Geek Syndicate
We are at the set of a zombie short directed by Cockney Vs Zombies director Matthias Hoene, the content of which will be used in a new video for mobile network GiffGaff called #dontbescared. We interviewed Tom Rainsford, Head of Brand at GiffGaff to tell us more about the project: GS: So, what’s the whole premise of why we are here today? TR: So we are here today because GiffGaff is run by it’s members and we have an amazing community of members who do all different types of stuff for us. We wanted something that would show by being different, and doing things in a different way actually it doesn’t have to be perceived as being scary like zombies, or worrying. Actually by getting lots of people together good things can happen, and don’t be scared of doing things differently. So we wanted to find a really interesting and engaging way of doing that. We worked with one of our agencies called Fallon who came up with this concept which is about zombies and the undead essentially looking like they are going to converge and attack this beautiful, traditional kind of classic English village, but as it turns out as you travel through watching this, they are not attacking the residents of this village, they are actually trying to help them out. So there is someone who is on his way to work, leaves the house, sees a loads of zombies
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approaching and is obviously intimated and worried by the imminent attack of zombies – which I think is fair enough? But I enjoy his dedication of still going to work which is nice! I think some people would go back inside. But actually he gets into his car and he is trying to start it, it doesn’t start, he starts panicking as the zombies start trying to encroach on his space, but actually it turns out that they are going to jump start the car for him, and he drives off. So that’s the kind of premise, it is about showing how, tryingto bring to life in an interesting and engaging way how GiffGaff does things differently. And by doing things differently and with like minded people, actually really positive things can happen. GS: So how did you get Matthias on board then? TR: He came on board for working through Fallon who are our advertising agency, they talked to various directors, but we really liked him and we really liked Cockneys Vs Zombies, we also didn’t want to film a traditional TV commercial or Ad. We wanted someone who knew about Zombies, and he is a Zombie expert, he’s also someone who could put together something that looked more interesting, more creative, and more engaging for the people that watch it. So many of us consume so many pieces of advertising, it can get dull in all honesty and they all seem one like the other, and GiffGaff is
all about doing this differently so we wanted to take a completely different approach to how we put together our marketing content or our marketing material. So we wanted someone who knows the genre, you know and can really bring it to life. So we got him on board, we went through different treatments, scripts and storyboards and that is how we have ended up with our wonderfully bizarre and bonkers end result. GS: So how long have you been shooting for then? TR: This is the third day, we have had some smaller, shots and different stuff that we have been doing, and then today on Saturday it is the big accumulation of the end scene where there has been different shots of zombies experiencing different elements of engagement with the residents of the village – be that in the local pub, cutting hedges, or starting cars, or helping someone carry stuff to school. And really this is where everyone in the village and zombies come together in a beautiful kind of cascade of zombie villageness. GS: So why zombies? TR: I think we kind of came to the decision about using zombies for a few reasons. I think zombies are wonderfully interesting, I th ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????$????????????????????????????????????????????%????????????????????????((0