“LA Law” actor Corbin Bernsen’s character in the film “HERD” was armed and bloodied as he confronted a zombie this week inside an auto garage set, constructed inside a warehouse on the edge of Poplar Bluff.
It was one of many scenes taking place in and around town as filmmakers began shooting the zombie apocalypse movie “HERD,” directed by Poplar Bluff native Steven Pierce. Filming will also take place in Doniphan and Van Buren for this production.
The production is using locally sourced props, such as a sign for the fictional Miller Motors from a local print shop.
Head of Production James Allerdyce said the set and props department heads worked for months, but only got on the ground to assemble sets a couple of weeks ago. Local filming started April 2.
At the auto garage, two scenes were shot that day featuring Bernsen. In one he encountered a zombie, known in the film as a “Hep,” played by line producer Matt Mundy. Cast and crew went through multiple takes. Allerdyce noted there is no average number of takes per scene.
“It comes down, really, to the shoot,” he said. “It could be one, it could be 20. It all depends on the shoot, and the day and what’s happening.”
One of the producers, Lori Kay, explained 12-hour workdays are normal on set. Kay is one of several women leading within the production, which makes this film unique.
“A lot of our positions are held by women, like DP (Director of Photography), first AD (Assistant Director) and one of our producers,” she said, gesturing to herself.
Framework Productions recently started shooting outdoor scenes, which add another complicating factor: weather.
“We do our best and plan the best we can, and have our backups in place,” said Allerdyce.
Like most action movies, “HERD” will feature plenty of zombie shooting. Safety personnel stressed they only used unfireable prop guns with inert ammunition. Nevertheless, every weapon was treated like a real one on set.
For further safety, gunfire and injury effects will be added in post-production.
“In the case of the gunfire, we especially wanted to do all gunfire in post-production for safety. But we wanted to make sure all the makeup and blood and art were done on set. We’re really leaning toward the makeup and the effects to be practical and the shooting and the action to be post-production,” said Allerdyce.
The only practical blood on the scene was the fake hemoglobin smeared on Bernsen and Mundy, the “Hep.” Mundy spent two and a half hours in the makeup chair under the brush of makeup department head Caitlyn Young. Since Pierce and Allerdyce’s zombies are living humans infected with a virus, Young referenced images of smallpox when designing Mundy’s appearance. His face was covered in boils, veining and grime, and his transformation was completed by sclera lenses, which cover the whites of the eye and lend a truly dead-eyed look.
Mundy put a great deal of thought into the shuffling gait and behavior of his zombie, he said, and considering “what’s happening to the person, to the body, the brain breakdown and how that affects coordination.”
Since these are not typical zombies, it was especially important to get the how and why of the apocalypse down in advance.
“We had to make it make sense from the beginning,” Mundy said.
“HERD” will continue filming in Poplar Bluff throughout the month of April.
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