TWICE can’t get its fill of convention halls.
Even with the mother of all trade shows just a couple of weeks away, we couldn’t not attend Walker Stalker Con, a two-day celebration of the horror genre in general, and AMC’s “The Walking Dead” in particular.
Given the symbiotic relationship between the entertainment and CE industries, we figured tech ranked high with the cast and crew of the runaway hit show.
We figured wrong.
Co-executive producer, special effects makeup designer, and intermittent director Greg Nicotero told TWICE he flat-out prefers film over digital, particularly for the “The Walking Dead.” Film, he explained, gives the series “a 1960s black-and-white feel. I was discussing this with [‘Star Wars’ special photographic effects supervisor] John Dykstra the other day. Grain is better than pixels.”
Likewise, Christian Serratos, who plays the show’s rough-and-tumble Rosita Espinosa, seemed indifferent to UHD TV and the unforgiving scrutiny of 4K displays. “As actors, it’s our job to be exposed,” she said.
At least Ming Chen of AMC’s “Comic Book Men” has an appreciation for IT, having developed the website of director Kevin Smith’s ViewAskew production company and its interactive discussion board 19 years ago. “Kevin was one of the first to do social media,” he observed.
Similarly, English actor David Morrissey, who brought “The Governor” character to villainous life, connects with his fans through proactive tweeting, he told TWICE.
But actor Chad L. Coleman, who plays the earnest Tyreese Williams (and was equally stoic as “Cutty” on HBO’s “The Wire”), sees a bigger role for CE. Amid heightened tensions following the grand jury decisions out of Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, “The Walking Dead” universe – cast, crew, fans and series – remains steadfastly colorblind.
“That’s the beauty of the show,” he said, and the power of home entertainment, that it can share that vision with society.
