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UNIVERSAL DEAD was written and produced by original feoamante.com alumni and producer of my short film, LAST CALL, Kelly Parks. It was directed and produced by my editor for LAST CALL, Vernon E. Mortensen. I served as Production Designer.
The cast for Webisode Three, released on June 2, 2010, is Doug Jones, D.B. Sweeney, Gary Graham, Valerie Perez, and Craig Sawyer. This and two other webisodes were shot in a rush in only three days and for a budget that would usually pay for just one day of craft services on any other film project.
UNIVERSAL DEAD Official Website.
2011
NEWS
May 17th, 2011
Today we got the news that our friend and Universal Dead actor, Joe Baker (SEAL Team member, Humvee gunner), has died.
In real life, Joe was an actual Navy SEAL
and is survived by his beloved wife, Krista Thomas Baker.
May 8th, 2011
Gigaom.com
How Do You Define Web Series Success?
In the independent web series world, success can be tough to define. Sure, there are bootstrapping shows that are undeniably winners, but for every Guild there's the series that may have never reached mainstream success, but helped its creator land a more prominent gig, or led to a merchandising deal or adaptation into another medium.
Arizona Daily Star
Ex-SEAL here once belonged to elite team
Craig R. Sawyer knows firsthand about the Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden last week.
For 13 years, he was one of them.
January 17th, 2011
KingoftheZombies
Universal Dead web series to become a feature film?
A while back I wrote a review of the zombie web series Universal Dead. I found it satisfactory, but apparently, it may return...on the big screen! Based on a post on their Official blog.
2010
October 10, 2010
UNIVERSAL DEAD FAQ
Ask.com
October 7, 2010
Webseries: Universal Dead Starring Doug Jones, D. B. Sweeney, Gary Graham Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture – in 3-D!
Universal Dead turned out to be one of the highlights at this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, where Paramount Pictures announced that it would be the first webseries to become a full-length major motion picture. Writer/producer Kelly Parks told me that he and director/producer Vernon Mortensen have been busy in pre-production for the 3-D feature version.
Continued at Action Flick Chick.
September 18, 2010
Universal Dead – Episode 3
The powerful final episode of Universal Dead will leave your head spinning with it's amazing new take on the Zombie experience. Can you say "inter-dimensional hungry parasites"?
Continued at Zombie Zone News.
September 14, 2010
DB Sweeney talks 'Two Tickets to Paradise' and punk rock
I did this thing called Universal Dead because a friend of mine, Vernon Mortensen who served eight years in the United States Navy, wanted to be a movie director and I thought, you can support the troops in a lot of different ways and one way would be to help him get a job in a business I have some pull in. That was really my reason for getting interested and then I read the script by Kelly Parks and he is actually a trained scientist. So it was a zombie movie, written by a scientist, directed by a military guy, that's a good new stint so I jumped in. And it turns out Paramount is going to make it into a movie so maybe it will be the first web series to graduate to moviehood.
Continued at IAMRogue.com.
August 26, 2010
Indie Spotlight: Vernon Mortenson (Universal Dead and Unconventional Films)
It's not everyday that you see a totally original idea for a zombie film. Today I had that day! Vernon Mortensen is Director and Producer of Universal Dead. He is also a former U.S Navy SWCC. It is a real pleasure to sit down with an American Hero and one hell of a Director. With only three short webisodes, this film has me wanting more. So without delay, I present an interview on behalf of From Dusk Till Con preformed by yours truly...
Continued at FromDuskTillCon.
A CONVERSATION WITH LOCAL FILMMAKER VERNON MORTENSEN
"Then we have this zombie movie," referring to Universal Dead, an upcoming adaptation of Unconventional Film's successful web series, which was shot entirely in East County. "We recently signed a contract with a Paramount Studio lot producer to make Universal Dead into a 3D action/horror movie. It's going to be our big break."
Continued at EastCountyMagazine.
August 25, 2010
Universal Dead Takes on Zombies, Gets a Feature Deal
(gigaom.com) -- Oh, zombies. No matter how many times people say that the genre is dead, it comes back to life again. (Sorry.) But tales of the undead keep coming, not because of some virus-like infection, but because people keep finding new approaches to telling these stories: storytelling innovation that transcends medium.
The independently created web series Universal Dead, created by Kelly Parks, Vernon Mortensen and Neil Trusso, is just one example of this.
Continued at GIGAOM.
August 20, 2010
Universal Dead
Release Date: TBA 2011
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Vernon Mortensen
Screenwriter: Kelly Parks
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Continued at ComingSoon.net.
August 16, 2010
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Universal Dead Writer Kelly Parks
We took notice of the zombie web series Universal Dead because of the strong production value and cast. When Universal Dead announced they were going to be turned into into a feature film with Paramount distributing, we had to talk with screenwriter Kelly Parks, who describes himself as "America's only ex-CIA rocket scientist stand-up comic screenwriter."
Kelly was kind enough to answer some of our questions via email.
HAZ: How did this project start and what was your background before Universal Dead?
Continued at HugAZombie.
STUFFING THE ARM FULL OF "FOAM" MEAT. |
July 28, 2010
UNIVERSAL DEAD Makes 3D Leap To Big Screen
A few months ago HOH ran an article introducing you to UNIVERSAL DEAD, a zombie horror web-series starring DB Sweeney, Doug Jones and Gary Graham about a strange disease that changes people from mild-mannered citizens to mindless murderers.
Continued at House of Horrors.
July 26, 2010
The biggest winners and losers of Comic Con 2010
And you'll notice that Tron Legacy isn't on the list — in its third year at SDCC, Tron Legacy maintained the high level of buzz it already had among the SDCC crowd. There's a big difference between "buzz maintenance" and generating new buzz. Ditto for a lot of other Comic Con favorites that continued to be Comic Con favorites, but didn't really gain or lose new buzz.
So with that said, here goes, in no particular order:
The buzz winners of SDCC 2010:
Universal Dead
This zombie webseries, which co-stars our personal favorite monster Doug Jones, was a big hit of the Celebrate The Web event — and then it was announced that Paramount has optioned it as a full-length movie.
Continued at io9.com.
FEARNET.com
Actor Doug Jones (Legion, Pan's Labyrinth) reveals that his zombie web series is about to make the leap to a feature-length 3D movie.
July 25, 2010
SDCC10: 'Celebrate the Web' Event Wows Fans
Some of the creators at the event who showed footage or trailers from their projects included Shawna Trpcic from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Melanie Merkosky from Continuum, Kelly Parks from Universal Dead, Christopher Preksta and Curt Wootton from The Mercury Men and The Bui Brothers from Pryce.
Continued at TheFlickCast.
July 24, 2010
San Diego 6 The CW
Television video of Director Vernon Mortensen along with Valerie Perez and Doug Jones. They're interviewed for their appearance with UNIVERSAL DEAD at Comic-Con on San Diego CW 6.
July 23, 2010
We get interviewed by Fangoria!
Kelly Parks
Vernon Mortensen and Neil Trusso.
Universal Dead – Web Series Turns Feature Length Movie
Just read that Universal Dead, a popular online Web Series about zombies, has been optioned by paramount to be turned into a feature length movie. The news comes from Comic-Con, and was announced by the lead writer/producer Kelly Parks.
Continued at ZombieChatter.
July 21, 2010
Zombie Web series 'Universal Dead' to have panel at Comic-con
Comic-con takes a huge step into the future of entertainment by hosting a panel for the web series 'Universal Dead'.
Synopsis from the website:
Continued at Examiner.
Stan Lee in San Diego and the rest of the best events this week
The Marvel man Stan Lee is featured in an art show, Jim Mahfood makes a stop at a local bar and the rest of our picks of San Diego events
Special Events
Comic Iconic: With Comic-Con comes an onslaught of awesome events, and Icons, a pop-culture extravaganza featuring film, music, art and fashion, is among them. The event happens Saturday, July 24, at the Horton Plaza Event Center (the space where Steve & Barry's used to be). Highlights during the day include a musical performance by oddballs Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra, an art show of movie and music icons and a meetand-greet with the cast of the Universal Dead web series.
Continued at SDCityBeat.
July 20, 2010
A Zombie's Guide to Comic-Con 2010
5) "UNIVERSAL DEAD" signing – also at the rockin' X-Sanguin booth the cast (Doug Jones, Gary Graham and Valerie Perez), screenwriter (Kelly Parks) and director (Vernon Mortensen) of "Universal Dead" (Friday 1:30pm)
Continued at HumerusOnline.
July 23rd, 2010
ZombieChatter
Universal Dead – Web Series Turns Feature Length Movie
Just read that Universal Dead, a popular online Web Series about zombies, has been optioned by paramount to be turned into a feature length movie. The news comes from Comic-Con, and was announced by the lead writer/producer Kelly Parks.
July 21st, 2010
Examiner
Zombie Web series 'Universal Dead' to have panel at Comic-con
Comic-con takes a huge step into the future of entertainment by hosting a panel for the web series 'Universal Dead'.
July 16th, 2010
SciFinal
Universal Dead - Kelly Parks
Tell us about your show.
Universal Dead is old school zombie horror. The setting is five years after a zombie apocalypse has all but destroyed civilization -- a setting I wanted to explore because most zombie moves are set during the zombie outbreak itself.
July 8, 2010
HugAZombie
Webseries Universal Dead Unleashes Episode Three
Web series Universal Dead recently announced that it is becoming a feature film, and has just released another installment.
July 7, 2010
UNIVERSAL DEAD will be at the San Diego Comic-Con!
We will have a presence (as in we'll be hanging out a lot but without any set times) at the Twin Suns booth (#5624). We will have Universal Dead posters up at their booth and will even provide Universal Dead showings to small groups.
Friday, July 23
Time: 1:30pm - 2:00pm
Location: X-Sanguin Booth (#433) at Comic Con
Doug Jones (Dr. Vataber), Gary Graham (Dr. Macavoy) and Valerie Perez (Angela) will be available to sign Universal Dead posters. Vernon Mortensen (director), Kelly Parks (writer) and Neil Trusso (producer) and a variety of other cast members will be on hand as well. Stop by and say hey!
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Autograph Area (AA#18), Comic Con
Come and meet Doug Jones (Dr. Vataber), Gary Graham (Dr. Macavoy) and Valerie Perez (Angela) from UNIVERSAL DEAD, along with the writer (Kelly Parks) and the director (Vernon Mortensen)!
Saturday, July 24
Time: 1pm--2pm,
Location:
ICONS Event at Horton Plaza, Screening of Universal Dead followed by panel/Q&A. (Gary Graham, Valerie Perez, Vernon Mortensen, Neil Trusso, Kelly Parks)
Time: 4pm--5:30pm,
Location:
Celebrate the Web Event (Bristol Hotel), Sci-Fi Panel (Kelly Parks)
Time: 5pm--7pm,
Location:
Autograph Area #AA20, Universal Dead cast signing (Gary Graham, Doug Jones, Valerie Perez, Vernon Mortensen, Neil Trusso, Eddie "Feo Amante" McMullen)
Time: 9:30pm--10:30pm,
Location:
ICONS Event at Horton Plaza, Screening of Universal Dead followed by panel/Q&A. (Doug Jones, Valerie Perez, Gary Graham, Vernon Mortensen, Neil Trusso, Kelly Parks)
Time: 10:30pm--late, ICONS party
Sunday, July 25
Last Minute UPDATE!
Time: 3:00pm--5:00pm,
Location: Famous Monsters of Filmland, Booth 1503. D.B. Sweeney and Valerie Perez will be available to sign Universal Dead posters. Writer Kelly Parks, Director Vernon Mortensen, Art Director and poster designer, Eddie "Feo Amante" McMullen will be on hand.
ApniCommunity
Universal Dead — Episode 3
Planet Earth is ravaged by a strange disease that turns people into mindless murderers.
July 1, 2010
3min
Who's the Scientist? Universal Dead
Ehrensenf ist DIE preisgekrönte Web TV Show. Der Titel ist ein Anagramm von Fernsehen. Denn Ehrensenf ist Fernsehen – nur etwas anders. Professionell produziert liefert die Show bissige Kommentare zu Tagespolitik und wichtigen gesellschaftlichen Ereignissen.
TRAILER
Feb. 5, 2010
FlickFilosopher.com
trailer break: ‘Universal Dead’
ACTOR LINKS
UNIVERSAL DEAD actor Doug Jones (HELLBOY, PAN'S LABYRINTH, HELLBOY II) devotes a section to UNIVERSAL DEAD: Behind The Scenes.
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