Chris Lund

So where did this whole idea come from?

The idea came from years of doing interactive work. Just being around all the latest stuff being done is a big help towards thinking on the right track. These days, every other client tries to do something viral, but it's extremely tough for a client to achieve that, especially when they're trying to market a brand at the same time. The Outbreak, being self-funded, had the luxury of having no one else to satisfy but ourselves.

The websites that I've most enjoyed working on have been those that merged video and interactive. When gearing up to do a side project, it was definitely something I wanted to explore more, and try to expand upon it. After the idea of making it interactive was solidified, it seemed that it would be best-suited for the horror genre, since those are the movies most viewers usually get frustrated at the actors for making dumb decisions. It seemed like it would be interesting to give viewers some control.

Why did you decide to do this exclusively online, and not on DVD? Will there be a DVD in the future?

Even though this movie could work the same on a DVD, since the interactive component was one the main objectives, it was perfectly suited for online distribution. While having it on a DVD would be nice, and we'll probably do that in the near future, it just can't compete with how easily it can spread online, how cost-effective it can be, and how quickly you can get feedback from viewers. Even after years of being around the internet every day, I was reminded this week just how awesome and powerful it can be.

What was the biggest difficulty in pulling everything off?

Probably keeping the story lines straight. Being that the story "branches" off, you had to constantly remind yourself that things were kinda happening simultaneously. There were so many times when an idea would seem good to start, and then when thought about from different paths in the movie, it became clear it wouldn't work.

The navigation and interface are very impressive. Who handled the online coding end? How long does designing something like that take?

My "day job" is Creative Director of a small design studio, SilkTricky (www.silktricky.com). We do primarily flash sites, for a living. So, building and coding the site, albeit critical, came a whole lot easier and probably took only about 2 weeks.

I loved that the concept allows us to make the smart decisions, like to kill the guy who's infected. Was that part of the motivation behind making a choose your own adventure zombie film?

Yes and no. The objective was to have certain decisions that had some logical reasoning to them. Even if, at first, the viewer couldn't tell, once it was revealed later, the hope was that it would make sense.

However, in any tragic event, it seems like some stuff is ultimately left to chance, and there are decisions that fall into that category. It could be right or wrong, but ultimately, your guess is just a shot in the dark.

So what was themotivation behind this project, will you be branching out into money making film projects in the future?

Everyone involved in this did it mostly for the love of creating something they felt passionate about. That's what makes the attention it's received so special for everyone.

So, there never was, and currently isn't a plan in place to generate revenue or receive distribution. The hope is that a lot of people watch it, a lot of people like it, and maybe some day, someone will pay us to make something else.

Any suggestions for other independent filmmakers out there?

A good something is better than a great nothing.