Kiah Roache-Turner: “I didn’t get into this game to shoot on green screen.”

Director Kiah Roache-Turner was kind enough to block out some time in a very busy schedule to chat about his crazy, enjoyable, extremely well-made and ultra-violent zombie frolic Wyrmwood: Apocalypse.

Please enjoy.

Short version

Full version

Interview Index

00:00 Is the film too subtle?
01:00 Self-description;
02:12 Describing the film;
03:26 Making the exact film he wanted;
03:40 Working with producer Blake Northfield;
06:00 Pacing, editing & sound design;
07:36 “I have a style that’s pretty intense. I don’t know if I have a philosophy, but if it isn’t interesting, I cut it. it’s that simple.”
08:08 Facts & figures; low budget; six week and one day shoot;
08:50 The opening scene;
09:18 Shooting a low-budget zombie film in the age of Covid;
10:00 Obsession with practical over digital filmmaking;
10:24 Sparse use of digital effects; “I didn’t get into this game to shoot on green screen.”
11:40 The value of storyboarding;
12:20 96 set-ups in one day;
15:05 Nektronic; “A big learning experience.”
17:28 Tasia Zalar; Shantae Barnes-Cowan
18:44 Working with indigenous advisors;
20:25 Indigenous consultants with power of veto;
23:10 How being race-sensitive can improve your film;
23:47 Gun safety;
24:46 Digital FX produce a better result than firing live blanks;
26:20 Love of miniguns;
27:20 Filmmaking heroes;
29:00 Combating movie piracy;
30:18 Hollywood footprint;
31:37 “If I have to make films here for the rest of my life, I’m happy.”;
31:45 Old-schooler; “Peter Weir is a god, and nobody talks about hm enough.”;
33:25 Wyrmwood III.