Zombie Girl!!!
Yowza! Here’s yet another cool filmmaker interview by Galen Howard! Yes, I realize it’s been nothing but filmmaker interviews lately, but we’ll be mixing it up more soon. Yep, “soon.” But don’t misunderstand – these great interviews will also keep showing up!!
And now – please read this next installment of Microcinema Spotlight with Galen Howard, this time interviewing Aaron Marshall, director of Zombie Girl: The Movie, a documentary on the making of the zombie film, Pathogen — which was produced, written and directed by 12 year old Emily Hagins. It also seems like a good time to mention that Zombie Girl was just picked up for distribution on DVD – and the release will also feature Pathogen! You might want to keep checking http://www.zombiegirlthemovie.com or for even more timely info, “Like” the doc on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/zombiegirlthemovie
Those of the DIY filmmaking school of thought may have a poster child in young Austin, Texas director Emily Hagins, the subject of the documentary Zombie Girl: The Movie. At age 12, Hagins directed her first feature-length film, the $7,000 zombie picture Pathogen. Directors Aaron Marshall, Justin Johnson and Erik Mauck followed Emily from pre-production in 2004 to Pathogen‘s premiere in 2006, as she dealt with production setbacks, inevitable learning curves and her relationship with her mother and primary crew-member, Megan Hagins. While playfully acknowledging the novelty of its premise, the film continually offers insights into the evolving relationship of parent and child. Aaron Marshall discusses his own process in making this unique take on low-budget filmmaking and coming-of-age landmarks.
Galen Howard: What is your filmmaking background? How old were you when you became interested in filmmaking?
Aaron Marshall: I went to film school at the University of Texas. I spent a few years directing short films and working as an editor in Austin before moving to Los Angeles to finish the postproduction on Zombie Girl and focus on screenwriting. I started making movies when I was in high school, which is one of the reasons I was drawn to what Emily was doing.
GH: How did you first become aware of Emily Hagins and her zombie film?
AM: We were living in Austin (where Emily lives) and saw the casting call she posted online for her auditions. It read something like, “Looking for 12-15 year-olds for a zombie movie directed by a 12-year-old girl.” That right there was already about the coolest logline for a movie we’d ever heard, so we called her parents and within a week, we were following Emily around.
GH: Emily’s gender undeniably distinguishes her story as much as does her age. How do you think this factor manifested in her process and final product?
AM: For Emily, I think it’s a non-issue. She’s just making the movies she loves to make and doesn’t think twice about whether girls are “supposed” to be into those kinds of films or not. But in the bigger picture, the film world tends to be a bit of a boys club, so the fact that a girl is charging in and ripping down those barriers is pretty awesome.
GH: Having followed Emily during the film, what about her qualities and surrounding conditions do you think enabled her to take on such a large undertaking at such a young age?
AM: Emily definitely had a vision for her film and a determination to do whatever she could to get the finished product as close that vision as possible. That drive helped get her through all the bumps and setbacks she encountered along the way.
But the support of her family also played a key role in allowing her to push through and make Pathogen. If they hadn’t been willing to give her the encouragement and support they did, she would have had a much more difficult time pulling it off. I mean, she was 12. She couldn’t even drive yet!
GH: At what point did you realize your film was as much about Emily and her mother as it was about Emily and her movie? How did you weave together these parallel stories in the editing process?
AM: I think it just naturally occurred as we got to know them better and saw how much of a team they were. They were side-by-side, working together for most of the project, so it wasn’t an element that had to be artificially woven together during editing. From a post-production filmmaking sense, it just came down to striking a balance in the editing between showing Emily’s film production, getting to know her and her family, and exploring the other topics we found interesting, such as the proliferation of digital technology that made it all possible.
GH: As a fellow filmmaker was it ever difficult to remain a silent observer during the process?
AM: Being filmmakers, ourselves, presented a unique set of challenges. It was important for us to remain objective in our storytelling and not let our knowledge pollute Emily’s experience. We employed a “fly on the wall” technique as much as possible to allow Emily to grow and learn on her own. Though it was hard to sit back and watch moments where things went wrong on the set, it was worth it to see Emily learn, make changes, and then get things to turn out right the next time.
Even in the construction of the film, we tried to keep our presence to a minimum. There is no voice over. Instead, we taped candid interviews with Emily and others every day so that their own voices told the story as it happened. This gives it a more immediate feel and draws you into the world of the story, almost as if it were a narrative film.
GH: How has Emily and her family responded to the documentary?
AM: We were nervous when we took it to their house and showed them the film for the first time. Luckily, they really got into the movie and have embraced it 100 percent. Emily and her family have even been able to accompany us to many of the film festivals, where Emily is always a big hit at the Q & As.
GH: Despite the film’s content, I think it could be a great discussion piece for parents and educators. Have you gotten many responses from either of these groups?
AM: Definitely. At Hot Docs, we had a screening filled with middle schoolers and high schoolers and got lots of great questions about filmmaking afterwards. And at the Mill Valley Film Festival, we went to a Jr. High School to discuss moviemaking with the kids. I think a few of them even set out to make their own zombie films after that!
GH: Do you think you’d ever film any follow-up piece on Emily as she continues her filmmaking career?
AM: We popped in on the set while she was filming her second movie and will always keep in touch.
GH: Has the exposure from your film helped Emily advance her career in any way so far?
AM: If anything, it has let others with similar interests know about her, so they can gravitate to one another. On her second film, and on the new movie she’s shooting right now, she’s been able to put together a full crew.