Julius Ramsay has made his living editing a number of the better genre television shows of the last couple decades, including Battlestar Galactica, Alias, and now The Walking Dead. With an eye toward making his own films, in 2008 he directed a 20-minute short, Pivot, that achieved some success on the film festival circuit.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Horror Movies Of The 21st Century, From 28 Days Later to Get Out
When I joined The Walking Dead in season one as an editor, I expressed an interest in directing, said Ramsay. I showed the producers and the network my film, and after working on the show for a few years, I was fortunate enough to earn their trust and get a chance to direct my first episode.
Ramsay believes editing is a good training ground for directors, forcing you to find the essence of a story and distill it into a series of shots, sounds, and impressions.
Being able to edit a scene in my mind has made me a more effective director, and better able to communicate my vision to collaborators on a film, said Ramsay.
There were also some more specific lessons he took from the hit AMC show when it came time to make his first horror feature, Midnighters, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival this week.
The Walking Dead has a deliberate, measured pace thats a large part of what makes its tone so effective, said Ramsay. I think of it as the heartbeat of the series, and its most often set in the editing room. It determines everything about how an audience experiences a film. When directing and editing Midnighters, I knew that I similarly had to find the films heartbeat and set it to the right rhythm.
Getting a few Walking Dead directing credits under his belt also gave Midnighters some credibility and a track record when it came time to fundraising. The show also gave him a cast member, Andrew Rothenberg, who played Jim in season one. But while hisTV experience helped make him a better filmmaker and get the project off the ground, Ramsay said the parallels between shooting a massive TV show and an indie film are few and far between.
On a major TV series, theres a massive infrastructure in place to deal with nearly every contingency you could imagine, said Ramsay. This is particularly true on The Walking Dead, which has an insane number of moving parts, and is produced by a brilliant group of producers in Georgia and Los Angeles. On Midnighters, we had limited resources and money, so our infrastructure was much smaller. Hence, when something went wrong, we had to improvise.
For example, one morning the lead makeup artist on Midnighters went to the emergency room with a stomach virus. Ramsay scrambled to find a backup, since what they were shooting that day called for star Alex Essoe to have a wound on her forehead.
READ MORE: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked
We found a replacement who could arrive that afternoon, but that meant wed lose hours of filming, said Ramsay. When she heard about the problem, Alex Essoe said that she actually knew how to apply prosthetic wounds from her experience on another film. We gathered the materials and she did it herself 30 minutes later, we were filming.
There are benefits to an indie DIY mentality, as its not always about powering through the limitations. Sometimes those limitations can lead to ingenuity and better use of the medium itself.
READ MORE: How a Chance Encounter With Terrence Malick Turned Trey Edward Shults Into a Filmmaker
On an indie, you cant rely on big budget special effects or monsters to scare the audience you have to milk the horror of the human experience for all its worth, said Ramsay. I think fewer resources force a director to put a lot more emphasis on the horror of the unknown, and in the end thats more frightening than anything else.
Midnighters premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Stay on top of the latest in gear and filmmaking news! Sign up for the Indiewire Toolkit newsletter here.
Originally posted here:
How Editing 'The Walking Dead' Helped the 'Midnighters' Director Make His First Horror Film - IndieWire
- The Walking Dead Will Releases A Trilogy Of Cryptic Puzzles - Bleeding Cool News - May 9th, 2024
- How could you be with her? What's wrong with you?: Norman Reedus Faced the Wrath of The Walking Dead Fans ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- He's got no coordination whatsoever, zero: The Baddest Man on The Walking Dead Was Actually the Worst at Fake ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- How could you be with her? Whats wrong with you?: Norman Reedus Faced the Wrath of The Walking Dead Fans ... - imdb - May 9th, 2024
- Skybound Celebrating "The Walking Dead" Interactive Game with San Diego Comic-Con Offsite - San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog - May 9th, 2024
- Photos: 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' production takes over downtown Worcester - Worcester Telegram - May 9th, 2024
- "I don't think it'll be possible until...": Only 1 Thing is Stopping Robert Kirkman from Making The Walking Dead Animated ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- 10 The Walking Dead Moments That Made Viewers Quit The Show - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- What you cant see from the street Inside the The Walking Dead: Dead City set - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- Worcesters Union Station closed Wednesday for Walking Dead spin-off filming - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- On set at The Walking Dead: Dead City in Worcester - MassLive.com - May 9th, 2024
- New Photos Surface of 'Walking Dead: Dead City' Production in Worcester - FUN 107 - May 9th, 2024
- That tends to make me want to kill them: Robert Kirkman Has One Huge Reason for 'The Walking Dead' Deaths That ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Robert Kirkman's Favorite The Walking Dead Character Will Make Andrew Lincoln and Steven Yeun Fans Super Mad - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Andrew Lincoln: "There's Infinite Chance" for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 2 Under 1 Condition - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Revisits Early Chapter in "The Book of Carol" Story - Bleeding Cool News - May 9th, 2024
- I Do Credit Robert Kirkman: How The Walking Dead Helped Launch Another Massive Horror Hit (by Accident) - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- "I miss that scene": Jeffrey Dean Morgan Was Upset After The Walking Dead Ignored 1 Iconic Scene From The Comic ... - FandomWire - May 9th, 2024
- Skybound Entertainment & Those Beyond Launch Trilogy of New The Walking Dead Cryptic Puzzles to Pioneer the ... - Capsule Computers - May 9th, 2024
- Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with first issue of The Walking Dead comic (digital - Undead Walking - May 9th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Not Eligible for Emmys Limited Series Category, Will Submit as Drama (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Dead City to film in Worcester - heres when and where - MassLive.com - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Walking Dead Characters Who Need Their Own Spin-Off - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "She was not in that first movie": Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Nearly Didn ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Fear The Walking Dead Main Villains Ranked - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- All 11 Seasons of 'The Walking Dead', Ranked From Worst to Best - Collider - May 1st, 2024
- She was not in that first movie: Andrew Lincoln Was Devastated The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Nearly Didn ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- Where are Rick and Michonne at the End of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Here's What We Know - Flickering Myth - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincoln's Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- There are other very important characters in the universe: Andrew Lincolns Selfless Response When Asked if Rick ... - imdb - May 1st, 2024
- 10 Best Episodes of The Walking Dead Season 8, Ranked - CBR - May 1st, 2024
- "I hadn't thought about it that way": The Walking Dead Actress Never Knew Her Character's Death Would Cause Such a ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Eighth Season Blu-ray (Netherlands) - Blu-ray.com - May 1st, 2024
- Surprising 14-Year Walking Dead Actor Record Shows Who The Franchise's True Main Character Is - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- The Ones Who Live All But Confirms 1 Walking Dead Mystery Will Never Be Answered - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- "I must have been on their radar": Why The Walking Dead Star Andrew Lincoln Nearly Refused $650000 Per Episode ... - FandomWire - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Wallpaper You Know You Need - Bleeding Cool News - May 1st, 2024
- This Underrated Netflix Zombie Show Did One Thing Better Than The Walking Dead - MovieWeb - May 1st, 2024
- DEI is the walking dead | Commentary | bgdailynews.com - Bowling Green Daily News - May 1st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Season 11 | Rotten Tomatoes - April 22nd, 2024
- About The Walking Dead | News, Bios and Photos | AMC - April 22nd, 2024
- How to Recreate the Most Iconic Location From The Walking Dead in 3D - 80.lv - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol Sets Tribeca Debut - Bleeding Cool News - April 22nd, 2024
- The Walking Dead star joins Superman movie in major role - Digital Spy - April 22nd, 2024
- Rick Grimes' Ending Finally Honored The Big Promise Walking Dead Made In Season 5 - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- When Will 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 Premiere? - UPROXX - April 21st, 2024
- The Surprising Reason HBO Turned Down 'The Walking Dead' - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- "You Really Have to Consider What He's Been Through": Walking Dead Creator Admits It's Hard to Root for Rick, But ... - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead Animated Series Can't Happen "Until I Get the Rights Back From AMC" - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- Morgan Jones' Got The Sendoff He Deserved On Fear The Walking Dead - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Animated Series Happening Depends On One Important Thing - GameRant - April 21st, 2024
- Robert Kirkman Says The Walking Dead Animated Series Can Only Happen Under One Condition - MovieWeb - April 21st, 2024
- Daryl Dixon season 2 could make the Walking Dead universe even better here's why - Tom's Guide - April 21st, 2024
- 7 New Walking Dead Villains That Could Replace The CRM - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Fails Rick Grimes and Here Are All the Reasons Why He Deserves A Better Fate - Hollywood.com - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Is a Reckoning of Hope - Reactor - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman Shares What's Holding Back the Planned Animated Series - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Behind the scenes as 'Dead City' films in Taunton We talked to zombie, caterer and more - Taunton Daily Gazette - April 21st, 2024
- Die creators Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans' new original graphic novel is a cross between The Walking Dead and ... - Gamesradar - April 21st, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Season 2 and 'Presumed Innocent' Headline the 2024 Tribeca Festival TV Lineup - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman wants an animated show, but there's one issue - Winter is Coming - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead Crossover Plans Now Face A Huge Obstacle Thanks To Rick Grimes - imdb - April 21st, 2024
- Tom Payne and Wife Jennifer kerman Welcome Twins (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - April 21st, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer - ComicBook.com - March 24th, 2024
- What The Song Means In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 (Does It Reveal The Ending?) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Is Avoiding A Problem That Nearly Killed The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Has A Walking Dead Easter Egg You Might Have Missed - Looper - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Review What We - Den of Geek - March 24th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 4 Recap: It's Rick, Michonne, and Carl? - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Includes a Rare Sex Scene on The Ones Who Live: 'It Is About Pain,' Says Andrew Lincoln - PEOPLE - March 24th, 2024
- Daryl Dixon Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Episodes 5 & 6 Get Ominous Tease From Walking Dead EP - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- TWD The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer: Rick & Michonne Find Trouble Escaping - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Does Rick Leave the CRM on The Ones Who Live? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Into The Kirkmanverse? Invincible Teases A Major Connection To The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Pulled a Bait-and-Switch on Walking Dead Fans, But It Works - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Well, That Was The Walking Dead's Raunchiest Episode Since The Show Began In 2010 - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible x The Walking Dead Crossover is Now Likelier Than Ever Due to This Season 2 Character - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 - Release date & time, where to watch, and more - Sportskeeda - March 24th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero