Two Locals Bring the Zombie Apocalypse to Miami with Zombiecast

Miami is full of zombies. We have Juan Navarro and his web comic series, Zombie Years, Zombie Walk Miami, and even zombie workshops. So it's no surprise to Cultist that two of our residents have teamed up to create a zombie web series for your viewing pleasure.Welcome to Zombiecast.Stephen Escudero...

By Ily Goyanes

March 25, 2011

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Miami is full of zombies. We have Juan Navarro and his web comic series, Zombie Years, Zombie Walk Miami, and even zombie workshops. So it's no surprise to Cultist that two of our residents have teamed up to create a zombie web series for your viewing pleasure.

Welcome to Zombiecast.

Stephen Escudero and Danielle Edghill are running around Miami creating apocalyptic zombie sets wherever they can. "Lighting and set all come from on location shooting. The Dollar Tree has helped our budget, as has Goodwill," says Danielle in true Tarantino/Rodriguez fashion.

Follow the jump for our Q&A with Danielle and visit their kickstarter page.

None of the principals are film school students, they just really

love movies and, of course, zombies. Krystal Andreu, who acts and also does

make-up for Zombiecast, says that her favorite moment so far has been

"eating that girl's leg ... along with lots of dirt in the process."

Stephen Escudero was born and raised in Miami,

"like Pitbull and Trick Daddy Dollarz." Danielle Edghill came to Miami

when she was 5-years-old, after being born in Canada and a couple of

brief stops in Trinidad and Tobago. Lucky for us, they are both here now

and getting us ready for the apocalyptic future we all know is coming.

Follow Zombiecast on Facebook.

New Times: Okay, who's baby is this? Who got this all started?

Danielle Edghill: The script was written by me and Stephen Escudero, who also directs the film.

Stephen basically sat up on day and said: "Let's write." We went to a hookah bar and starting banging out this script and we came up with Zombiecast. The concept was running around in his brain for some time, but it didn't get out on paper until he met me. So now it's our baby.

How much fun is it to be surrounded by zombies?

Well, you're always a little bit worried they'll get hungry on you, but as long as you give them something to do you seem to be alright. It's like working with small children or dogs, you have to keep them under control, or else you just end up with a big old mess.

Other than that it's the most fun you can have on a Saturday, I think.

What are your plans for the zombie apocalypse?

Stephen says he'll follow the Max Brooks zombie survival guide, staying mobile, preferably traveling by bicycle. He also plans to get an RV and a lifetime supply of Kraft mac and cheese. He also plans to learn archery so he can live on rooftops for a while.

I know I'm prepared for this, because I actually felt that one of my friends was turning into a zombie for a split second -- true story -- and I was already coming up with escape routes and makeshift weapons, so I think I'll be a more hands on survivor, probably try to hole up in abandoned houses.

What has been the response to the series?

We put up Craig's List ads asking for zombies, who basically would be paid with pizza, and the response was pretty great. We got a wonderful core of people and good friends who came through for us and subjected themselves to torturous make-up application and lots of sticky blood.

Do you need any extras?

Right now we're in post-production for our first film, but we're always looking for more zombies, extras, and creative people for our next project. Stephen's dream is to expand the film in to a web series where people could submit their own films based around future zombiecasts that we create. We also want to do more filming in the woods because that's always a good time.

Are there any directors or actors that you'd love to work with?

For Stephen it's definitely Kurt Russell and Robert Rodriguez.

For me, I'd say Joss Whedon, because I am a Buffy/Firefly fanatic, and Natalie Portman because she's so multi-faceted.

Have you guys been in any danger while shooting Zombiecast?

Well, we were almost all shot at one point. We had neglected to inform the authorities that we would be using a specific location to shoot. One our zombies came out of the woods, covered in blood and gore and someone reported them. Completely unaware of this, we kept filming until a police officer came, gun drawn, ready to fire on any perpetrators. We explained what we were doing calmly, and thankfully he let us finish. What made it slightly scarier was that not 100 feet away we had several firearm replicas that, had we decided to hold them at that point, would have gotten us shot for sure.

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