Batteries Not Included

Today's Two Buck Tuesday installment of the Horror Movie October graphic design calendar card series is a beautiful raw independent zombie flick from 2012 and directed by Jeremy Gardner entitled The Battery.  

"The Battery"

"In a world ravaged by the undead

Ben and Mickey must learn to survive...

each other."

Now now now, stop. I know what you're thinking. 

"Not ANOTHER zombie movie!?" 

Yes. One more.... maybe just one, but DEFINITELY this one!

The Battery is a zombie flick akin to The Walking Dead and all the great zombie flicks that use the zombies as a backdrop to focus on the issues at hand that no one in our society likes to talk about. In the case of The Battery the focus is on two radically different individuals forced to get along in order to survive. 

The bearded individual in the film, Ben, is played by the writer and director, Jeremy Gardner. He made this flick with only $6,000, and shot it over the span of 15 days in Connecticut. His shooting style is very similar to how Harold Ramis handled Caddyshack. That is, there was a written plot, but most of the shooting was "very seat-of-the-pants." That, my friend, is film making! Take an idea, and make something of it. Make it work on the spot. Capture what you can. Then edit the shiz out of it until you've got something. Indie film making at it's finest! 

Also, the soundtrack is brilliant bluegrass and folk, and because of it, along with Gardner's beard, this film has earned a reputation for being a "hipster zombie flick." That song you hear during the trailer is "Anthem for the Already Defeated" by Rock Plaza Central. 

If you're curious more about the songs used in the film you can find them here. 

Check out the trailer then hunt down the film. 

As always there is more to come...

~3

Approved By The President

I know it has been awhile since my last post, but I've been hard at work at school, and with that a new website that I'll be unveiling shortly. All that hard work is paying off though. See? 

I made the President's List! 

I'd like to take a moment to congratulate all my friends that made the President's list beside me, especially my friends in the Graphic Arts program; Rachel Douglas, LaDonna Toler Wilkin, and Shonna Sprous. I know it hasn't been easy, but if life was meant to be easy no one would try for anything. 

I personally want to thank all my friends and family for their support during my time at RMU. I especially couldn't have done it without the amazing staff and fantastic teachers at RMU. I've learned everything you've had to teach me, and I will continue to do so regardless of my grades. 

I've sacrificed a lot to be here, and toiled endlessly while I have been here. In the past I've made Dean's List every quarter (all 3 that I've attended) while at RMU. Every quarter I look at the classes, and think , "I got this," and every quarter it (classes and life) just seem to get harder. However, every day I eventually wake up, and work hard. This quarter has been particularly trying because of a lot of financial and technical setbacks. 

However, next month I'll be spending next quarter (8 weeks) studying abroad in Italy. I've worked hard for it, and I'm very excited about it. I have two big projects planned while I'm there. I'm going to trip to Germany one weekend to see some old friends and capture footage investigating my ancestry towns, and hopefully track down some living relatives in the area. I'll be spending another weekend in Dublin, Ireland to shoot footage for a music video with the extremely talented Christopher Maxey, who is being featured on a compilation album to benefit depression alongside many greats including Glen Hansard. While I'm in Italy I'll also be working at a graphic arts internship that I'm very excited about, and I'll be tasting and investigating coffees and coffee techniques while I'm there to help out William Van's Coffee House when I return. 

Crazy and exciting times. I've sacrificed love and suffered loss to get where I am, and I don't see any point in stopping or slowing down. Sometimes there are some walls. These walls create lulls in progress, but as long as I keep working they eventually fall. Thank you all, and keep up the great work! As always there is more to come.

~3