00:04:45,290
- 10 hours to Pittsburgh.
- Is there a bar car?

65
00:04:45,370 --> 00:04:47,280
- On your left.
- Thank you.

66
00:04:47,370 --> 00:04:50,170
<i>Madam, traveling alone?
- All alone.</i>

67
00:04:50,260 --> 00:04:53,050
<i>- Shall I wake you for Pittsburgh?
- No, I’m going to New York.</i>

68
00:04:53,130 --> 00:04:54,550
- The Big Apple?
- Right?

69
00:04:54,630 --> 00:04:57,550
- Thank you and good night.
- Thank you. Good night.

70
00:04:57,630 --> 00:05:01,430
<i>These are the opening
moments of "Martin,"</i>

71
00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,940
<i>the film Romero made
just before "Dawn."</i>

72
00:05:04,020 --> 00:05:06,940
<i>As the story unfolds, you'll
see the screenplay qualities...</i>

73
00:05:07,030 --> 00:05:09,320
<i>All inherently cinematic...</i>

74
00:05:09,390 --> 00:05:11,810
<i>Which begin
to articulate his style.</i>

75
00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,820
<i>First the visual imperative.</i>

76
00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:17,810
<i>With few exceptions,
cinema relies</i>

77
00:05:17,900 --> 00:05:20,820
<i>as little as possible
on the spoken word.</i>

78
00:05:20,910 --> 00:05:22,830
<i>Characterization and plot</i>

79
00:05:22,910 --> 00:05:25,830
<i>are best revealed through action</i>

80
00:05:25,910 --> 00:05:28,040
<i>and accumulation of detail.</i>

81
00:05:56,490 --> 00:05:59,720
<i>Montage concepts begin
in the screenplay.</i>

82
00:06:47,540 --> 00:06:50,210
<i>The story is developing
with literally no dialogue,</i>

83
00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:52,720
<i>and suspense is being generated</i>

84
00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,220
<i>not only in the horror
of the situation</i>

85
00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:57,710
<i>but in the mystery
of the plot itself.</i>

86
00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,830
<i>We still don't know
his identity,</i>

87
00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,840
<i>his motives, or his goal.</i>

88
00:07:11,430 --> 00:07:14,350
<i>Romero's use
of dual linear movement</i>

89
00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,860
<i>fleshes out
the two dimensions
of film into three.</i>

90
00:07:17,940 --> 00:07:21,000
<i>A use of such devices as
the manipulation of time...</i>

91
00:07:28,580 --> 00:07:31,500
<i>Or other devices
such as irony...</i>

92
00:08:05,750 --> 00:08:09,150
<i>As you can see from the final page
of the "Dawn" screenplay,</i>

93
00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,650
<i>Romero’s use of the form
is unorthodox...</i>

94
00:08:11,740 --> 00:08:13,660
<i>In a medium where one page</i>

95
00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:16,670
<i>generally equals
one minute of film.</i>

96
00:08:16,750 --> 00:08:19,920
<i>The script seems long.
Did you plan to shoot it all?</i>

97
00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,920
<i>I mean, giving yourself
leeway in the cutting?</i>

98
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,920
<i>Pretty much.
I usually write long scripts.</i>

99
00:08:26,010 --> 00:08:29,930
<i>"Martin" was a long script
that was really a long script.</i>

100
00:08:30,010 --> 00:08:34,430
<i>The first cut came out at almost
two hours and 45 minutes.</i>

101
00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:36,940
<i>- Wow.
- This is a long script that seems long.</i>

102
00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:38,940
<i>It's not really long.</i>

103
00:08:39,020 --> 00:08:41,430
<i>There is so much description.</i>

104
00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,440
<i>And if you read those pages,</i>

105
00:08:43,530 --> 00:08:45,950
<i>there is so much action</i>

106
00:08:46,030 --> 00:08:49,450
<i>described in great paragraphs</i>

107
00:08:49,530 --> 00:08:52,450
<i>where I got carried away
describing the action
itself.</i>

108
00:08:52,530 --> 00:08:56,450
<i>Some of those things
take a second and a half.</i>

109
00:08:56,540 --> 00:08:59,460
<i>And it's not cutting that long.</i>

110
00:08:59,540 --> 00:09:01,960
<i>We did...
I cut the first half of the film</i>

111
00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:03,960
<i>and it came in at 45 minutes,</i>

112
00:09:04,050 --> 00:09:06,970
<i>so I think the first cut
will be about a two-hour cut.</i>

113
00:09:07,050 --> 00:09:08,970
<i>- Great.
- Which is not bad for a first cut.</i>

114
00:09:11,050 --> 00:09:14,970
<i>To what extent do other
influences creep into a work?</i>

115
00:09:15,060 --> 00:09:17,480
<i>And at what stage?</i>

116
00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,120
<i>A lot of people have
often compared you to Hitchcock.</i>

117
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,630
<i>But you don't buy that.
How come?</i>

118
00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,120
<i>They have some nerve.</i>

119
00:09:32,710 --> 00:09:37,130
<i>No, I don't...
Filmmaking is funny.</i>

120
00:09:37,210 --> 00:09:40,130
<i>Filmmakers...
All artists to some extent</i>

121
00:09:40,220 --> 00:09:42,140
<i>are parasitic
of what they've seen,</i>

122
00:09:42,220 --> 00:09:44,640
<i>and what they are
basically imitating,</i>

123
00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,140
<i>what attracted them
in the first place.</i>

124
00:09:47,220 --> 00:09:50,140
<i>Filmmakers, maybe
more than any other form,</i>

125
00:09:50,230 --> 00:09:52,650
<i>I mean, it's not like
you can sit down with a pencil</i>

126
00:09:52,730 --> 00:09:55,650
<i>and do your thing...
Or a canvas or whatever.</i>

127
00:09:55,730 --> 00:09:57,640
<i>It's very expensive
and very few people</i>

128
00:09:57,730 --> 00:10:00,150
<i>get enough chance
to work with the hardware,</i>

129
00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,660
<i>and get enough chance to really</i>

130
00:10:02,740 --> 00:10:06,160
<i>develop a style...</i>

131
00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,150
<i>Except on a very
intellectual level.</i>

132
00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,160
<i>That's why unfortunately
the State-of-the-Art</i>

133
00:10:11,250 --> 00:10:14,170
<i>has somewhat gone towards
menus and pre-planning</i>

134
00:10:14,250 --> 00:10:17,170
<i>and everything else...
Which is a little bit destructive.</i>

135
00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:24,680
<i>I would say that if I’m parasitic
of anybody it's more Welles,</i>

136
00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,680
<i>and some of the early...
Like Howard Hawks and people like that.</i>

137
00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,180
<i>Those were films
that really affected me.</i>

138
00:10:32,270 --> 00:10:34,190
<i>There are certain
Hitchcockian things that...</i>

139
00:10:34,270 --> 00:10:37,690
<i>First of all, I don't consciously
when I'm setting up a shot</i>

140
00:10:37,770 --> 00:10:40,190
<i>say wow, remember
that shot in...</i>

141
00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,700
<i>And then try to imitate that.</i>

142
00:10:42,780 --> 00:10:45,200
<i>They are Hitchcock-type
influences...</i>

143
00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,200
<i>The sequence in the cemetery in
"Night of the Living Dead"...</i>

144
00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:53,620
<i>Where you see the figure way in the
background and don't know what it is.</i>

145
00:10:53,710 --> 00:10:55,980
<i>And it gradually
gets worked into the plot.</i>

146
00:10:56,060 --> 00:10:58,930
<i>It starts to become a threat,
and then the threat is a real threat.</i>

147
00:10:59,010 --> 00:11:01,170
<i>That's kind of
a Hitchcockian sequence.</i>

148
00:11:05,050 --> 00:11:07,910
Hey, I mean praying's
for church, huh?

149
00:11:07,990 --> 00:11:09,840
Come on.

150
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,340
I haven't seen you
in church lately.

151
00:11:12,420 --> 00:11:14,340
Well...

152
00:11:14,430 --> 00:11:17,850
Not much sense
in my going to church.

153
00:11:17,930 --> 00:11:19,850
Do you remember one time
when we were small

154
00:11:19,930 --> 00:11:23,180
we were out here?
It was from right over there.

155
00:11:23,270 --> 00:11:24,790
I jumped out at you
from behind the tree,

156
00:11:24,870 --> 00:11:27,710
and Grandpa got all excited
and he shook his fist at me

157
00:11:27,790 --> 00:11:30,710
and he said,
"Boy, you'll be damned to Hell!"

158
00:11:30,790 --> 00:11:34,170
Remember that?
Right over there.

159
00:11:34,260 --> 00:11:36,730
You used to really be
scared here.

160
00:11:36,820 --> 00:11:40,170
- Johnny!
- You're still afraid.

161
00:11:40,250 --> 00:11:42,170
Stop it now, I mean it.

162
00:11:45,710 --> 00:11:48,630
They're coming
to get you, Barbara.

163
00:11:49,930 --> 00:11:51,850
Stop it.
You're ignorant.

164
00:11:51,930 --> 00:11:54,750
They're coming for you, Barbara.

165
00:11:54,830 --> 00:11:57,250
Stop it!
You're acting like a child.

166
00:11:57,340 --> 00:11:59,380
They're coming for you.

167
00:11:59,450 --> 00:12:02,670
<i>Look, there comes
one of them now.</i>

168
00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,130
- He'll hear you.
- Here he comes now.

169
00:12:05,210 --> 00:12:07,100
- I'm getting out of here.
- Johnny...

170
00:12:07,180 --> 00:12:09,600
<i>A couple of pieces
that I've seen written</i>

171
00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:12,460
<i>about "Night of the Living Dead"
say that it takes us back</i>

172
00:12:12,550 --> 00:12:14,550
<i>to silent cinema storytelling.</i>

173
00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,010
Johnny!
Help me.

174
00:12:22,690 --> 00:12:25,210
<i>I can see now a couple
of specific things</i>

175
00:12:25,300 --> 00:12:28,250
<i>in a couple of my films that are
Hitchcockian in that way.</i>

176
00:12:29,530 --> 00:12:32,330
<i>Sometimes people say it
because of the plot lines...</i>

177
00:12:32,420 --> 00:12:35,840
<i>The very certain ironies
in the plots that I use.</i>

178
00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:37,840
<i>I don't think that
has anything to do with form,</i>

179
00:12:37,930 --> 00:12:40,850
<i>I think that's more a content
association people are making.</i>

180
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,770
<i>"The Thing" was the movie that
knocked me down when I was a kid.</i>

181
00:12:45,850 --> 00:12:47,400
<i>That's the one,
I think, horror film.</i>

182
00:12:47,490 --> 00:12:49,910
<i>Everyone says
"What attracts you to the genre?"</i>

183
00:12:49,990 --> 00:12:51,910
<i>And it was probably
"The Thing."</i>

184
00:12:51,990 --> 00:12:53,910
<i>I was the right age
at exactly the right time</i>

185
00:12:53,990 --> 00:12:57,520
<i>and it had exactly the right effect on me.
I've never forgotten it.</i>

186
00:12:57,610 --> 00:12:59,780
<i>The cineographics
of "The Thing,"</i>

187
00:12:59,860 --> 00:13:01,780
<i>and those of "Night"  and "Dawn"</i>

188
00:13:01,870 --> 00:13:04,040
<i>are remarkably similar.</i>

189
00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,540
<i>Confined spaces within which
groups of protagonists</i>

190
00:13:06,620 --> 00:13:10,040
<i>are eternally on guard
against a deadly foe.</i>

191
00:13:10,130 --> 00:13:13,520
<i>Tranquility never exists
in Romero’s world.</i>

192
00:13:13,844 --> 00:13:17,844
<i>You could say his style is derived from
D.W. Griffith's because he uses closeups.</i>

193
00:13:17,990 --> 00:13:21,877
<i>The truth of it is, artists imprint
distinctive auras on their films.</i>

194
00:13:22,073 --> 00:13:25,606
<i>"Genre" is a term which should
have been invented by the distributors.</i>

195
00:13:25,895 --> 00:13:28,695
<i>For the artist,
it's just a departure point.</i>

196
00:13:29,340 --> 00:13:30,740
<i>Thank you</i>

197
00:13:31,402 --> 00:13:34,002
<i>Casting occurs
in pre-production.</i>

198
00:13:34,082 --> 00:13:36,362
<i>Is it an irony
in both "Night and "Dawn"</i>

199
00:13:36,452 --> 00:13:39,622
<i>that Romero’s main
protagonists are black?</i>

200
00:13:39,702 --> 00:13:42,122
<i>In "Night of the Living Dead"</i>

201
00:13:42,212 --> 00:13:44,132
<i>the character,
if you read the script...</i>

202
00:13:44,212 --> 00:13:48,132
<i>If you read my shooting script,</i>

203
00:13:48,212 --> 00:13:50,132
<i>the character is never described</i>

204
00:13:50,212 --> 00:13:52,632
<i>in terms of his color.</i>

205
00:13:52,722 --> 00:13:55,142
<i>And Duane was the best actor
that we knew</i>

206
00:13:55,222 --> 00:13:59,142
<i>from among our friends,
which was where we cast
that film...</i>

207
00:13:59,222 --> 00:14:02,142
<i>Where we cast that film.
And so he did the part.</i>

208
00:14:02,232 --> 00:14:04,652
<i>Consciously, I resisted
writing new dialogue</i>

209
00:14:04,732 --> 00:14:07,152
<i>because he happened to be black.</i>

210
00:14:07,232 --> 00:14:09,782
<i>And just let it play
and we just shot the script.</i>

211
00:14:09,872 --> 00:14:12,542
<i>As we started to shoot
and got into it,</i>

212
00:14:12,622 --> 00:14:14,542
<i>we lived at that farmhouse.</i>

213
00:14:14,622 --> 00:14:17,042
<i>So we were always into raps
about the implications</i>

214
00:14:17,122 --> 00:14:19,042
<i>and the meanings
and stuff like that.</i>

215
00:14:19,132 --> 00:14:20,922
<i>Some of that maybe
crept into the film.</i>

216
00:14:26,082 --> 00:14:28,382
<i>I think in both
"Night"  and "Dawn"</i>

217
00:14:28,472 --> 00:14:30,762
<i>the biggest job
that all of us had</i>

218
00:14:30,842 --> 00:14:32,762
<i>during the production
of both of those films</i>

219
00:14:32,842 --> 00:14:34,902
<i>was subduing
all of those thoughts.</i>

220
00:14:34,982 --> 00:14:36,942
<i>Those can really interfere
with what you're doing.</i>

221
00:14:36,982 --> 00:14:39,802
<i>What you're doing on the surface
is making a comic book.</i>

222
00:14:41,932 --> 00:14:46,602
<i>Those ironies that you're talking about
are that selection process...</i>

223
00:14:46,692 --> 00:14:49,612
<i>Is something again
that happened at script stage,</i>

224
00:14:49,692 --> 00:14:51,612
<i>or on a consciousness level</i>

225
00:14:51,692 --> 00:14:54,112
<i>somewhere beneath the craft
of making the film.</i>

226
00:14:54,336 --> 00:14:56,600
Our news cameras
have just returned

227
00:14:56,639 --> 00:15:00,127
from covering such a search and
destroy operation against the ghouls.

228
00:15:00,162 --> 00:15:04,151
<i>Themes, motifs, and metaphors</i>

229
00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,828
<i>trace back to the
screenplay stage</i>

230
00:15:06,835 --> 00:15:09,839
<i>why does the media play such
an important part in his films?</i>

231
00:15:10,032 --> 00:15:13,746
... have been organized to search out
and destroy the marauding ghouls.

232
00:15:14,413 --> 00:15:19,763
<i>I worked in television for so long, that maybe
it's just an important part of my background.</i>

233
00:15:19,830 --> 00:15:24,093
<i>I also just have a lot of attitudes
about what that "reach",</i>

234
00:15:24,261 --> 00:15:30,484
<i>that whole "communications electronic box" has done
to everybody. So I guess I tend to take "jabs" at it.</i>

235
00:15:30,902 --> 00:15:34,991
The plan is, kill the brain
and you kill the ghoul.

236
00:15:36,159 --> 00:15:39,663
- Want anything from the supply wagon?
- No, we're all right.

237
00:15:40,999 --> 00:15:43,300
Hey, cass, put that thing
all the way in the fire.

238
00:15:43,335 --> 00:15:45,964
- We don't want it getting up again.
- All right, I gotcha.

239
00:15:45,999 --> 00:15:47,967
Chief McClellan,
how's everything going?

240
00:15:48,008 --> 00:15:51,055
Oh, things aren't going too bad.
Men are taking it pretty good.

241
00:15:51,472 --> 00:15:53,808
You want to get on the other side
of the road over there.

242
00:15:54,434 --> 00:15:56,674
Chief, do you think we'll be
able to defeat these things?

243
00:15:56,770 --> 00:15:59,399
Well, we killed 19 of them
today, right in this area.

244
00:15:59,607 --> 00:16:02,862
Those last three we caught trying to
claw their way into an abandoned shed.

245
00:16:02,904 --> 00:16:05,658
They must have thought somebody
was in there. There wasn't, though.

246
00:16:06,082 --> 00:16:09,282
<i>People on the television,
not really answering the question</i>

247
00:16:09,406 --> 00:16:12,906
<i>but making it more confusing,
that's been the conscience part of that.</i>

248
00:16:12,930 --> 00:16:15,130
<i>Because that's generally what it's about.</i>

249
00:16:16,437 --> 00:16:20,077
<i>"Ladies and Gentlemen there was a plane crash
that took out a small piece of Manhattan...</i>

250
00:16:20,173 --> 00:16:21,173
<i>... more later."</i>

251
00:16:23,526 --> 00:16:27,350
<i>it's never reassuring,
it's always alarming.</i>

252
00:16:28,010 --> 00:16:29,810
<i>That's been a kind of
conscience through-line.</i>

253
00:16:30,112 --> 00:16:33,932
<i>The Producer is in a key
position during pre-production,</i>

254
00:16:34,022 --> 00:16:36,062
<i>securing funds, putting the film</i>

255
00:16:36,142 --> 00:16:38,562
<i>into a viable financial
and legal position,</i>

256
00:16:38,642 --> 00:16:41,062
<i>and thereafter
protecting the director.</i>

257
00:16:41,142 --> 00:16:44,562
<i>I think that we tend to operate</i>

258
00:16:44,652 --> 00:16:47,072
<i>in more a European style in terms</i>

259
00:16:47,152 --> 00:16:49,572
<i>of the way we produce
and the way George directs,</i>

260
00:16:49,652 --> 00:16:51,562
<i>and that we tend to follow</i>

261
00:16:51,652 --> 00:16:54,572
<i>Sarris' auteur theory of direction,</i>

262
00:16:54,662 --> 00:16:57,582
<i>and that I see
my function as a Producer</i>

263
00:16:57,662 --> 00:17:00,082
<i>in terms of providing
George Romero</i>

264
00:17:00,162 --> 00:17:02,572
<i>with a brush,
palette and canvas.</i>

265
00:17:02,662 --> 00:17:05,082
<i>And his creative control
is absolute</i>

266
00:17:05,172 --> 00:17:08,092
<i>in terms of the film itself...</i>

267
00:17:08,172 --> 00:17:10,592
<i>That he's the scriptwriter,</i>

268
00:17:10,672 --> 00:17:12,472
<i>that he's the director
and he's the editor.</i>

269
00:17:12,562 --> 00:17:16,282
And it's totally the product
of one man's vision on a creative level.

270
00:17:16,406 --> 00:17:22,506
<i>This is the largest budget that George
has had to work with in terms of production.</i>

271
00:17:23,883 --> 00:17:28,716
<i>I think that he's got enough money
here to do what he wants to do.</i>

272
00:17:30,092 --> 00:17:34,892
<i>It's not an excessive amount of money by traditional
Hollywood standards. This is a low-budget picture.</i>

273
00:17:35,231 --> 00:17:40,631
<i>Of course anything under $2½ million dollars is
considered low-budget in terms of major studios.</i>

274
00:17:40,662 --> 00:17:42,542
<i>The biggest difference
really in "Dawn"</i>

275
00:17:42,632 --> 00:17:44,552
<i>is working with
a little bit of money</i>

276
00:17:44,632 --> 00:17:47,552
<i>and still being satisfied
with the product.</i>

277
00:17:47,632 --> 00:17:50,552
<i>In fact, it was easier.
I was paranoid about it upfront,</i>

278
00:17:50,642 --> 00:17:53,562
<i>because just having
that extra weight is a trip.</i>

279
00:17:55,142 --> 00:17:58,562
<i>But I’m comfortable with
what "Dawn of the Dead" is.</i>

280
00:17:58,652 --> 00:18:01,572
<i>And the extra money it
took to make it what it is</i>

281
00:18:01,652 --> 00:18:04,572
<i>was really not a hindrance at all.
It was a big, big help.</i>

282
00:18:04,652 --> 00:18:07,072
<i>A lot of people say
"I can't work with money,</i>

283
00:18:07,152 --> 00:18:09,822
<i>I can't work with a lot
of people around."</i>

284
00:18:09,912 --> 00:18:13,832
<i>This film was financed
in somewhat of a traditional way</i>

285
00:18:13,912 --> 00:18:16,322
<i>in that it's co-financed
internationally,</i>

286
00:18:16,412 --> 00:18:18,832
<i>that a group headed
by Dario Argento</i>

287
00:18:18,922 --> 00:18:22,342
<i>in Italy co-financed
the film with us.</i>

288
00:18:22,422 --> 00:18:24,342
<i>And our end
of the co-financing</i>

289
00:18:24,422 --> 00:18:26,332
<i>comes from private individuals.</i>

290
00:18:27,922 --> 00:18:30,342
<i>I think it was unique
in that this project</i>

291
00:18:30,432 --> 00:18:33,352
<i>started off with two creative
people getting together...</i>

292
00:18:33,432 --> 00:18:35,852
<i>Dario Argento and George Romero.</i>

293
00:18:35,932 --> 00:18:38,712
<i>And then the business side
came after that point.</i>

294
00:18:38,802 --> 00:18:41,722
<i>Now the physical
productions begins.</i>

295
00:18:41,812 --> 00:18:43,732
<i>In this second stage
the Director</i>

296
00:18:43,812 --> 00:18:47,232
<i>and Cinematographer stand
to share equally in importance</i>

297
00:18:47,312 --> 00:18:49,292
<i>for what is captured on film.</i>

298
00:18:51,452 --> 00:18:53,372
<i>It's the eighth week
of the "Dawn" shoot,</i>

299
00:18:53,452 --> 00:18:56,372
<i>we're in an $80 million mall
in Pittsburgh,</i>

300
00:18:56,452 --> 00:18:58,372
<i>which Romero is allowed
to use each night</i>

301
00:18:58,462 --> 00:19:00,382
<i>from 11:00 till 7:00
in the morning.</i>

302
00:19:01,962 --> 00:19:04,382
<i>- Everyone ready?
- Camera?</i>

303
00:19:04,462 --> 00:19:06,372
<i>- It's rolling.
- Sound.</i>

304
00:19:17,472 --> 00:19:19,392
<i>Cut.</i>

305
00:19:24,982 --> 00:19:27,902
<i>He does not get uptight,</i>

306
00:19:27,982 --> 00:19:30,402
<i>he asks me if it's possible</i>

307
00:19:30,492 --> 00:19:32,912
<i>and asks me how much time
it's gonna take.</i>

308
00:19:32,992 --> 00:19:36,412
<i>And then he'll give me a straight
"yes" or "no" on whether to do it.</i>

309
00:19:36,492 --> 00:19:39,412
<i>There's no bullshit,
there's no yelling,</i>

310
00:19:39,502 --> 00:19:40,922
<i>it's been a very...</i>

311
00:19:41,002 --> 00:19:43,422
<i>For shooting this long
under these conditions</i>

312
00:19:43,502 --> 00:19:45,822
<i>I’d say it's been
absolutely wonderful.</i>

313
00:19:45,902 --> 00:19:47,802
<i>George Romero</i>

314
00:19:47,892 --> 00:19:49,812
<i>directs pretty much
the way he is...</i>

315
00:19:49,892 --> 00:19:52,312
<i>Pleasant, relaxed,</i>

316
00:19:53,092 --> 00:19:55,012
<i>great sense of humor.</i>

317
00:19:55,026 --> 00:19:57,959
<i>And intelligent,
so the combinations work well.</i>

318
00:19:57,964 --> 00:20:01,164
<i>There's no hurry,
there's no pressure,</i>

319
00:20:01,354 --> 00:20:02,654
<i>we discuss it.</i>

320
00:20:02,753 --> 00:20:04,753
<i>And usually a very few words are exchanged.</i>

321
00:20:04,891 --> 00:20:07,791
<i>There are ideas, a few words
and we've got it.</i>

322
00:20:08,072 --> 00:20:12,272
<i>The man's like water and you're a ship,
so you just float along and do the job.</i>

323
00:20:13,197 --> 00:20:14,197
<i>Okay.</i>

324
00:20:14,658 --> 00:20:15,658
<i>Ready?</i>

325
00:20:16,065 --> 00:20:17,065
<i>Quiet.</i>

326
00:20:19,038 --> 00:20:20,038
<i>Action.</i>

327
00:20:20,672 --> 00:20:23,022
<i>The best thing about him
is that he gets across</i>

328
00:20:23,112 --> 00:20:25,032
<i>what he wants
without telling you.</i>

329
00:20:25,112 --> 00:20:27,532
<i>I don't know how he does it,
but it's incredible.</i>

330
00:20:27,612 --> 00:20:30,032
<i>'Cause he's so clear about what
he wants all the time.</i>

331
00:20:30,122 --> 00:20:34,042
<i>I think when he's working
he's editing at the same time.</i>

332
00:20:34,122 --> 00:20:36,032
<i>When he says it looks good,</i>

333
00:20:36,122 --> 00:20:39,042
<i>we've learned that indeed
it will look good,</i>

334
00:20:39,132 --> 00:20:41,052
<i>because he has a very good eye.</i>

335
00:20:41,132 --> 00:20:44,052
<i>The atmosphere which pervaded
the "Dawn" shoot</i>

336
00:20:44,132 --> 00:20:47,052
<i>was unusual for a film production
in this country.</i>

337
00:20:47,132 --> 00:20:49,052
<i>And while good films
have been created</i>

338
00:20:49,142 --> 00:20:52,562
<i>by directors who were
universally despised,</i>

339
00:20:52,642 --> 00:20:54,562
<i>there's no doubt
that chemistry counts.</i>

340
00:20:57,142 --> 00:21:00,062
<i>I think George likes
confidence in his crew,</i>

341
00:21:00,152 --> 00:21:03,072
<i>but I think he likes to work with
people he feels at ease with.</i>

342
00:21:03,152 --> 00:21:05,022
<i>They have to be confident,
but beyond that</i>

343
00:21:05,102 --> 00:21:07,482
<i>he likes people he can work with till
7:00 in the morning</i>

344
00:21:07,572 --> 00:21:10,492
<i>like we did today...
And feel at ease with them.</i>

345
00:21:10,572 --> 00:21:13,492
<i>There's a lot of rapping
that goes on constantly on the shoots.</i>

346
00:21:13,582 --> 00:21:17,002
<i>A lot of fun
and a lot of hard work.</i>

347
00:21:17,082 --> 00:21:20,502
<i>It's a joy working with George,
because he accepts a lot of input</i>

348
00:21:20,582 --> 00:21:24,002
<i>in terms of what I see or...
It's amazing that even suggestions</i>

349
00:21:24,092 --> 00:21:27,512
<i>that come oftentimes
from crew members through me...</i>

350
00:21:27,592 --> 00:21:31,012
<i>And he's very willing
to accept those observations.</i>

351
00:21:31,092 --> 00:21:33,372
<i>A lot of his film is
input from the crew.</i>

352
00:21:33,462 --> 00:21:35,882
<i>A lot of freedom...
It's a real democracy with George.</i>

353
00:21:41,972 --> 00:21:44,492
<i>The "Dawn" production
took a month off in December</i>

354
00:21:44,582 --> 00:21:48,502
<i>rather than remove and restore
the holiday decorations every night,</i>

355
00:21:48,982 --> 00:21:51,402
<i>losing hours of shooting time.</i>

356
00:21:51,482 --> 00:21:55,402
<i>Romero used that month
to cut what he had already shot.</i>

357
00:21:55,492 --> 00:21:57,412
<i>By the time
the school crew arrived,</i>

358
00:21:57,492 --> 00:21:59,912
<i>four weeks into the second
round of shooting,</i>

359
00:21:59,992 --> 00:22:02,412
<i>he had covered the screenplay
well enough</i>

360
00:22:02,492 --> 00:22:06,412
<i>to stop at any point and edit the
footage into release form.</i>

361
00:22:06,502 --> 00:22:09,422
<i>It was now
in an improvisational stage</i>

362
00:22:09,502 --> 00:22:11,892
<i>where new ideas
were being developed.</i>

363
00:22:11,972 --> 00:22:14,892
<i>This picture's really
designed for right now.</i>

364
00:22:14,972 --> 00:22:17,752
<i>It's much more of a comic book...
It's much lighter.</i>

365
00:22:17,842 --> 00:22:20,642
<i>It didn't seem so in the script.</i>

366
00:22:20,732 --> 00:22:23,152
<i>In fact, the scene
we saw being shot yesterday,</i>

367
00:22:23,232 --> 00:22:25,652
<i>the pie fight...</i>

368
00:22:25,732 --> 00:22:27,652
<i>And I’d heard rumors</i>

369
00:22:27,732 --> 00:22:30,152
<i>that the ending
has been also changed.</i>

370
00:22:30,242 --> 00:22:32,162
<i>Yeah, in fact, we shot both,</i>

371
00:22:32,242 --> 00:22:35,112
<i>because I wasn't willing
to give up the tragic ending.</i>

372
00:22:35,192 --> 00:22:38,112
<i>But this film,
"Dawn of the Dead"</i>

373
00:22:38,202 --> 00:22:41,622
<i>has... it's a very
romanticized film.</i>

374
00:22:43,532 --> 00:22:45,952
MI vida!
Miguelito.

375
00:22:50,832 --> 00:22:53,252
<i>The major change that's happened</i>

376
00:22:53,332 --> 00:22:55,252
<i>that I can see
from my conceptions</i>

377
00:22:55,332 --> 00:22:58,252
<i>upon first reading it and now</i>

378
00:22:58,332 --> 00:23:01,252
<i>is that it's lightening up.</i>

379
00:23:01,342 --> 00:23:03,262
<i>You know?</i>

380
00:23:03,342 --> 00:23:06,762
<i>When I first read it, I thought
it was awfully shocking</i>

381
00:23:06,842 --> 00:23:11,262
<i>to think just in terms of
numbers of bodies being maimed</i>

382
00:23:11,352 --> 00:23:14,772
<i>and gallons of blood
being spilled,</i>

383
00:23:14,852 --> 00:23:16,762
<i>but there is a quality
coming out</i>

384
00:23:16,852 --> 00:23:20,272
<i>that is
counter-weighting that.</i>

385
00:23:22,362 --> 00:23:26,782
<i>It's definitely becoming
more of a fantasy to me...</i>

386
00:23:26,862 --> 00:23:29,282
<i>More of an adventure
to me than I first</i>

387
00:23:29,372 --> 00:23:32,822
<i>conceived of it
upon first reading it.</i>

388
00:23:33,462 --> 00:23:35,232
<i>I think the number
of the special effects</i>

389
00:23:35,352 --> 00:23:37,772
<i>are a substantial
portion of the budget,</i>

390
00:23:37,852 --> 00:23:39,272
<i>where prior to this</i>

391
00:23:39,352 --> 00:23:42,272
<i>they were less so
in George’s other films.</i>

392
00:23:42,352 --> 00:23:45,772
<i>It's the number of explosions, the number
of cosmetic effects that Tom SavinI does.</i>

393
00:23:49,642 --> 00:23:50,472
Ya!

394
00:23:50,562 --> 00:23:52,482
<i>Those things take
a certain amount of time</i>

395
00:23:52,572 --> 00:23:55,492
<i>and a certain amount of budgetary
support in order to...</i>

396
00:23:55,572 --> 00:23:58,632
<i>Get them to work.
They don't always work the first time.</i>

397
00:23:58,702 --> 00:24:01,122
<i>A squib is simply a detonator.</i>

398
00:24:01,212 --> 00:24:04,132
<i>But we placed
the detonator in a tube</i>

399
00:24:04,212 --> 00:24:06,132
<i>that was filled with gunpowder.</i>

400
00:24:06,212 --> 00:24:09,462
<i>And that was placed inside
a prophylactic which was filled with blood.</i>

401
00:24:09,552 --> 00:24:12,422
<i>So when the blast went off,
the concussion blew</i>

402
00:24:12,502 --> 00:24:15,922
<i>the prophylactic and the blood
from beneath the clothing.</i>

403
00:24:16,012 --> 00:24:17,932
<i>We're in this mall
when the mall closes,</i>

404
00:24:18,012 --> 00:24:19,932
<i>the mall closes
9:30 or so.</i>

405
00:24:20,012 --> 00:24:22,432
<i>We start coming in around 8:00
to get set up and everything.</i>

406
00:24:22,512 --> 00:24:25,932
<i>We only have until 7:00 in the morning
before we have to stop shooting,</i>

407
00:24:26,022 --> 00:24:28,942
<i>because we got to get all our
stuff out when the mall opens.</i>

408
00:24:29,022 --> 00:24:31,332
<i>They'll be times
in a particular night</i>

409
00:24:31,402 --> 00:24:33,322
<i>where we're shooting
all over the script.</i>

410
00:24:33,412 --> 00:24:36,452
<i>It has to be done fast, because that
all has to be done in seven hours.</i>

411
00:24:39,032 --> 00:24:41,452
<i>George is a wonderful guy.
You can say to George...</i>

412
00:24:41,532 --> 00:24:43,492
<i>He'll be very cool...
No expression on his face...</i>

413
00:24:43,532 --> 00:24:46,452
<i>You can say to him,
"George I've got this fabulous idea,</i>

414
00:24:46,542 --> 00:24:48,462
<i>why don't we take
a screwdriver...</i>

415
00:24:50,792 --> 00:24:53,212
<i>Say the maintenance man
has a screwdriver on his belt,</i>

416
00:24:53,292 --> 00:24:55,212
<i>and have the maintenance man
zombie attack scott.</i>

417
00:25:06,192 --> 00:25:08,232
<i>Scott pulls a screwdriver
out of his bag</i>

418
00:25:08,312 --> 00:25:12,122
<i>and sticks it in the zombie's ear,
shoves it in the brain.</i>

419
00:25:13,952 --> 00:25:15,872
<i>George will go "okay."</i>

420
00:25:15,952 --> 00:25:18,372
<i>You could say "George,
how about if we get dragons</i>

421
00:25:18,452 --> 00:25:20,362
<i>coming out of the fountains
in the mall?"</i>

422
00:25:20,452 --> 00:25:23,372
<i>I'm sure he'd go, "yeah, okay, yeah."
You can't shake him.</i>

423
00:25:23,462 --> 00:25:25,752
<i>The first half of the shooting
was very organized</i>

424
00:25:25,832 --> 00:25:27,752
<i>and there wasn't
a great deal of improvisation</i>

425
00:25:27,832 --> 00:25:30,632
<i>because most of the big
effects were done in the first part.</i>

426
00:25:30,712 --> 00:25:32,882
<i>The things George wrote in the script,
we planned ahead.</i>

427
00:25:32,972 --> 00:25:35,392
<i>We knew exactly...
We would stand in the office</i>

428
00:25:35,472 --> 00:25:37,892
<i>and he would walk the whole
thing through and be a zombie,</i>

429
00:25:37,972 --> 00:25:41,902
<i>be the victim, be the helicopter.
Very organized.</i>

430
00:25:41,972 --> 00:25:43,892
<i>This shoot's a little different.</i>

431
00:25:43,982 --> 00:25:46,402
<i>We've created characters
on our own.</i>

432
00:25:46,482 --> 00:25:50,402
<i>I've created a character and a friend,
a stunt-man’s created a character.</i>

433
00:25:50,482 --> 00:25:52,402
<i>He's been developing
those characters</i>

434
00:25:52,482 --> 00:25:54,902
<i>as we shoot...
Day by day.</i>

435
00:25:54,992 --> 00:25:58,412
<i>So it's like really loose,
this half of the shoot.</i>

436
00:25:59,492 --> 00:26:01,412
<i>And just as much fun.</i>

437
00:26:01,492 --> 00:26:03,912
<i>How many zombies
are you making up a night?</i>

438
00:26:04,002 --> 00:26:07,422
<i>It depends on what
we're doing in the script.</i>

439
00:26:07,502 --> 00:26:10,422
<i>Some nights we'll have 200,
sometimes we'll have five.</i>

440
00:26:10,502 --> 00:26:13,422
<i>The nights we have five,
they're the concentrated scenes</i>

441
00:26:13,512 --> 00:26:15,432
<i>between one lead,</i>

442
00:26:15,512 --> 00:26:17,432
<i>and we put five around him
so it looks like</i>

443
00:26:17,512 --> 00:26:20,432
<i>a continuation of the 200
the day before.</i>

444
00:26:20,512 --> 00:26:22,432
<i>It depends, like I say,</i>

445
00:26:22,512 --> 00:26:24,932
<i>it depends on what's in
the script for that night.</i>

446
00:26:27,022 --> 00:26:29,442
<i>Can you explain
what you're doing right now?</i>

447
00:26:29,522 --> 00:26:33,442
<i>Okay, these are foam latex appliances
I’m sticking on his face.</i>

448
00:26:33,532 --> 00:26:36,452
<i>These are zombies...
Or people that have died in interesting ways...</i>

449
00:26:36,532 --> 00:26:40,422
<i>Or not interesting ways, just people
who have died and come back to life.</i>

450
00:26:40,502 --> 00:26:43,912
<i>A lot of them look like
car accident victims,</i>

451
00:26:43,992 --> 00:26:45,912
<i>cancer patients.</i>

452
00:26:45,992 --> 00:26:49,412
<i>One guy came in here in a
three-piece suit, beautiful three-piece suit,</i>

453
00:26:49,492 --> 00:26:51,402
<i>so I made him up like
a mortician would</i>

454
00:26:51,492 --> 00:26:54,162
<i>at a funeral parlor.
And he was like "beautiful."</i>

455
00:26:54,252 --> 00:26:56,172
<i>Overly made-up
with lipstick and all that.</i>

456
00:26:56,252 --> 00:26:59,172
<i>So he was walking around
like a fresh one.</i>

457
00:26:59,252 --> 00:27:02,922
<i>Okay, you have to lean forward just a bit
so I can powder all this.</i>

458
00:27:03,012 --> 00:27:05,682
<i>It'll probably get
all over your shirt here.</i>

459
00:27:05,762 --> 00:27:08,682
<i>Others are people who have
been bitten by other zombies</i>

460
00:27:08,762 --> 00:27:10,672
<i>and who have died
and become zombies.</i>

461
00:27:10,762 --> 00:27:12,682
<i>And they're the ones
that are the grossest.</i>

462
00:27:12,772 --> 00:27:15,442
<i>I don't know what happened to you...
A car accident,</i>

463
00:27:15,522 --> 00:27:17,442
<i>zombie bit your face off
or something like that.</i>

464
00:27:17,522 --> 00:27:20,812
<i>The fun of this thing
is inventing all this stuff.</i>

465
00:27:23,492 --> 00:27:25,912
<i>Can you close your eyes?</i>

466
00:27:26,002 --> 00:27:27,922
<i>And I’m covering them
with this stuff</i>

467
00:27:28,002 --> 00:27:29,922
<i>called rubber mask greasepaint.</i>

468
00:27:30,002 --> 00:27:33,762
<i>It's a greasepaint that has
more castor oil in it.</i>

469
00:27:33,842 --> 00:27:36,762
<i>It keeps the rubber piece from
drying out and changing color</i>

470
00:27:36,842 --> 00:27:38,632
<i>after the makeup
has been on it for a while.</i>

471
00:27:38,712 --> 00:27:40,682
<i>You sculpt them in clay.
You make a mold of them,</i>

472
00:27:40,762 --> 00:27:44,182
<i>and you pour foam latex in the mold...
You bake it in an oven.</i>

473
00:27:44,262 --> 00:27:47,182
<i>I took a big photo tray
and sculpted a zillion wounds,</i>

474
00:27:47,272 --> 00:27:49,692
<i>cast them...
And I had those and I did another one...</i>

475
00:27:49,772 --> 00:27:51,692
<i>Cast them
and I had those wounds.</i>

476
00:27:51,772 --> 00:27:54,682
<i>When I’m making a piece
and I have foam latex left over,</i>

477
00:27:54,772 --> 00:27:58,192
<i>I’ll pour it in one of these slabs, and I’ll
have extra wounds laying around.</i>

478
00:27:58,282 --> 00:28:00,202
<i>Are there any schools
that teach that?</i>

479
00:28:00,282 --> 00:28:02,202
<i>No, not that I know of.
I had to teach myself.</i>

480
00:28:07,402 --> 00:28:10,322
<i>The director must be
a psychologist.</i>

481
00:28:12,912 --> 00:28:15,832
<i>He must also be
a story-boarder,</i>

482
00:28:15,912 --> 00:28:17,822
<i>an editor...</i>

483
00:28:17,912 --> 00:28:19,832
<i>Linking the disparate
sensibilities</i>

484
00:28:19,922 --> 00:28:22,342
<i>of cast and crew
with his own vision.</i>

485
00:28:22,422 --> 00:28:25,342
<i>Okay, if it's straight up,
we can do it with hands.</i>

486
00:28:25,422 --> 00:28:28,342
<i>Tom Savini, now on
the other side of the camera,</i>

487
00:28:28,422 --> 00:28:30,342
<i>is about to assay
a difficult stunt</i>

488
00:28:30,432 --> 00:28:33,352
<i>which will portray
his demise onscreen.</i>

489
00:28:33,432 --> 00:28:36,352
<i>One can see under these
specialized circumstances,</i>

490
00:28:36,432 --> 00:28:39,352
<i>Romero effortlessly
fulfilling his ongoing roles</i>

491
00:28:39,442 --> 00:28:42,362
<i>as prime mover
of the production.</i>

492
00:28:42,442 --> 00:28:46,362
<i>- Keep going, keep going.
- Ready, Tom?</i>

493
00:28:46,442 --> 00:28:50,492
<i>Keep going...
Okay, okay, good.</i>

494
00:28:52,082 --> 00:28:54,862
<i>- Hold on, Tom.
- All set?</i>

495
00:28:54,952 --> 00:28:56,862
<i>- Any time.
- Are you rolling?</i>

496
00:28:56,952 --> 00:28:59,002
<i>Stand by. You gonna
go right there, Tom?</i>

497
00:28:59,092 --> 00:29:02,012
<i>Yeah, from here.</i>

498
00:29:02,092 --> 00:29:05,622
<i>- Ready, Mike?
- Hold on.</i>

499
00:29:05,712 --> 00:29:08,682
<i>Do you have
Shelby’s hand in the light?</i>

500
00:29:08,762 --> 00:29:10,182
<i>Holding the bench on the left?</i>

501
00:29:10,272 --> 00:29:13,272
<i>- I can't see any bench.
- Quiet, please.</i>

502
00:29:19,362 --> 00:29:21,282
<i>- Okay, Mike?
- Beautiful.</i>

503
00:29:21,362 --> 00:29:23,782
<i>Out of sight, beautiful.</i>

504
00:29:30,372 --> 00:29:32,792
<i>What about the approach
you're taking in directing it?</i>

505
00:29:32,872 --> 00:29:34,782
<i>I thought
 "Night of the Living Dead"</i>

506
00:29:34,872 --> 00:29:37,792
<i>was pretty tightly story-boarded.
Is that true?</i>

507
00:29:37,882 --> 00:29:40,802
<i>It was and it wasn't.
A lot of the sequences were,</i>

508
00:29:40,882 --> 00:29:43,302
<i>as a lot of the sequences
in this film are.</i>

509
00:29:43,382 --> 00:29:46,802
<i>Oh, 'cause while we've been here,
it seems very loose.</i>

510
00:29:46,892 --> 00:29:49,812
<i>It's been loose, but you've been here
only for a few scenes too.</i>

511
00:29:51,892 --> 00:29:53,802
<i>Some of the scenes...</i>

512
00:29:54,392 --> 00:29:57,812
<i>As you watch the interlock
I think, you'll find to be</i>

513
00:29:57,902 --> 00:30:00,942
<i>very, very close to the way
that script is written.</i>

514
00:30:01,022 --> 00:30:03,442
<i>Story-boarding refers
most commonly</i>

515
00:30:03,522 --> 00:30:07,442
<i>to a series of artists'
renderings prepared in pre-production.</i>

516
00:30:07,522 --> 00:30:12,042
<i>In production, each shot will
correspond to one of these sketches.</i>

517
00:30:12,132 --> 00:30:13,532
<i>George is a genius
in that respect.</i>

518
00:30:13,612 --> 00:30:15,532
<i>He can memorize
his own storyboards.</i>

519
00:30:15,612 --> 00:30:17,532
<i>He prepares them himself.</i>

520
00:30:17,622 --> 00:30:20,542
<i>And Chris, his A.D.,
has helped in that respect too.</i>

521
00:30:20,622 --> 00:30:23,542
<i>But he doesn't literally
storyboard his shots.</i>

522
00:30:23,622 --> 00:30:26,542
<i>He's a very complex director.</i>

523
00:30:26,632 --> 00:30:28,552
<i>He likes to keep it to himself</i>

524
00:30:28,632 --> 00:30:32,052
<i>in terms of the actual story-boarding
of blocking scenes.</i>

525
00:30:32,132 --> 00:30:35,052
<i>And he brings it with him to the set.
That's his style.</i>

526
00:30:35,132 --> 00:30:38,052
<i>There are certain things
that I want to happen</i>

527
00:30:38,142 --> 00:30:40,562
<i>that build on each other.</i>

528
00:30:42,142 --> 00:30:45,062
<i>In this film,
the people starting to get</i>

529
00:30:45,142 --> 00:30:47,062
<i>tempted and attracted
by the mall.</i>

530
00:30:47,152 --> 00:30:49,572
<i>And starting to get...</i>

531
00:30:49,652 --> 00:30:54,572
<i>Adopting the military
approach to taking it over.</i>

532
00:30:54,652 --> 00:30:58,572
<i>And those are the things
that I’ve tried to keep</i>

533
00:30:58,662 --> 00:31:00,582
<i>as close as possible
to the script...</i>

534
00:31:00,662 --> 00:31:03,582
<i>The sequence when they
go and get the trucks</i>

535
00:31:03,662 --> 00:31:06,582
<i>and block off
the outside of the mall.</i>

536
00:31:06,672 --> 00:31:09,092
<i>Because there is a certain build</i>

537
00:31:09,172 --> 00:31:11,592
<i>that was written
into the script,</i>

538
00:31:11,672 --> 00:31:13,592
<i>which I really think adds to...</i>

539
00:31:16,182 --> 00:31:19,102
<i>The overall flow
of the suspense of the film.</i>

540
00:31:21,682 --> 00:31:23,602
Martin.

541
00:31:26,822 --> 00:31:29,242
<i>Here in a later scene
from "Martin,"</i>

542
00:31:29,322 --> 00:31:31,352
<i>Romero’s modern vampire story,</i>

543
00:31:31,442 --> 00:31:34,002
<i>one can feel a tight
pre-structured quality</i>

544
00:31:34,082 --> 00:31:36,352
<i>indicative
of story-boarding.</i>

545
00:31:38,532 --> 00:31:40,442
<i>I had a copy of the script</i>

546
00:31:40,532 --> 00:31:43,702
<i>about a month and a half or two
before we started shooting.</i>

547
00:31:43,792 --> 00:31:46,462
<i>And he already had it
story-boarded to an extent.</i>

548
00:31:54,132 --> 00:31:56,192
- Martin.

549
00:31:59,602 --> 00:32:03,022
<i>There's a lot of quick cuts
of you creeping down hallways,</i>

550
00:32:03,112 --> 00:32:05,532
<i>and how would you hit
your mark emotionally?</i>

551
00:32:05,612 --> 00:32:08,532
<i>I generally didn't worry
about it emotionally.</i>

552
00:32:08,612 --> 00:32:12,532
<i>I was more interestedin hitting the mark...
In being in the right place.</i>

553
00:32:14,122 --> 00:32:15,542
Martin.

554
00:32:15,622 --> 00:32:18,042
Martin.

555
00:32:18,122 --> 00:32:20,042
Martin!

556
00:32:20,122 --> 00:32:22,292
Martin?

557
00:32:35,502 --> 00:32:38,302
- Who are you?
- Oh my God.

558
00:32:38,392 --> 00:32:41,312
Look, let's not get
excited about this now.

559
00:32:41,392 --> 00:32:44,812
There's no reason to get upset.

560
00:32:44,902 --> 00:32:46,322
I don't know him!

561
00:32:52,652 --> 00:32:55,572
<i>Were the scenes
very tightly blocked off?</i>

562
00:32:55,662 --> 00:32:59,082
<i>They weren't tightly blocked,
but they were blocked.</i>

563
00:32:59,162 --> 00:33:03,582
<i>Because of being
such an action scene,</i>

564
00:33:03,672 --> 00:33:05,092
<i>we had written blocking</i>

565
00:33:05,172 --> 00:33:08,592
<i>just as if we would work
in a theater.</i>

566
00:33:08,672 --> 00:33:10,582
<i>Of course,
"Martin" was a small shoot...</i>

567
00:33:10,672 --> 00:33:14,202
<i>Generally not
more than eight people
on the set in total.</i>

568
00:33:14,292 --> 00:33:17,712
<i>"Dawn" had, I think, 35 in
staff and hundreds in actors.</i>

569
00:33:17,802 --> 00:33:20,222
<i>- Yeah, many nights, hundreds.
- And his attention</i>

570
00:33:20,302 --> 00:33:22,722
<i>was being pulled away
all too often.</i>

571
00:33:22,802 --> 00:33:25,852
<i>So he kept himself
pretty much by himself during that.</i>

572
00:33:25,942 --> 00:33:29,362
<i>But his overall attitude with actors
was pretty much the same.</i>

573
00:33:29,442 --> 00:33:32,862
<i>Your role in "Dawn" was on
the other side of the camera.</i>

574
00:33:32,942 --> 00:33:34,862
<i>I was Casting Director.</i>

575
00:33:34,952 --> 00:33:37,742
<i>Mostly my job
was recruiting zombies.</i>

576
00:33:37,822 --> 00:33:40,742
<i>Creative compromise is the name
of the game in Filmmaking.</i>

577
00:33:40,822 --> 00:33:43,742
<i>Logistics of production
force one to make decisions</i>

578
00:33:43,822 --> 00:33:47,492
<i>counter to the original concept,
but ultimately beneficial.</i>

579
00:33:47,582 --> 00:33:50,002
<i>We were talking before
about the fact</i>

580
00:33:50,082 --> 00:33:53,502
<i>that when he got to the mall,
it had a different atmosphere</i>

581
00:33:53,582 --> 00:33:56,502
<i>than he already thought</i>

582
00:33:56,592 --> 00:33:58,512
<i>about "Dawn" having.</i>

583
00:33:58,592 --> 00:34:01,512
<i>The mall also brought
a futuristic look to the film.</i>

584
00:34:01,592 --> 00:34:03,762
<i>It was so vast.</i>

585
00:34:03,842 --> 00:34:06,262
<i>The idea of the mall itself,</i>

586
00:34:06,352 --> 00:34:10,272
<i>the moment we see it,
the moment we come in and see what it is,</i>

587
00:34:10,352 --> 00:34:13,772
<i>I think it's gonna
become obvious</i>

588
00:34:13,852 --> 00:34:15,772
<i>in terms of what
we're saying about</i>

589
00:34:15,852 --> 00:34:20,272
<i>the false security
of consumer society.</i>

590
00:34:20,362 --> 00:34:22,282
<i>It's a great metaphor.</i>

591
00:34:22,362 --> 00:34:24,272
<i>It's a great set, too.</i>

592
00:34:24,362 --> 00:34:26,282
<i>- Great location, really.
- Great location.</i>

593
00:34:26,372 --> 00:34:28,792
<i>We couldn't do it
without a mall like this.</i>

594
00:34:28,872 --> 00:34:30,792
<i>We were really lucky to get it.</i>

595
00:34:30,872 --> 00:34:33,792
<i>How's it been working with it?
Have there been problems?</i>

596
00:34:33,872 --> 00:34:35,292
<i>There have been
a few problems...</i>

597
00:34:35,372 --> 00:34:37,792
<i>- Mainly technical?
- Mainly technical.</i>

598
00:34:37,882 --> 00:34:39,802
<i>No real people problems at all.</i>

599
00:34:39,882 --> 00:34:42,302
<i>When I read it,
I could easily picture the editing.</i>

600
00:34:42,382 --> 00:34:44,792
<i>I mean your style,
between the angles.</i>

601
00:34:44,882 --> 00:34:46,802
<i>But I didn't picture
the color designs</i>

602
00:34:46,892 --> 00:34:49,812
<i>- or what the mall would look like.
- All of those influences...</i>

603
00:34:49,892 --> 00:34:53,812
<i>Everyone's attitude toward the thing,
as well as my own desire,</i>

604
00:34:53,892 --> 00:34:57,312
<i>I think, to brighten things up...
go more action adventure.</i>

605
00:35:06,912 --> 00:35:09,082
<i>First of all
you're dealing, as I said,</i>

606
00:35:09,162 --> 00:35:11,582
<i>with 3-400 extras
in some scenes,</i>

607
00:35:11,662 --> 00:35:13,582
<i>you're dealing
with a shopping mall</i>

608
00:35:13,662 --> 00:35:16,082
<i>as our primary set,
where their primary business</i>

609
00:35:16,162 --> 00:35:18,082
<i>is in fact selling
consumer goods.</i>

610
00:35:18,172 --> 00:35:21,092
<i>And integrating what we want
to do with the life of the mall</i>

611
00:35:21,172 --> 00:35:23,982
<i>has been an arduous
and complicated task.</i>

612
00:35:24,062 --> 00:35:25,982
<i>There is no way to pay...</i>

613
00:35:26,062 --> 00:35:28,982
<i>Or let's say that there is,
but it's way beyond our capacity to pay</i>

614
00:35:29,062 --> 00:35:31,472
<i>in dollar values what the
use of the mall is worth.</i>

615
00:35:31,562 --> 00:35:33,482
<i>The people that own
the shopping mall</i>

616
00:35:33,572 --> 00:35:35,992
<i>have been aesthetically
attached to Filmmaking</i>

617
00:35:36,072 --> 00:35:39,492
<i>and they are getting enough money
so it doesn't cost them anything</i>

618
00:35:39,572 --> 00:35:41,602
<i>to have us in here,</i>

619
00:35:41,692 --> 00:35:45,622
<i>which is an expensive
proposition in itself.</i>

620
00:35:45,692 --> 00:35:47,612
<i>But in terms of looking at it,</i>

621
00:35:47,702 --> 00:35:50,122
<i>are they making a profit
on our being involved with them?</i>

622
00:35:50,202 --> 00:35:52,122
<i>No, that's not the case.</i>

623
00:35:52,202 --> 00:35:55,112
<i>- What about insurance?
- Insurance is a very costly item...</i>

624
00:35:55,202 --> 00:35:58,722
<i>Particularly where you're
dealing in public places.</i>

625
00:36:00,592 --> 00:36:03,512
<i>If a little old lady
tends to see a zombie,</i>

626
00:36:03,602 --> 00:36:06,522
<i>or happens to see a zombie
wandering around with makeup</i>

627
00:36:06,602 --> 00:36:09,142
<i>and has a heart attack,
that's a potential problem.</i>

628
00:36:09,222 --> 00:36:12,392
<i>I don't want to limit that
to little old ladies, but anyone.</i>

629
00:36:12,472 --> 00:36:15,392
<i>So, yes the insurance...</i>

630
00:36:15,472 --> 00:36:19,492
<i>Tab on this particular picture
is a substantial number.</i>

631
00:36:19,982 --> 00:36:22,902
<i>You all right?
You okay?</i>

632
00:36:22,982 --> 00:36:26,402
<i>- - Yeah, I’m all right.
- All right, Savini.</i>

633
00:36:26,492 --> 00:36:29,412
<i>All right, Savini.</i>

634
00:36:34,392 --> 00:36:36,262
<i>Obviously you can't
light a place this size</i>

635
00:36:36,342 --> 00:36:39,762
<i>without spending
a week to light it.</i>

636
00:36:39,842 --> 00:36:42,762
<i>We discussed doing the
whole thing in one shot...</i>

637
00:36:42,852 --> 00:36:45,272
<i>Rehearsing 30 days
and shoot it one day.</i>

638
00:36:48,352 --> 00:36:50,272
<i>So we have to keep it pretty low</i>

639
00:36:50,352 --> 00:36:52,772
<i>otherwise there would
be really dead areas.</i>

640
00:36:52,862 --> 00:36:55,782
<i>The situation
is not enough time,</i>

641
00:36:55,862 --> 00:36:57,782
<i>not enough lights</i>

642
00:36:57,862 --> 00:37:00,782
<i>and incredibly large spaces
to deal with.</i>

643
00:37:00,872 --> 00:37:05,292
<i>And I think the large spaces
and the fact that we're shooting</i>

644
00:37:05,372 --> 00:37:08,292
<i>a large number of angles
on any given shot</i>

645
00:37:08,372 --> 00:37:11,292
<i>are the biggest problem.</i>

646
00:37:11,382 --> 00:37:14,802
<i>We'll do a setup,
an initial setup and shoot one angle.</i>

647
00:37:14,882 --> 00:37:18,302
<i>And the director
will immediately call for a reversal on it.</i>

648
00:37:18,382 --> 00:37:21,802
<i>Normally, that's not
too big a problem,</i>

649
00:37:21,892 --> 00:37:24,312
<i>but in this case,
one reversal might</i>

650
00:37:24,392 --> 00:37:27,812
<i>encompass 200 or 300 feet</i>

651
00:37:27,892 --> 00:37:30,022
<i>of mall area</i>

652
00:37:30,112 --> 00:37:32,012
<i>where you have background
just to fill in,</i>

653
00:37:32,102 --> 00:37:34,522
<i>just to create touches
to avoid black holes.</i>

654
00:37:34,602 --> 00:37:38,022
<i>Hotspots...
There's glass everywhere creating reflections.</i>

655
00:37:38,102 --> 00:37:41,022
<i>My first reaction
was total panic.</i>

656
00:37:41,112 --> 00:37:43,032
<i>I aggravated myself to death,</i>

657
00:37:43,112 --> 00:37:45,912
<i>because I really...
I wanted it to be better.</i>

658
00:37:45,992 --> 00:37:48,412
<i>The initial shots were so big</i>

659
00:37:48,502 --> 00:37:50,922
<i>that I had to use every light</i>

660
00:37:51,002 --> 00:37:53,422
<i>to its absolute fullest amount.</i>

661
00:37:53,502 --> 00:37:57,422
<i>I couldn't skip
a couple of sections</i>

662
00:37:57,512 --> 00:37:59,932
<i>and say, "I’ll fill them
in with another light."</i>

663
00:38:00,012 --> 00:38:03,302
<i>I had to know
that between every 10 feet
there had to be something,</i>

664
00:38:03,382 --> 00:38:05,302
<i>or every certain area
there had to be</i>

665
00:38:05,382 --> 00:38:07,302
<i>a highlight or a spot.
I had to know that.</i>

666
00:38:07,382 --> 00:38:09,292
<i>And I had to know
exactly what it was.</i>

667
00:38:09,382 --> 00:38:11,302
<i>And I went back to my books</i>

668
00:38:11,392 --> 00:38:13,312
<i>and I read performance figures</i>

669
00:38:13,392 --> 00:38:16,452
<i>on every lamp that I have,
and measured things</i>

670
00:38:16,522 --> 00:38:18,942
<i>and went through it
over and over again.</i>

671
00:38:19,032 --> 00:38:21,952
<i>And finally it came out.</i>

672
00:38:22,032 --> 00:38:24,952
<i>We got the initial
setup done and it worked.</i>

673
00:38:25,032 --> 00:38:28,952
<i>And I felt likeabout five million pounds
was taken off of my head.</i>

674
00:38:29,042 --> 00:38:31,962
<i>While we're swinging with it
on the very, very big shots</i>

675
00:38:32,042 --> 00:38:34,462
<i>right here, right now
we're using a lot of tungsten.</i>

676
00:38:34,542 --> 00:38:36,962
<i>We're pushing one stop...</i>

677
00:38:37,042 --> 00:38:39,962
<i>And we're working with ease
under that situation.</i>

678
00:38:40,052 --> 00:38:42,972
<i>For the very, very big shots
we're pushing one again</i>

679
00:38:43,052 --> 00:38:46,482
<i>and using some zeiss...</i>

680
00:38:46,552 --> 00:38:48,472
<i>- Distagon.
- Distagon lenses,</i>

681
00:38:48,562 --> 00:38:52,982
<i>with the 1.4 which gives us
plenty of light to shoot under.</i>

682
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:55,520
<i>So then the basis
of this film for me</i>

683
00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:59,020
<i>is to go in and set up areas,</i>

684
00:38:59,100 --> 00:39:01,520
<i>set a main source of light.</i>

685
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:05,020
<i>And that's not particularly a key light,
it's a source of light,</i>

686
00:39:05,110 --> 00:39:07,530
<i>whether it be
a lamp or ceiling light</i>

687
00:39:07,610 --> 00:39:09,900
<i>or a window light...
Whatever it is.</i>

688
00:39:09,980 --> 00:39:12,400
<i>Then I sit back
and I look at what's there</i>

689
00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,390
<i>and build upon that.</i>

690
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:16,900
<i>A lot of the situations
are available light,</i>

691
00:39:16,990 --> 00:39:20,410
<i>because it's the only
possible way to shoot it.</i>

692
00:39:20,490 --> 00:39:22,410
<i>The shots are either too large</i>

693
00:39:22,490 --> 00:39:25,290
<i>or the movement
is too fast to light.</i>

694
00:39:25,380 --> 00:39:29,300
<i>That's really the biggest problem
 is this time situation.</i>

695
00:39:29,380 --> 00:39:32,300
<i>We've managed by doing
basically area lighting</i>

696
00:39:32,390 --> 00:39:34,810
<i>by bouncing a lot
of light around</i>

697
00:39:34,890 --> 00:39:36,810
<i>creating natural effects.</i>

698
00:39:36,890 --> 00:39:39,310
<i>Not lighting to the shot,
but lighting areas.</i>

699
00:39:41,890 --> 00:39:44,430
<i>- Let's go.
- Okay, arrives at the column.</i>

700
00:39:44,510 --> 00:39:46,930
<i>Ricochets ready?</i>

701
00:39:47,020 --> 00:39:49,940
<i>Let's go for one more...
Let's go for just one more shot.</i>

702
00:39:50,020 --> 00:39:54,440
<i>You have it in, and you come off
with the big cocking action.</i>

703
00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:57,440
<i>Fire 'em off the launch towards you.
And then just hold.</i>

704
00:39:57,530 --> 00:40:01,950
<i>'Cause you can always hold in aiming mode
when you realize that there's too many...</i>

705
00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:10,960
<i>Like you see more of them
coming around the corner.</i>

706
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,460
<i>Ready, Mike?</i>

707
00:40:17,550 --> 00:40:19,470
<i>Quiet.</i>

708
00:40:19,550 --> 00:40:20,970
<i>- Sound?
- Rolling.</i>

709
00:40:21,050 --> 00:40:22,970
<i>659, take 7.
Sound 1343.</i>

710
00:40:23,850 --> 00:40:27,280
<i>I had never worked with any other
director in terms of a feature.</i>

711
00:40:27,350 --> 00:40:29,270
<i>I know the reaction
to George’s style</i>

712
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,780
<i>as to how he'd get
so many setups in one hour,</i>

713
00:40:31,860 --> 00:40:34,780
<i>while other directors might
spend 3-4 hours on eight shots.</i>

714
00:40:34,860 --> 00:40:37,530
<i>Whereas George, I don't think,
could ever do that.</i>

715
00:40:37,610 --> 00:40:40,530
<i>Yeah, we have discussed
angles and style</i>

716
00:40:40,620 --> 00:40:42,540
<i>on a previous film we did
called "Martin."</i>

717
00:40:42,620 --> 00:40:46,290
<i>We pretty much maintain that mood
when we shoot horror stuff...</i>

718
00:40:46,370 --> 00:40:48,650
<i>Which is a lot of wide angle,</i>

719
00:40:48,740 --> 00:40:50,290
<i>low positions</i>

720
00:40:50,380 --> 00:40:53,920
<i>that accentuate
the monster aspects</i>

721
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,420
<i>of the zombies or whatever.</i>

722
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,020
<i>That's pretty much it
in terms of any adapted style</i>

723
00:41:02,110 --> 00:41:05,510
<i>which we have intensified
in this film</i>

724
00:41:05,590 --> 00:41:08,010
<i>or any previous horror films
which we've done.</i>

725
00:41:10,980 --> 00:41:14,150
<i>This film allows us to be a little more graceful,
a little more beautiful</i>

726
00:41:14,230 --> 00:41:17,010
<i>with our photography because
it's not simply a horror film.</i>

727
00:41:17,100 --> 00:41:20,520
<i>One of our worries was we were getting
 a little too far away from the horror genre.</i>

728
00:41:20,610 --> 00:41:23,530
<i>But I can help it along...
I understand where he's going.</i>

729
00:41:23,610 --> 00:41:26,530
<i>I've worked with him enough
that I understand his direction.</i>

730
00:41:26,610 --> 00:41:30,030
<i>George tends to set up scenes
and then let them happen,</i>

731
00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:32,040
<i>rather than being
extremely precise</i>

732
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:34,540
<i>about every movement
of every actor,</i>

733
00:41:34,620 --> 00:41:36,530
<i>and the delivery of every line.</i>

734
00:41:36,620 --> 00:41:39,170
<i>If he's not happy with the way it
comes out the first time,</i>

735
00:41:39,260 --> 00:41:42,180
<i>- he will do another take obviously.
Mm-hmm.</i>

736
00:41:42,260 --> 00:41:44,180
<i>But, I think
overall style-wise,</i>

737
00:41:44,260 --> 00:41:45,680
<i>I think that it's consistent.</i>

738
00:41:45,770 --> 00:41:47,690
<i>I think that it's
a little more traditional</i>

739
00:41:47,770 --> 00:41:50,690
<i>in that he is using... how can I say...
a more standard approach</i>

740
00:41:50,770 --> 00:41:53,680
<i>in terms of reverses
and two-shots on dialogue and the like...</i>

741
00:41:53,770 --> 00:41:55,690
<i>Not a lot but somewhat.</i>

742
00:41:55,780 --> 00:41:59,200
<i>We shoot anywhere
from 15-20 to one.</i>

743
00:42:05,790 --> 00:42:08,710
Senores, please to let me pass.

744
00:42:08,790 --> 00:42:13,210
<i>I cover conversations
with the master.</i>

745
00:42:13,290 --> 00:42:14,710
No, no, no, please.

746
00:42:14,790 --> 00:42:17,710
Just let me pass.

747
00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,220
I go up to seventh floor
find my sister.

748
00:42:20,300 --> 00:42:22,720
<i>Then with single head shots
on everybody involved.</i>

749
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:24,720
People of 107 will do
what you wish now.

750
00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:28,220
These are simple people.
They have little,

751
00:42:28,310 --> 00:42:30,230
but they do not
give it up easily.

752
00:42:30,310 --> 00:42:32,230
And their dead
they give up to no one.

753
00:42:32,310 --> 00:42:34,230
<i>Not so much cutaways,</i>

754
00:42:34,310 --> 00:42:36,230
<i>in other words, I’ll cut
to all of the people</i>

755
00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,740
<i>or I’ll use people
as their own cutaways.</i>

756
00:42:38,820 --> 00:42:43,240
Many have died last week,
on these streets.

757
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,740
In the basement of this building,
you will find them.

758
00:42:47,430 --> 00:42:50,350
I have given them
the last rites.

759
00:42:50,430 --> 00:42:53,340
Now, you do what you will.

760
00:42:53,830 --> 00:42:56,750
You are stronger than us,

761
00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,260
but soon I think...

762
00:42:59,340 --> 00:43:01,260
They be stronger than you.

763
00:43:01,340 --> 00:43:03,750
<i>And sometimes if I see
a shot I like</i>

764
00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,260
<i>I’ll just go do it...
Almost on whim.</i>

765
00:43:06,350 --> 00:43:10,270
When the dead walk, Senores,

766
00:43:10,350 --> 00:43:12,270
we must stop the killing

767
00:43:12,350 --> 00:43:14,270
or lose the war.

768
00:43:20,980 --> 00:43:24,340
<i>Out here, shooting,
I don't really think
too much about cutting,</i>

769
00:43:25,110 --> 00:43:27,280
<i>I'd rather let that happen too.</i>

770
00:43:27,370 --> 00:43:30,290
<i>Except in tightly choreographed sequences,
like the truck scene</i>

771
00:43:30,370 --> 00:43:33,290
<i>where I know
what's cutting to what.</i>

772
00:43:48,860 --> 00:43:50,280
<i>In this action scene</i>

773
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:53,030
<i>notice how he has isolated
the three leads</i>

774
00:43:53,110 --> 00:43:55,910
<i>to better manipulate
the visuals...</i>

775
00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:01,570
<i>Close-ups, medium shots,</i>

776
00:44:01,650 --> 00:44:02,650
<i>long shots</i>

777
00:44:06,610 --> 00:44:09,030
come on. Look, man.

778
00:44:09,110 --> 00:44:11,670
<i>Visceral, disorienting angles,</i>

779
00:44:11,740 --> 00:44:14,910
<i>rhythm and tension
potentials to be inherited</i>

780
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:18,540
<i>by himself on the editing table.</i>

781
00:44:35,490 --> 00:44:39,910
<i>The most celebrated shot
in "Night"  is this one.</i>

782
00:44:39,990 --> 00:44:42,080
<i>A close-up of one zombie
gives way</i>

783
00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:45,000
<i>to an extreme
long shot of several of them.</i>

784
00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,450
<i>And the film transforms
into a vision of doom.</i>

785
00:44:50,330 --> 00:44:53,050
<i>A revelation in space,
multiplies the horror</i>

786
00:44:53,140 --> 00:44:55,560
<i>far beyond our expectations.</i>

787
00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,420
<i>As a spatial stylist,
Romero is consistent.</i>

788
00:45:00,510 --> 00:45:03,390
<i>He is a master
of spatial design.</i>

789
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:06,400
<i>I never really put it down
to the use of space,</i>

790
00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:08,400
<i>except that's what it is.</i>

791
00:45:08,490 --> 00:45:10,410
<i>It has to do with, uh...</i>

792
00:45:10,490 --> 00:45:13,410
<i>Again, it's just
breaking from tradition.</i>

793
00:45:13,490 --> 00:45:15,910
<i>There are ways
that you're supposed to shoot that...</i>

794
00:45:15,990 --> 00:45:18,910
<i>Involving screen direction
and involving</i>

795
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:20,920
<i>a formal patternized
kind of cutting,</i>

796
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:22,420
<i>which I just don't like.</i>

797
00:45:22,500 --> 00:45:25,420
<i>I think as part... if the scene
is a tension-filled scene,</i>

798
00:45:25,500 --> 00:45:28,420
<i>or if it's a suspenseful scene
or a very active scene</i>

799
00:45:28,510 --> 00:45:30,430
<i>which is meant to grate...</i>

800
00:45:32,030 --> 00:45:34,080
<i>Everything should grate.</i>

801
00:45:42,670 --> 00:45:45,090
Get its head up!

802
00:45:45,170 --> 00:45:46,200
Get its head up!

803
00:45:47,990 --> 00:45:50,160
Roger, get its head up, man!

804
00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:21,960
<i>No matter how much
you work with film,</i>

805
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:23,950
<i>it never ceases to amaze
me how different it is</i>

806
00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:26,460
<i>once it's up there,
and you're watching all your footage.</i>

807
00:46:26,550 --> 00:46:28,470
<i>It's very hard to translate
when you're on the set.</i>

808
00:46:28,550 --> 00:46:31,470
<i>You can't imagine what it's
going to look like in two dimensions,</i>

809
00:46:31,550 --> 00:46:33,960
<i>up there that big
with electronic amplification.</i>

810
00:46:34,050 --> 00:46:36,470
<i>But I don't think
it's insecurity</i>

811
00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:38,980
<i>to say, "I’m not sure
how this going to work out,</i>

812
00:46:39,060 --> 00:46:42,480
<i>so we're going to shoot it another way.
" That's just exploration.</i>

813
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:44,980
<i>A lot of film is like watercolor...
It's a lot of accidents</i>

814
00:46:45,060 --> 00:46:47,480
<i>and it's learning how
to control the accidents.</i>

815
00:46:47,570 --> 00:46:50,110
<i>That's where you need to just
keep doing a lot of work.</i>

816
00:47:19,100 --> 00:47:21,520
Goodbye, creep.

817
00:47:48,850 --> 00:47:50,770
<i>The key creative force</i>

818
00:47:50,850 --> 00:47:53,270
<i>in post-production
is the editor.</i>

819
00:47:53,350 --> 00:47:55,760
<i>Who, in this case,
also happens to be the director.</i>

820
00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:58,640
<i>There are a few scenes...
Like a housing project scene</i>

821
00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:01,640
<i>where we raid this housing
project in the beginning,</i>

822
00:48:01,720 --> 00:48:03,640
<i>and there's this...</i>

823
00:48:03,730 --> 00:48:06,650
<i>There are a couple of families
in the apartments there</i>

824
00:48:06,930 --> 00:48:10,350
<i>who come in and we're throwing
them out of the housing project</i>

825
00:48:10,430 --> 00:48:12,350
<i>and various people are killed.</i>

826
00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:14,860
<i>The way some of them are
killed just make you go...</i>

827
00:48:14,940 --> 00:48:16,860
<i>Like that.</i>

828
00:48:16,940 --> 00:48:19,360
<i>And I saw some of the stuff
being shot, the scenes,</i>

829
00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:21,860
<i>but when he put it together
it was, uh...</i>

830
00:48:21,940 --> 00:48:25,360
<i>I was riveted to the seat.
I couldn't believe it.</i>

831
00:48:25,450 --> 00:48:27,870
<i>It was pretty powerful.</i>

832
00:48:29,950 --> 00:48:31,870
<i>Definitely not boring.</i>

833
00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:08,040
On the couch...
Throw her on the couch.

834
00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:09,120
- Come on.
- Okay.

835
00:49:16,170 --> 00:49:18,090
<i>It has been said that Romero</i>

836
00:49:18,170 --> 00:49:20,590
<i>doesn't allow us
to look at his shots,</i>

837
00:49:20,670 --> 00:49:23,590
<i>rather his cutting forces us
to experience them.</i>

838
00:49:31,060 --> 00:49:33,730
<i>This is as true of "Night" ...</i>

839
00:49:33,820 --> 00:49:35,740
No. No!

840
00:49:40,690 --> 00:49:42,110
No!

841
00:49:44,190 --> 00:49:46,860
<i>As it is of "Martin"...</i>

842
00:50:00,340 --> 00:50:02,260
<i>As it is of "Dawn."</i>

843
00:50:12,100 --> 00:50:15,640
<i>Considering that quick cutting
will wear an audience down
emotionally,</i>

844
00:50:15,730 --> 00:50:17,170
<i>it is remarkable
that he can maintain</i>

845
00:50:17,230 --> 00:50:19,530
<i>such a level of tension
in his films.</i>

846
00:50:19,610 --> 00:50:23,030
<i>They contain
almost twice as many cuts
as any other directors'.</i>

847
00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:25,410
<i>He conceptualizes,
by doing takes,</i>

848
00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:28,650
<i>exactly what he needs,
and he's very efficient with his shots.</i>

849
00:50:28,740 --> 00:50:30,540
<i>Some call it choppy,
or some call it heavy-handed</i>

850
00:50:30,620 --> 00:50:32,540
<i>in terms of the editorial style.</i>

851
00:50:46,420 --> 00:50:48,340
Hey, Dick!

852
00:50:49,430 --> 00:50:51,350
Hello.

853
00:50:55,930 --> 00:50:59,730
<i>George's commercial background,
if you will,</i>

854
00:50:59,820 --> 00:51:03,240
<i>has set the tone
for his cutting,</i>

855
00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:06,740
<i>that he has a commercial reel
that I think is slick</i>

856
00:51:06,830 --> 00:51:08,750
<i>as anybody out of New York
or Los Angeles.</i>

857
00:51:08,830 --> 00:51:12,750
<i>Mellon bank and U.S. Steel
and Rockwell and Heinz...</i>

858
00:51:12,830 --> 00:51:15,750
<i>And he used to make very,
very slick 30-second commercials.</i>

859
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:17,260
<i>And he learned the discipline</i>

860
00:51:17,340 --> 00:51:20,260
<i>whereby you have to say
something quickly, concisely</i>

861
00:51:20,340 --> 00:51:21,760
<i>and get the message across.</i>

862
00:51:23,810 --> 00:51:26,220
What happens when
a Calgon research team

863
00:51:26,300 --> 00:51:28,350
and their submarine
are reduced to micro-size

864
00:51:28,430 --> 00:51:31,430
and sent on a dangerous mission
deep inside a washing machine?

865
00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:37,430
Engines reversed full, captain.
We're stuck.

866
00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,940
We've got to find out
what's on those fibers.

867
00:51:40,030 --> 00:51:42,450
Trapped in the fibers
of a giant t-shirt

868
00:51:42,530 --> 00:51:46,450
the Calgonauts discover secrets
of gray dull-looking laundry.

869
00:51:46,530 --> 00:51:50,060
- Why, it feels like...
- Leftover detergent film.

870
00:51:50,150 --> 00:51:52,780
The fibers are covered
with this stuff.

871
00:51:52,870 --> 00:51:55,290
This box has never been opened.

872
00:51:55,370 --> 00:51:58,040
- Add the Calgon.
You'll thrill as Calgon

873
00:51:58,130 --> 00:52:00,800
dissolves the dirty
leftover detergent film.

874
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:03,400
It's working.
The gray is gone.

875
00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:05,000
The fibers are clean.

876
00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:08,500
- Let's get out of here.
- I think I’m in love with you.

877
00:52:08,590 --> 00:52:10,890
If you're tired
of dull detergent films

878
00:52:10,970 --> 00:52:14,390
and grade-b washes,
thrill to the Calgon story.

879
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:16,900
- At your nearby
family washing machine.

880
00:52:16,980 --> 00:52:21,399
<i>This has been transposed
into his feature editing,</i>

881
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:24,310
<i>so that there is very rarely
a let up in the action.</i>

882
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:26,320
<i>I don't think there
are very many shots</i>

883
00:52:26,410 --> 00:52:28,330
<i>that last four
or five seconds on screen.</i>

884
00:52:28,410 --> 00:52:31,830
<i>- There are not thoselong, long camera moves...
That's true.</i>

885
00:52:31,910 --> 00:52:33,820
<i>Revolving around.
All George would do</i>

886
00:52:33,910 --> 00:52:36,830
<i>would cut them up
if Mike did them.</i>

887
00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:40,340
<i>I shoot a lot,</i>

888
00:52:40,420 --> 00:52:43,840
<i>because I know that I can
make the decisions later</i>

889
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:45,840
<i>on the cutting table.</i>

890
00:52:45,930 --> 00:52:48,850
<i>So I wind up shooting
a lot of material that I fall in love with,</i>

891
00:52:48,930 --> 00:52:51,850
<i>and I really like.
And there's economically no room for it</i>

892
00:52:51,930 --> 00:52:54,850
<i>in the final piece.
So it's harder.</i>

893
00:52:54,930 --> 00:52:56,850
<i>And it's very hard...
When I sit down and I say</i>

894
00:52:56,940 --> 00:52:58,860
<i>"okay, here are 10 scenes
that I like,</i>

895
00:52:58,940 --> 00:53:01,860
<i>which two
are the least needed?"</i>

896
00:53:01,940 --> 00:53:04,860
<i>It's really...
That's a very difficult process for me.</i>

897
00:53:04,940 --> 00:53:06,860
<i>And I think that's where
all of your bias comes in...</i>

898
00:53:06,950 --> 00:53:08,870
<i>And all of your emotions.</i>

899
00:53:08,950 --> 00:53:11,370
<i>It's very difficult.
It's a lot easier to edit</i>

900
00:53:11,450 --> 00:53:13,860
<i>when you're upfront...
When you're writing it.</i>

901
00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:18,880
<i>There's a lot of people
that work with a formula</i>

902
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:22,380
<i>in terms of when to use the master,
when to go in and all that.</i>

903
00:53:22,460 --> 00:53:24,880
<i>And people will say
that's very shattering</i>

904
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:26,880
<i>if you don't follow
some kind of a pattern</i>

905
00:53:26,970 --> 00:53:30,890
<i>or if there isn't some kind
of an expected cutting pace</i>

906
00:53:30,970 --> 00:53:32,890
<i>that people can relax
and get comfortable with.</i>

907
00:53:32,970 --> 00:53:34,890
<i>I don't think
that's true at all.</i>

908
00:53:34,970 --> 00:53:37,890
<i>I don't think people notice cuts...
If they're well done.</i>

909
00:53:37,980 --> 00:53:40,900
<i>If they're not shattering or jarring,
you don't notice them at all.</i>

910
00:53:40,980 --> 00:53:43,400
<i>There's a sequence
in "Martin," for example,</i>

911
00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:45,400
<i>which could have been
just the murder sequence,</i>

912
00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:48,780
<i>but it's elongated as far as I
thought it could be elongated.</i>

913
00:53:48,870 --> 00:53:52,290
- Emergency, now call 911.
- I can't call 911, that's the police...

914
00:53:52,380 --> 00:53:54,300
It's not, it's a general
emergency number!

915
00:53:56,380 --> 00:53:59,300
<i>Some actions are mundane...
Dealing with the telephones.</i>

916
00:53:59,380 --> 00:54:02,800
Call the hospital. Tell them what happened.
We'll be there in five minutes.

917
00:54:02,890 --> 00:54:05,390
<i>All those actions,
no matter how mundane,</i>

918
00:54:05,470 --> 00:54:07,880
<i>become interesting when you look
at them in a certain way.</i>

919
00:54:07,970 --> 00:54:11,390
- I don't know the number.
- Call information. Get the number... call them.

920
00:54:11,480 --> 00:54:14,350
<i>They're all part of the overall
action that's going on.</i>

921
00:54:14,430 --> 00:54:16,740
<i>And they help to build
a certain amount of suspense,</i>

922
00:54:16,820 --> 00:54:19,240
<i>because they are things
that we deal with every day.</i>

923
00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:22,610
Shit! It's fucked up.
Wait a minute.

924
00:54:22,690 --> 00:54:25,610
I gotta do it again.

925
00:54:25,690 --> 00:54:29,110
I can't get through.
I forgot the number.

926
00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:30,620
Wait...

927
00:54:34,200 --> 00:54:36,120
<i>I don't like sloughing
sequences off.</i>

928
00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:39,120
<i>I don't like car chases
that don't do anything.</i>

929
00:54:39,210 --> 00:54:42,630
<i>Because within
a fight in this room</i>

930
00:54:42,710 --> 00:54:45,130
<i>that encompasses
three punches being thrown.</i>

931
00:54:47,100 --> 00:54:49,020
Lewis!

932
00:54:49,100 --> 00:54:51,520
Move aside, you bastard...

933
00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:53,260
<i>I'm not talking about
a big brawl.</i>

934
00:54:53,350 --> 00:54:56,270
<i>You could do
a three-punch fight</i>

935
00:54:56,360 --> 00:54:58,280
<i>and make it last five minutes.</i>

936
00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:01,280
<i>'Cause everything is valid
and everything is information.</i>

937
00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:03,020
<i>And I like to deal with detail.</i>

938
00:55:08,620 --> 00:55:10,540
<i>And I'd like to just
go with a visual,</i>

939
00:55:10,620 --> 00:55:13,040
<i>almost a cubist look at that.</i>

940
00:55:13,120 --> 00:55:15,650
<i>And that's another place
where I’ll shoot a lot of film.</i>

941
00:55:15,740 --> 00:55:18,160
Get away from me!
Stop!

942
00:55:24,250 --> 00:55:28,180
<i>What did you do to me?</i>

943
00:55:34,260 --> 00:55:36,680
<i>I use a lot of sound elements.</i>

944
00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:39,680
<i>And I cut, rather thanon a flatbed,
on a table with a synchronizer.</i>

945
00:55:39,770 --> 00:55:42,190
<i>And there's a certain
kind of tactile thing</i>

946
00:55:42,270 --> 00:55:44,070
<i>that I get into
in terms of the tracks.</i>

947
00:55:44,150 --> 00:55:48,070
<i>It's a visual almost
checker-boarding of the tracks.</i>

948
00:55:48,160 --> 00:55:51,080
<i>I don't use film as leader.
I always use white,</i>

949
00:55:51,160 --> 00:55:53,080
<i>because I like to see</i>

950
00:55:53,160 --> 00:55:55,580
<i>that white-brown juxtaposition
of the tracks.</i>

951
00:55:55,660 --> 00:55:57,830
<i>I like to lay the tracks
across on a table.</i>

952
00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:00,840
<i>You can almost visualize
how the track is working.</i>

953
00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:02,840
<i>And I use a lot of track.</i>

954
00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:05,840
<i>And when I do my first cut,
I don't just cut picture-voice.</i>

955
00:56:05,930 --> 00:56:08,850
<i>I cut with some kind of music</i>

956
00:56:08,930 --> 00:56:11,850
<i>and with effects...</i>

957
00:56:11,930 --> 00:56:14,850
<i>You use pre-recorded music
to get the rhythms?</i>

958
00:56:14,930 --> 00:56:16,850
<i>Yeah, to get some kind
of rhythm going...</i>

959
00:56:16,940 --> 00:56:18,860
<i>Until I find a rhythm going.</i>

960
00:56:18,940 --> 00:56:20,860
<i>And I wind up
with a lot of tracks</i>

961
00:56:20,940 --> 00:56:22,860
<i>for a small independent.</i>

962
00:56:22,940 --> 00:56:26,360
<i>I've seen studio productions where
they get into 30-40 tracks,</i>

963
00:56:26,450 --> 00:56:30,370
<i>but that's just because they're
too lazy to lay them in sometimes.</i>

964
00:56:30,450 --> 00:56:34,370
<i>I use 12-15 tracks.</i>

965
00:56:34,450 --> 00:56:38,370
<i>And I like a lot of sound.
I hate dead air.</i>

966
00:56:38,460 --> 00:56:40,380
<i>I'll always use
some kind of an ambiance</i>

967
00:56:40,460 --> 00:56:43,380
<i>and a lot of music,</i>

968
00:56:43,460 --> 00:56:45,380
<i>which is just all form stuff.</i>

969
00:56:45,460 --> 00:56:48,380
<i>Some people say that my tracks
are too driving</i>

970
00:56:48,470 --> 00:56:50,390
<i>or too full,</i>

971
00:56:50,470 --> 00:56:53,890
<i>but that's just
personal preference.</i>

972
00:57:03,100 --> 00:57:05,520
<i>In summary,
this sequence from "Dawn"</i>

973
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:09,020
<i>clearly demonstrates
Romero’s style,</i>

974
00:57:09,100 --> 00:57:11,650
<i>conceptualized
in the screenplay stage...</i>

975
00:57:13,740 --> 00:57:16,160
<i>Given substance
during shooting...</i>

976
00:57:18,750 --> 00:57:20,170
<i>And given shape in the editing.</i>

977
00:57:44,820 --> 00:57:46,690
<i>We don't make
distributions arrangements</i>

978
00:57:46,780 --> 00:57:49,200
<i>till after we finish a picture.</i>

979
00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:52,200
<i>Not wanting to have too many
fingers in the pie too soon,</i>

980
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:56,200
<i>not wanting to compromise
from ground zero.</i>

981
00:57:56,290 --> 00:57:59,710
<i>Eventually we may have to make some
compromises on a business level,</i>

982
00:57:59,790 --> 00:58:01,710
<i>but at least they start later.</i>

983
00:58:01,790 --> 00:58:05,210
<i>And we've finished the picture so it's
a matterof maybe taking something out.</i>

984
00:58:05,290 --> 00:58:07,710
<i>This statement was made
during production</i>

985
00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:11,720
<i>and carried with it an ominous note which
reverberated for over a year</i>

986
00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:15,220
<i>as Romero fought for
a strong vision.</i>

987
00:58:15,300 --> 00:58:18,970
<i>It stood as a thorn in the side
of negotiations with distributors</i>

988
00:58:19,060 --> 00:58:22,480
<i>even after "Dawn" opened
to tremendous business
in Europe.</i>

989
00:58:22,560 --> 00:58:25,340
<i>Finally a breakthrough
was achieved.</i>

990
00:58:25,430 --> 00:58:27,790
<i>We made a couple of errors
in signing the distribution deal</i>

991
00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:30,300
<i>with "Night of the Living Dead"</i>

992
00:58:30,390 --> 00:58:34,310
<i>in that we sold, or we'd signed
a distribution deal worldwide.</i>

993
00:58:34,390 --> 00:58:37,810
<i>We didn't hold out any rights...
television, Canada, Europe... nothing.</i>

994
00:58:37,890 --> 00:58:42,310
<i>16mm... nothing.
We gave the distributor the world.</i>

995
00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:45,070
<i>- Basically, I didn't
know anything then...</i>

996
00:58:45,150 --> 00:58:48,570
<i>About the business side of things and
about how to draw a contract.</i>

997
00:58:48,650 --> 00:58:52,070
<i>Now, knowing what I know now,</i>

998
00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:54,580
<i>you want to ask for as many
of those controls</i>

999
00:58:54,660 --> 00:58:56,970
<i>as you can possibly
get your hands on.</i>

1000
00:58:57,050 --> 00:58:58,970
<i>When you have a smash-hit film
out in theaters,</i>

1001
00:58:59,050 --> 00:59:00,970
<i>your 16mm rights
are going to be worth a lot.</i>

1002
00:59:01,050 --> 00:59:03,220
<i>Television rights
will be worth a lot.</i>

1003
00:59:03,300 --> 00:59:05,720
<i>So principally
I would say that...</i>

1004
00:59:05,810 --> 00:59:07,730
<i>Hold for as much as you
can hold out for.</i>

1005
00:59:07,810 --> 00:59:11,680
<i>There were a number of people that
offered us substantial amounts of money</i>

1006
00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:14,170
<i>to deliver an R-rated film
which meant,</i>

1007
00:59:14,260 --> 00:59:17,180
<i>we anticipated, cutting
the guts out of the movie...</i>

1008
00:59:17,270 --> 00:59:19,190
<i>In order to get that "R."</i>

1009
00:59:19,270 --> 00:59:23,190
<i>We looked for a distributor
who recognized, as we did,</i>

1010
00:59:23,270 --> 00:59:25,190
<i>that the best economic
course of action</i>

1011
00:59:25,270 --> 00:59:27,190
<i>was to leave the film untampered</i>

1012
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:29,200
<i>even though that created
other problems.</i>

1013
00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:30,700
<i>It created the potential problem</i>

1014
00:59:30,780 --> 00:59:32,700
<i>of a newspaper
not taking the ad.</i>

1015
00:59:32,780 --> 00:59:34,700
<i>It created the problem</i>

1016
00:59:34,780 --> 00:59:38,200
<i>of a TV station
not running a commercial,</i>

1017
00:59:38,290 --> 00:59:41,210
<i>a certain theater
not playing the film.</i>

1018
00:59:41,290 --> 00:59:45,710
<i>We believed that ultimately economically
those problems would cost less</i>

1019
00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:50,220
<i>and we would make more if the film
was left as George wanted it.</i>

1020
00:59:50,300 --> 00:59:52,720
<i>Several of the distributors
that wanted it badly</i>

1021
00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:56,720
<i>understanding the problems... For example
with the MPAA, here in this country...</i>

1022
00:59:56,810 --> 01:00:00,230
<i>That the mpaa would
probably "X" the film.</i>

1023
01:00:00,310 --> 01:00:02,730
<i>And the only way to get an "R"
would be to cut it.</i>

1024
01:00:02,810 --> 01:00:05,730
<i>So I wound up holding out
during the negotiations</i>

1025
01:00:05,820 --> 01:00:08,740
<i>and luckily Richard backed me
up all the way on this,</i>

1026
01:00:08,820 --> 01:00:12,240
<i>because there were a couple of times
when it would have been easier</i>

1027
01:00:12,320 --> 01:00:16,240
<i>to take a deal... Would have
been financially easier to take a deal.</i>

1028
01:00:16,330 --> 01:00:20,250
<i>That's the other thing... I think that
Richard and I have had a good relationship.</i>

1029
01:00:20,330 --> 01:00:23,750
<i>So I don't have to worry
about my own internal team.</i>

1030
01:00:23,830 --> 01:00:28,250
<i>And that's big...
Number one.</i>

1031
01:00:28,340 --> 01:00:31,260
<i>Having Richard's support,
I was just able to sit there</i>

1032
01:00:31,340 --> 01:00:33,750
<i>and say "look, I’m not gonna
cut the picture."</i>

1033
01:00:33,840 --> 01:00:36,840
<i>When the distributor took his stance
to put the picture out unrated,</i>

1034
01:00:36,930 --> 01:00:39,850
<i>it's not that he wasn't
accepting the restrictions of an "X"...</i>

1035
01:00:39,930 --> 01:00:41,730
<i>Because he's putting
a flag on it that says</i>

1036
01:00:41,820 --> 01:00:45,240
<i>no one under 17 will be admitted.
Forget with a parent,</i>

1037
01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:48,740
<i>not at all...
And he's accepting those restrictions.</i>

1038
01:00:48,820 --> 01:00:51,740
<i>What he's not accepting
is the symbol itself, the "X,"</i>

1039
01:00:51,830 --> 01:00:53,750
<i>because the "X"
does automatically</i>

1040
01:00:53,830 --> 01:00:56,750
<i>say to most people in America
that this picture is obscene.</i>

1041
01:00:56,830 --> 01:00:59,250
<i>For a major company
in the industry</i>

1042
01:00:59,340 --> 01:01:02,760
<i>to release a film without a rating
is a major break.</i>

1043
01:01:02,840 --> 01:01:05,760
<i>And that was something
that was long and hard in finding.</i>

1044
01:01:05,840 --> 01:01:09,090
<i>We basically are in agreement
with a system which flags movies</i>

1045
01:01:09,180 --> 01:01:10,600
<i>and tells people
what they're gonna see.</i>

1046
01:01:10,680 --> 01:01:14,440
<i>Our point is, there should not be
economic penalties attached to that.</i>

1047
01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:17,440
<i>I also had to fight... You always
have to fight for things like length.</i>

1048
01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:20,440
<i>Usually with an exploitation picture,
a distributor will say</i>

1049
01:01:20,520 --> 01:01:23,940
<i>"It's terrific and I love it,
but cut it to 90 minutes."</i>

1050
01:01:24,030 --> 01:01:26,450
<i>Once again, there's no secret.</i>

1051
01:01:26,530 --> 01:01:28,450
<i>I can't teach you how to get</i>

1052
01:01:28,530 --> 01:01:31,440
<i>the kind of controls that enable you
to leave your picture longer...</i>

1053
01:01:31,530 --> 01:01:34,950
<i>Or to have that kind of creative cut.
It's a matter of holding out for it</i>

1054
01:01:35,040 --> 01:01:37,460
<i>and not selling until
somebody gives it to you.</i>

1055
01:01:37,540 --> 01:01:41,460
<i>And I was able to do that
partially because of my reputation,</i>

1056
01:01:41,540 --> 01:01:44,460
<i>but partially just because
I sat there and said no.</i>

1057
01:01:46,050 --> 01:01:47,970
<i>And there were a couple
of sticky times</i>

1058
01:01:48,050 --> 01:01:50,970
<i>when people would get up from the
negotiating table and walk and go home.</i>

1059
01:01:51,050 --> 01:01:53,970
<i>You got to sit through them,
those are the toughest times.</i>

1060
01:01:54,060 --> 01:01:57,230
<i>You gotta sit through that and say
"okay, see you tomorrow"... hopefully.</i>

1061
01:01:57,310 --> 01:01:59,230
<i>And we did see them tomorrow
and they ultimately</i>

1062
01:01:59,310 --> 01:02:01,530
<i>said "okay, it can be your cut."</i>

1063
01:02:02,218 --> 01:02:04,798
<i>Adam, let me give you something
you might want to use.</i>

1064
01:02:04,888 --> 01:02:07,238
<i>- Okay, keep it going.
- Just roll for a second.</i>

1065
01:02:07,328 --> 01:02:10,618
<i>I think that there
are very few directors</i>

1066
01:02:10,698 --> 01:02:14,118
<i>that have total, final,
real last cut on their movies.</i>

1067
01:02:14,198 --> 01:02:18,248
<i>I say that when they tell you that
these are the rules for the system</i>

1068
01:02:18,338 --> 01:02:20,258
<i>and you can't do it another way,</i>

1069
01:02:20,338 --> 01:02:23,258
<i>they're not correct.
It can be done other ways.</i>

1070
01:02:23,338 --> 01:02:25,258
<i>You can maintain control
of your product.</i>

1071
01:02:25,348 --> 01:02:28,268
<i>I'm not saying it's easy,
but it can be done.</i>

1072
01:02:28,348 --> 01:02:30,268
<i>You don't have to be
in New York or Hollywood</i>

1073
01:02:30,348 --> 01:02:33,768
<i>in order to produce films,
to get attention.</i>

1074
01:02:33,848 --> 01:02:35,768
<i>I think we're the proof of that.</i>

1075
01:02:35,858 --> 01:02:38,278
<i>I would be
as encouraging as possible</i>

1076
01:02:38,358 --> 01:02:40,778
<i>to people to do
what everybody else</i>

1077
01:02:40,858 --> 01:02:43,778
<i>says you can't do.</i>

1078
01:05:34,092 --> 01:05:36,172
<i>So, "Night of the Living Dead"
is the beginning</i>

1079
01:05:36,262 --> 01:05:38,182
<i>and this is the end?</i>

1080
01:05:38,230 --> 01:05:40,150
<i>- This is the middle.
- This is the middle?</i>

1081
01:05:40,272 --> 01:05:43,092
<i>- Is there room for more?
- There's plenty of room for more.</i>

1082
01:05:43,193 --> 01:05:45,203
<i>Zombies are still dumb.</i>

1083
01:05:45,506 --> 01:05:52,061
[  <i>Fin</i>  ]

ture.</i>

979
00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:52,200
<i>Not wanting to have too many
fingers in the pie too soon,</i>

980
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:56,200
<i>not wanting to compromise
from ground zero.</i>

981
00:57:56,290 --> 00:57:59,710
<i>Eventually we may have to make some
compromises on a business level,</i>

982
00:57:59,790 --> 00:58:01,710
<i>but at least they start later.</i>

983
00:58:01,790 --> 00:58:05,210
<i>And we've finished the picture so it's
a matterof maybe taking something out.</i>

984
00:58:05,290 --> 00:58:07,710
<i>This statement was made
during production</i>

985
00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:11,720
<i>and carried with it an ominous note which
reverberated for over a year</i>

986
00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:15,220
<i>as Romero fought for
a strong vision.</i>

987
00:58:15,300 --> 00:58:18,970
<i>It stood as a thorn in the side
of negotiations with distributors</i>

988
00:58:19,060 --> 00:58:22,480
<i>even after "Dawn" opened
to tremendous business
in Europe.</i>

989
00:58:22,560 --> 00:58:25,340
<i>Finally a breakthrough
was achieved.</i>

990
00:58:25,430 --> 00:58:27,790
<i>We made a couple of errors
in signing the distribution deal</i>

991
00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:30,300
<i>with "Night of the Living Dead"</i>

992
00:58:30,390 --> 00:58:34,310
<i>in that we sold, or we'd signed
a distribution deal worldwide.</i>

993
00:58:34,390 --> 00:58:37,810
<i>We didn't hold out any rights...
television, Canada, Europe... nothing.</i>

994
00:58:37,890 --> 00:58:42,310
<i>16mm... nothing.
We gave the distributor the world.</i>

995
00:58:42,400 --> 00:58:45,070
<i>- Basically, I didn't
know anything then...</i>

996
00:58:45,150 --> 00:58:48,570
<i>About the business side of things and
about how to draw a contract.</i>

997
00:58:48,650 --> 00:58:52,070
<i>Now, knowing what I know now,</i>

998
00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:54,580
<i>you want to ask for as many
of those controls</i>

999
00:58:54,660 --> 00:58:56,970
<i>as you can possibly
get your hands on.</i>

1000
00:58:57,050 --> 00:58:58,970
<i>When you have a smash-hit film
out in theaters,</i>

1001
00:58:59,050 --> 00:59:00,970
<i>your 16mm rights
are going to be worth a lot.</i>

1002
00:59:01,050 --> 00:59:03,220
<i>Television rights
will be worth a lot.</i>

1003
00:59:03,300 --> 00:59:05,720
<i>So principally
I would say that...</i>

1004
00:59:05,810 --> 00:59:07,730
<i>Hold for as much as you
can hold out for.</i>

1005
00:59:07,810 --> 00:59:11,680
<i>There were a number of people that
offered us substantial amounts of money</i>

1006
00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:14,170
<i>to deliver an R-rated film
which meant,</i>

1007
00:59:14,260 --> 00:59:17,180
<i>we anticipated, cutting
the guts out of the movie...</i>

1008
00:59:17,270 --> 00:59:19,190
<i>In order to get that "R."</i>

1009
00:59:19,270 --> 00:59:23,190
<i>We looked for a distributor
who recognized, as we did,</i>

1010
00:59:23,270 --> 00:59:25,190
<i>that the best economic
course of action</i>

1011
00:59:25,270 --> 00:59:27,190
<i>was to leave the film untampered</i>

1012
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:29,200
<i>even though that created
other problems.</i>

1013
00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:30,700
<i>It created the potential problem</i>

1014
00:59:30,780 --> 00:59:32,700
<i>of a newspaper
not taking the ad.</i>

1015
00:59:32,780 --> 00:59:34,700
<i>It created the problem</i>

1016
00:59:34,780 --> 00:59:38,200
<i>of a TV station
not running a commercial,</i>

1017
00:59:38,290 --> 00:59:41,210
<i>a certain theater
not playing the film.</i>

1018
00:59:41,290 --> 00:59:45,710
<i>We believed that ultimately economically
those problems would cost less</i>

1019
00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:50,220
<i>and we would make more if the film
was left as George wanted it.</i>

1020
00:59:50,300 --> 00:59:52,720
<i>Several of the distributors
that wanted it badly</i>

1021
00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:56,720
<i>understanding the problems... For example
with the MPAA, here in this country...</i>

1022
00:59:56,810 --> 01:00:00,230
<i>That the mpaa would
probably "X" the film.</i>

1023
01:00:00,310 --> 01:00:02,730
<i>And the only way to get an "R"
would be to cut it.</i>

1024
01:00:02,810 --> 01:00:05,730
<i>So I wound up holding out
during the negotiations</i>

1025
01:00:05,820 --> 01:00:08,740
<i>and luckily Richard backed me
up all the way on this,</i>

1026
01:00:08,820 --> 01:00:12,240
<i>because there were a couple of times
when it would have been easier</i>

1027
01:00:12,320 --> 01:00:16,240
<i>to take a deal... Would have
been financially easier to take a deal.</i>

1028
01:00:16,330 --> 01:00:20,250
<i>That's the other thing... I think that
Richard and I have had a good relationship.</i>

1029
01:00:20,330 --> 01:00:23,750
<i>So I don't have to worry
about my own internal team.</i>

1030
01:00:23,830 --> 01:00:28,250
<i>And that's big...
Number one.</i>

1031
01:00:28,340 --> 01:00:31,260
<i>Having Richard's support,
I was just able to sit there</i>

1032
01:00:31,340 --> 01:00:33,750
<i>and say "look, I’m not gonna
cut the picture."</i>

1033
01:00:33,840 --> 01:00:36,840
<i>When the distributor took his stance
to put the picture out unrated,</i>

1034
01:00:36,930 --> 01:00:39,850
<i>it's not that he wasn't
accepting the restrictions of an "X"...</i>

1035
01:00:39,930 --> 01:00:41,730
<i>Because he's putting
a flag on it that says</i>

1036
01:00:41,820 --> 01:00:45,240
<i>no one under 17 will be admitted.
Forget with a parent,</i>

1037
01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:48,740
<i>not at all...
And he's accepting those restrictions.</i>

1038
01:00:48,820 --> 01:00:51,740
<i>What he's not accepting
is the symbol itself, the "X,"</i>

1039
01:00:51,830 --> 01:00:53,750
<i>because the "X"
does automatically</i>

1040
01:00:53,830 --> 01:00:56,750
<i>say to most people in America
that this pictu