Interview with Automaton Transfusion director Steven Miller

By Geoff Bough

Independent horror has definitely shifted into high gear. What used to be backyard camcorder cinema created by novice home filmamakers has become large productions with notable casts, plump budgets, good equipment and studio quality output.

Whenever I see an announcement about an upcoming independent horror film, my anticipation builds and I am compelled to follow news on the production. These writers and directors are a breath of fresh air in the horror genre. They bring creative and exciting tales to us and don't have big studio executives telling them how to make their film.

One recent production that captured my attention is the film Automaton Transfusion, by writer/director Steven Miller. We had the chance to speak with Steven about his film. Here's what transpired before we were consumed by the horde:

Rev: Hello Steven, thanks for joining us. From what I have read, AT has quite an interesting story and is a new spin on the traditional zombie film. Can you tell us about the story and what zombie fans can expect in this film?

SM: Well, basically the story is The US Military back in the early 70’s started doing tests on dead soldiers, trying to reanimate them. The hope was to have the dead fight the war instead of the living. The experiments were shut down and then reopened 30 years later in a little City called and its nearby Town of Downey. The film actually begins here in this town focusing around 4 high school seniors.

Rev: I believe that indie horror has been and will continue to be the driving force in new and exciting horror films from ambitious and creative new directors. What’s your take on that? Do you believe that Hollywood horror has been lackluster lately?

SM: I completely agree. If it weren’t for indie horror films then there wouldn’t be horror flicks. Hollywood just doesn’t get the concept of good horror. They would much rather put out a “boo!” film than something gory as hell. But I definitely think things are changing with films like the HILLS HAVE EYES, which I think was one of the best horror flicks I’ve seen in a while.

Rev: The history of past zombie films have usually had some kind of satire or socio-political statements. With the premise of your story dealing with government experiments and war, is there a statement being made there?

SM: The statement being made in AT is really very minimal. This is the first in a planned trilogy and it’s really a rock em', sock em', gory film from start to finish. Its supposed to set you up for the next film which is where I wanted to get into the social statements of the series. The first AT was me trying to make a horror film that never let up in pace. I wasn’t going for a huge arch in character development or even a magnificent storyline. We all know that most indie horror films seem to drag on with story and bad acting. With the budget I was given I wanted the first film to just be a zombie slashing good time. The second and third films are written for bigger budget and bigger social statements.

Rev: I have to tell you, the trailer for AT looks absolutely fantastic! You incorporate the use of ominous lighting effects and nice angled shots, especially in the scene in the shed. Have you had previous experience in film? Was lighting just the way it came out? Or was it something you really worked at?

SM:Thanks Very Much! My previous background is music videos, but I always did darker and much more underground videos. The lighting came out to perfection with the amount of gear we had. The films look is something I think sets it apart from so many low budget zombie films. We really did have to work at it. We shot the film in 9 days and everyday was extremely long due to our emphasis on taking our time with lighting. Granted some of the scenes had to be rushed and are not perfect, but what indie film is?

Rev: How was the casting process? It appears that you had the opportunity to work with some talented actors.

SM: Casting was actually very pleasant. All the actors we chose have had no previous starring roles before. I really appreciate 70’s/80’s films and how they always chose non-name actors and that’s something I wanted to stay true to.

Rev: Can you tell us a little about the filming? Where did you guys shoot? How long was the shoot? What kind of equipment was used?

SM: We shot the film all around in the state of Florida. The shoot was 9 days and usually about 16 hours a day. We were on a real time crunch. We used the dvx-100a cameras and attached the P&S mini 35 adapters, which allowed us to use 35mm lenses. This is something that gives the film that little extra coolness about it. Its not quite film looking, but it definitely doesn’t look digital.

Rev: Can you share with us one of your favorite moments from the shoot?

SM: My favorite moment in the shoot was our first day of shooting. We had to shut down 3 blocks in downtown Orlando, FL and we had 500 zombie extras. The streets were filled with bloody running zombies and it was a pretty amazing site.

Rev: It looks like you guys have some intense gore in this film, excellent! Can you tell us about your FX team?

SM: We hired Rick Gonzales, who was an assistant to Tom Savini on “Day of the Dead” and he did a fantastic job! There were so many things that I wanted to do that just couldn’t be done for our kind of budget. He never said we COULDN’T do it, he would just find ways to make it super close to the way I wanted it. All the effects were really amazing!

Rev: Do you plan to hit the festival circuit with AT?

SM: Well that’s still a thing we are deciding about. The film is in talks with 3 major studios for worldwide distribution, but if those fall through then I would definitely say yes to the festival route.

Rev: How was the writing process? Did you have the whole story in your head and just sat down and got it all out on paper? Or was it a story that evolved over time?

SM: The trilogy was a story that evolved over time. Its been festering in my head for years and I finally just got It down on paper. Once I did, I found that the film would be way too long and way too much money. So I decided to make the first one short, gory, and as fast paced as I could make a zombie film.

Rev: Did you grow up watching horror films? If so, what were some of your favorites from that time?

SM: I grew up sneaking off to friend’s houses to watch horror films. Hahaha! It was my favorite thing to do as a kid. Evil Dead 2 and Fright Night were 2 films that I would watch religiously. I loved all Romero’s Dead films, Dead Alive, Zombie, Silver Bullet, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Blob, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm street, Friday the 13th, The Howling, Carrie, Prom Night, Sleep Away Camp, Children of the Corn, The Lost Boys, and so many others!

Rev: Who or what has influenced your writing and filmmaking?

SM: Evil Dead was a huge influence for me growing up. It just seemed like it was a group of friends who got together and made a kick ass horror film. That’s something I always wanted to be apart of and I think that’s exactly what AT is.

Rev: What are some of your favorite movies?

SM: Seven, Fight Club, Back To The Future, Requiem For A Dream, My Own Private Idaho, Punch Drunk Love, Batman, The Goonies, John Cusack films, Batman Begins, Momento, Silence of the Lambs, anything Stanley Kubrick, Kevin Smith films, Detroit Rock City, and recently I really enjoyed the Underworld series so far.

Rev: Will AT have a soundtrack? If so, what bands and music will we be

SM: The soundtrack is still in negotiations.

Rev: What music have you been listening to lately?

SM: I’m a metal kid at heart.

Darkest hour, Slayer, As I Lay Dying, Harvest, Every Time I Die, Throwdown, Most Precious Blood, NIN, old Underoath, The Warriors, and some Morbid Angel.

Rev: If you could write the script and direct the adaptation of any novel, what would you choose?

SM: I would love to take a stab at “ World War Z”.

Rev: Is there any one person that you are dying to work with in the industry?

SM: Bruce Campbell!

Rev: Do you have any other projects lined up after AT takes the world by storm?

SM: I have the sequels to AT and a film I’m working on called WILDE with my friend Tyler Shields. The film is pretty much the craziest thing I’ve ever read I think its going to shock audiences!

To view the trailer for Automaton Transfusion go to www.automatontransfusion.com

On behalf of myself and Revenant Magazine, I'd like to thank Steven for his time and we certainly look forward to seeing Automaton Transfusion and wish him and the cast and crew of the film all the best! Thanks!

Update (12.30.07) Automaton Transfusion has been picked up by Dimension for distribution and hits dvd March 4th 2008 from Dimension Extreme!