DAY ZERO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Is Day Zero another zombie series?
No, it is definitely not! There are "creatures" that were created by the nuclear Fallout around the year 2109 (Day Zero) who are basically humans affected by radiation, driving them wild and caveman-like. This is what sets Day Zero apart from anything zombie on film.
2. Why is there a different cast from 2010?
After series creator Cal Nguyen purchased the rights from writer Kelsi Swensen, much effort was put forth in keeping the original actors, however it finally turned out that nearly all of them could not stay, so we re-cast everyone. Any leftovers were part of the original in other capacities, mainly Amber Masterson who is our head composer but played the original "Kat Finch".
3. What kind of cameras were used on the show?
We used Canon 60D DSLR mostly, but also the Canon 7D. The 7D was used for almost all the interiors while the 60D was nearly all exteriors and some interiors. Season 2 will be using either the Canon 5D MK III, BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera, Panasonic DMC-GH2 and GH3, and hopefully at some point, a 4k camera.
4. What software is used for post-production?
Cal Nguyen used Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects on a quad-core PC to edit as well as implement audio and visual effects.
5. Is there any green screen?
No green screens were ever used, everything was filmed on location.
6. I heard the budget for season 1 was $30,000 but called "no budget". What does that mean?
Mostly money spent out-of-pocket by Cal with a bit from Desiree Haymond as well as exchanges like The Sabuco Family offering us to film in their house. Thus, "no budget" is technically what it is because it wasn't funded by any investors.
7. Was this filmed episodically or out-of-order?
Season 1 was filmed Out-of-order. Both inside each episode's scenes as well as all episodes themselves. Besides the pilot episode, we filmed nearly all outdoor scenes first for a few months, and then moved inside to film interiors for almost all the episodes :) This is the reason why we had the actors keep wearing the same wardrobe, but it also helps the viewer remember who they are anyway. Season 2 so far will be filmed episodically until we can muster funding.
8. Nice wardrobe. Who made them?
The actors brought their own after getting approval from Cal. For season 2, we have a wardrobe person who will be helping to layer a darker look due to the darker story-line in the 2nd season.
9. Is it true Cal Nguyen did almost every crew and production position on season 1?
Yes, he was not only acting in the Jim Lecter role, but also served as director, producer, executive producer, camera operator, director of photography, editor, FX and sound mixer, location manager, props manager, etc. The whole list can be found on http://imdb.me/calnguyen
10. How many awards has Day Zero won?
We've won 10 film fest awards in 17 months' time (2011 - 2013).
11. Why is Day Zero set up as 20+ minute (average) running time per episode (this question was before we got to TV)?
Most "web series" use the "webisode" formula, which is short form format. Day Zero uses the longer format to fit into a half-hour slot for television. That is why the show is considered "Web TV Series", which Day Zero pretty much started a trend for others to follow in its footsteps due to the success of bridging TV and the Web. The reason is because most original TV viewers went to Netflix and Hulu, etc. to get the same 30 and 60 minute TV entertainment at a reduced price. Day Zero is free to stream online on IndieFlix and Tuff TV.
12. Where was Day Zero filmed?
In Utah cities of: Ogden, North Ogden, South Ogden, Roy, Salt Lake City, Toole and West Jordan
13. What happened to the studio name change?
In 2011, Grace Conquest Pictures departed from the series before the new cast was filmed. The studio owned by Cal Nguyen is called Altare Productions* (formerly Fofanugget Productions), which is the primary studio for Day Zero, while Grace Conquest Pictures is simply a supporter of the show. In addition, Ogden Film Group had a hand initially (thus you'll see their logo in the original pilot and 2nd episode, Requital), but afterwards it was either reduced to a simple text mention in the end credits and/or Associate Producer Tim Sabuco's company, Bandman Productions, was added and then reduced to text as well starting with the 3rd episode, Suspicion. However, Bandman Productions does not have an imdb listing at this time and was not involved with the pilot (Tim technically came aboard afterwards).
* As of November 10, 2017
14. Will there be a season 2 or 3 (updated!)?
There should be! We're now in full swing for season 2 after having the premiere episode "Requiem" in the can, which was helmed by a guest director, local Utah filmmaker Denver James Harward with Ripple Media. We hope to have more funding outside of Cal's own personal savings, but this season opener will be used as an investment vehicle to gauge interest by investors regarding the remainder of the new season. Stay tuned for news about when filming resumes! UPDATE 2: We're almost finished completing season 2! Please consider supporting a season 3 for us by donating at the PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Z8HYV783F4GQ6
UPDATE 3: Season 2 completed filming in 2015 and had been released to Amazon.com, IndieFlix and Tuff TV! All 10 episodes :) AND Season 3 will be released in 2018 to Amazon Prime!
UPDATE 4: Season 3 was released in 2018!
15. Since the remastered pilot took over the original version online, how do I see the original, non-remastered pilot?
The only way to see the original version of the pilot is to go to Amazon.com and/or CreateSpace, and stream it as video-on-demand or purchase the DVD (see our e-store for more information). UPDATE: It is no longer available online!
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