Disclaimer Addendum (29 Apr 2009) – There’s been a lot of noise about the amazing similarity between the current Swine Flu pandemic and the story behind the Nation Undead website I cover in this blog post. Patient Zero, the rise and spread of “Respiren Flu” and it’s cure “Toxicil” are astonishingly close to the rise and spread of the Swine Flu.
I can assure you that these similarities are coincidental. If anything, the Swine Flu is ripping off the Nation Undead backstory, since Nation Undead has been around since Aug 2008
-Zero
What would happen if there was a concerted effort to organize and direct the mindless slew of independent videos bombarding the internet? What if there was a master plan to give independent filmmakers around the world a united purpose or focus?
What if it involved Zombies?
Patrick Pierson and the team at Nation Undead have taken this idea, put it in the blender with a flu pandemic, questionable pharmaceuticals (See the Toxicil add, right) and military intervention, and hit upon true creative genius. nationundead.com is a collaborative effort for filmmakers, musicians and other creatives to work on small pieces of a larger project.
NationUndead.com is a website dedicated to collecting the stories of all independent filmmakers as they create and film several stories within the larger framework of the Nation Undead universe.
www.nationundead.com
The scope of the project in Nation Undead is a story of a virus that spreads through the United States, culminating in a full-scale zombie infestation.
I got the opportunity to ask Nation Undead’s Patrick Pierson a few questions about the site.
What were the inspirations for Nation Undead?
There are so many inspirations that birthed this project. First of all what I really wanted to do was create a platform for independent filmmakers to collaborate and share their ideas. There are quite a few film related web sites that are out there and available to show your work but the problem is much of your work gets lost in jumbles of content. With Nation Undead I really wanted something more specific, a place where your work is not just viewed its celebrated. I’m a big fan of the horror genre, obviously the zombie genre, but more importantly smart horror. There is so much that can be told with a story like this that can transcend beyond horror and even relate to other genres. With the concept created for Nation Undead I wanted to invite all of film and not just one aspect of it. There are a ton of awful horror films that are out there and I wanted to encourage a more intelligent stage for that creativity.
When did Nation Undead start and how is it doing so far?
Nation Undead started on paper a little over a year ago. It became a fully functional and realized idea in August of 08. The growth has been progressive. We knew that introducing this kind of project would take awhile to fully blossom. Our main focus is the content itself, a website can’t really live and be respected if the content doesn’t come from a place of passion. I hear so much about crowd sourcing lately, in fact many reviews have suggested that we are helping pioneer that process, the problem with that is that everyone is guiding people to content that is a waste of time. Its almost as if telling people about your film is more important then the film itself. I strongly believe that at the end of the day its creative well done work that wins out. I think quite a few people come to the website and think ‘wait a minute, I actually have to put some effort into my submission’. In that respect people are thinking more patiently about their approach which I’m very happy about.
Do videos have to pass any kind of pre-viewing or acceptance test? Are there limits on the quality of the production? Do all videos make it into the project?
The content submitted should be about as liberal as free speech. If we put too many constraints on creativity ideas can’t grow. The acceptance comes from the community through opinion. As I stated before people look at the current submissions and realize this is not a free for all, by that I mean you actually have to care about what you contribute. One thing I believe that’s severely missing with content driven sites is an invitation to be intelligent. Its not that people are not smart its basically the website that does not give them credit for it. If your film looks as if it came from a real place of creativity then it belongs on the site. Of course if a submission uploaded is titled ‘Cum Explosion’ that will probably be taken down, there are certain rules.
Are there ways for people other than filmmakers and musicians to get involved?
Absolutely. One of the features on the site is to upload scripts on the ‘In Production’ feature. One of the users on the site is blowing us all away with what he is producing. Its like he has a new script everyday and his ideas know no end. The funny thing is his day job is working at Walmart, he just so happens to be a talented writer. Those are the things that make the biggest impression on me, creating a concept that people really take a hold of and creatively grow. There are also places for concept art, image uploads and you can also blog on your own personal profiles.
I notice the music is released under Creative Commons licensing, did you consider other options and why did you decide to go with the CC licensing?
That would be our programmers decision. In terms of any future funding we need to be as legal as it gets. The internet is loaded with such disregard to legalities these days that product has no worth. The copyright infringement is astoundingly audacious.
Could you elaborate on the “Backstage Pass” idea, and how that originated?
One of the most interesting aspects of film is the process. I almost just buy films these days based on their special features. I often find that the process of putting together a film can be just as interesting as the finished piece. The backstage pass feature allows filmmakers to upload their entire journey with their film, everyone gets to see how you made it if you wish. The media that can be attached is limitless, you can upload your script, storyboard, any kind of ‘making of’ videos and you can even upload the entire film again with commentary. Another reason for this is just simply a reinforcement of the submissions that go on the site. There is nothing worse then letting your baby go to just float around in cyber space, here you can nurture your film and constantly add to its value.
How long will the Nation Undead project continue? Are there any deadlines? Is there an end date when Nation Undead is “Finished”?
At first there was the idea of having more of a fixed deadline. That idea is still in the process. Were finding that the project is in fact bigger then expected. A project that takes on the whole country can be a mighty big task indeed. The great thing is that there is also a massive interest over seas, of which I’m sure its appropriate to say ‘Nations Undead’ has already been written. Once the interest level is high enough with enough filmmakers savvy to the project we will be able to address deadlines.
Are there larger plans for a finished work? Perhaps a full-length movie of the compiled videos?
Absolutely. The whole back story has gotten really intriguing. We had users write in bios for particular characters that are involved in the Nation Undead universe and it was incredible. We are in the process of writing the pilot for studio shopping because that story will obviously need a budget. The backstory kind of operates like the fall of AIG for instance, Everything that corporation did effected people on many levels. The corporation has its own story where as the personal foreclosure stories are the films submitted to the site. The films submitted by filmmakers will be put together in a collaboration of the very best, those filmmakers will be contacted and be negotiated with.
Are there plans to use this collaborative effort for other genres or story ideas?
We have a few but to be honest you can make a submission out of practically any genre. A local director is actually shooting a motorcycle western in the badlands based on Zone 8: Migration. The zombie genre was specifically used because of its flexibility and continuity. It would be a great deal harder to do say ‘aliens’ because everyone would have different interpretations. Zombies are easy, look pale, dark eyes and a ton of blood looks pretty consistent.
There are plenty tricks up our sleeve. Using this kind of application opens up a new level of digital guerrilla theater. We are working on an iPhone application that’s pretty mind blowing, of which I cant say
. Eventually we would like to set up a sort of moving set such as a military base. All of the filmmakers with their crews and cast from those areas would meet up and help make several films in the same location. Each filmmaker would get a set time where everyone focuses on their film and becomes the extras on the military base. Pretty exciting stuff.
My Experience on Nation Undead
Nation Undead’s clever use of crowd sourcing is setting the standard for an entirely new genre of collaborative entertainment.
I joined the madness on nationundead.com and set up a profile. It’s the standard-issue username/password/e-mail/avatar. Reading through the overarching story doesn’t take long, but there’s more backstory on the site’s wiki and a useful forum and faq for questions.
Uploading music was quick and easy. (Just make sure you own the rights to the music!) The upload process lets you give a description of the music and pick the type of creative commons license you want, which is very slick. I posted the instrumental versions of all songs on Jagged Spiral’s “Days From Evil” album. Now all Nation Undead contributors can use our songs to score their films.
Filmmakers can upload their movies, (movie time limit is 7 minutes) Musicians can upload their songs, graphic artists can upload their pix, screenwriters can upload scripts, and people can ask questions and contribute through the forums. Forum responses are mostly same-day.
The Official Resources page has video clips and graphics you can use in your movie. This adds a greater level of consistency to the overall project.
Nation Undead is a fabulous idea. The resources to make simple indie movies are widely available, but no one knows what to DO with them. With nationundead.com, budding filmmakers around the world who have a video camera, a couple friends and a couple gallons of fake blood can take part in a fun project. (Hint: Don’t have fake blood? Shoot your video in black and white and use chocolate syrup.)
Nation Undead’s clever use of crowd sourcing is setting the standard for an entirely new genre of collaborative entertainment.
PS: Just make sure to score your film with music from Jagged Spiral!
Yours Darkly,
as an Axe-Wielding Barbarian, 
.