By Edward Greene
Not much surprises me in Cooper-Young anymore. Nevertheless, I was a bit startled to see two zombies in my front yard one Saturday morning. After stashing the family pets, further inquiry revealed what only true boredom can accomplish. Alden Woodard and Tyler Hurt of Evelyn Avenue, along with their fathers, Adam Woodard and Justin Hurt, have formed Wood Hurts Productions and are ready to “taste” all Cooper-Young has to offer. In case you missed the links on the CYCA home page, the LampLighter online, YouTube, and Facebook, on May 9th, Episode 1 of Dead News Live with the Zombie Boys was posted covering the CY Farmer’s Market. This was a follow-up to a short film released a week earlier called Doommate. I was lucky enough to sit down with my zombie neighbors (without being eaten) and their fathers to ask a few questions.
Q. Adam, who’s idea was this project?
A. The idea was a group effort. Alden and Tyler were spending a Saturday at my house and decided that they were “totally bored.” I asked them what they wanted to do, and, after a little brainstorming, they decided that they wanted to make a movie. I asked them what kind of movie and they decided that a zombie film would be the best choice. So we put together a really simple, short zombie film called, Doommate. The boys wrote it and story-boarded it with my help. Then we made Alden into a zombie and shot the film on my iPhone. I edited and posted it on YouTube and the boys were thrilled with the results.
The next day, Tyler’s dad, Justin, called me, and told me that he had seen Doommate. He loved it, and wanted to do another film in which he could be involved. Coincidentally, Justin had some makeup experience and had also worked on a zombie film! That same week, I watched an old home movie that my cousin, Sean Faust, and I had done when we were kids. We had done a spoof newscast in the vein of the old HBO show Not Necessarily the News. I put two and two together, and thought that would make a good genre for our budding zombies. First of all, I thought it would be even more fun for the kids to be zombies in public. Secondly, I thought it would put the kids more firmly in the driver’s seat of the creativity and the production. And so Dead News Live was born (or unborn, or dead, or whatever it is).
Q. Adam, how were you able to put these videos together?
A. My background is in advertising but I began branching out into television and film production about a year ago. I’m a Mac nerd and everything was put together at home on my Mac. I also produce music and headaches.
Q. Alden, how does it feel to be the most popular dead journalist in Cooper-Young?
A. I have to answer this? Wait! Don’t put that! Dad! Don’t put that! Wait let me see! What did you put? OK, fine! It feels really cool and I’ve never been so popular. I feel more alive than dead.
Q. Adam, after seeing Doommate, are we to assume that Alden turned Tyler into a zombie?
A. Roommates always tend to give each other their illnesses. Tyler should have taken his Emergen-C®.
Q. So, Tyler, how did you enjoy the Farmers Market experience?
A. Groooaaan…cough, cough, hack, spit…Wow, never thought I’d get that bone out of my throat! Actually, I enjoyed the experience. I learned a lot, but truthfully, there were too many veggies and not enough flesh.
Q. What’s next for The Zombie Boys
A. Today Cooper-Young — tomorrow the world. We plan to make an appearance at the CYCA meeting on July 13th to find out what everyone is doing to save energy for the Smallest User competition and to save their mortal souls!
Online Extra:
Become a Facebook fan of Zombie News! Check out their FB page here and check out their original production, Doommate below!
[...] In hopes of better informing the neighborhood, the next CYCA meeting on Tuesday, July 13th, will be devoted almost entirely to the contest. Tom Chamberlin from MLGW will be there to report on the progress of the competition. He will also be there to explain some of MLGW’s programs that are available to CY residents to help them conserve energy. Lots of prizes will be given away as well as a host of simple, energy-saving tips for around the house. There might even be an appearance from the locally famous Zombie Boys (click here for a photo and article on the Zombie Boys). [...]