Rob Oldfield and One Man's Perspective on the Zombie Apocalypse: An Inteview

Rob Oldfield is someone who knows filmmaking. As a man who has filmed shorts and acted in a dozen films, Rob knows the ins and outs of being behind and in front of the camera lens. Recently, he participated in the much anticipated zombie genred film World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries and Rob gives fans a glimpse of what it was like to be a part of this epic production. From zombie groans to menacing survivors of the apocalypse, Rob gives his thoughts on this production and others.

(Michael Ross Allen) Rob, can you tell viewers about the general plot of World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries? What is it that makes this film different from other United Kingdom zombie films, such as: 28 Days Later, The Dead Outside and the original film Zombie Diaries (2006)?

(Rob Oldfield) "This story takes place several months after the first film. It follows a group of survivors, as they are trying to get to safety and to the rest of the surviving population. The group is made up of military personnel and by one of the survivors who has been saved when the army base that was overrun by the undead.

They are not only trying to avoid danger from the undead, as other unruly, savage survivors are also on their heals with violent intentions toward the men and women."

(MRA) It is always amazing how other people are more dangerous to others, when chaos reigns. Now, tell viewers a little about your character Jonesy. What is his role in the general story arc of the film and how does he interact with other characters?

(RO) "Well Jonesy is part of the military team, but his duties are as a photographer/videographer. Even in the face of all this turmoil and destruction, he is compelled to continue capturing the downfall of society. You could say there is an element of safety when looking at things from behind a camera. There is also a sort of detachment to a situation through a camera lens, like it is happening somewhere else. I think this is why Jonsey is able to keep the camera rolling and remain somewhat stable and sane.

He is also on the journey along with the audience as he sees things through the same lens, in the same way.

I would say that his main bond is with Maddox; he seems to have more of a unity with him and respect. At times the others feel like he's a bit insensitive and he gets the camera out at the wrong time.

(MRA) There have been a lot of recent horror films that have been entertaining, which use this type of handheld camera work e.g. Paranormal Activity. This genre seemed to start with The Blair Witch Project and this style of filmmaking is, apparently, here to stay.

Moving along, working on an undead film must be strange at times. Was there a funny or surreal moment filming World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries, where you were like "wow, I am part of something big," or something "really bizarre?"

(RO) "There were definitely a few instances of that nature. Firstly, it is quite surreal the amount of people that are so keen play a zombie in a film, even when they'll be freezing cold and covered in sticky blood and sometimes meat! It is really a buzz for some film fans.

One of my favourite moments was when we had just finished a scene and the sound department wanted to get some noise from the zombies, for the sound mix. We were all very quiet and they were cued to make their moans and groans, it was so atmospheric! Everyone who'd been listening was excited and we really got the vibe of the zombies. Remember we film the scenes without any noise; it is all collected after the dialogue and the sound is added into the edit. So we have to imagine how it will be in final film."

(MRA) Everyday, I am learning something about filmmaking. Thanks for the insights. Finally, thanks for talking about World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries. Before you go, can you tell horror and zombie fans what they can expect next from you?

(RO) "The most recent film I've shot is called Monk3ys. It covers 3 participants in a social experiment. They are screened and selected to enter a locked room under surveillance for a few days. We each have a different personality trait that will counter or provoke the others. I play Stevie who is introverted, at the start.

It is actually a bit of a different take on film making, as each character is aware of the cameras at all times. It is a bit like an extreme response to reality shows, like the United Kingdom's "Big Brother."

I have seen a few scenes already, and I have to say that I am looking forward to watching the whole thing. I am certain it will evoke strong responses (negative and positive) from the audiences. Monk3ys is directed by Drew Cullingham and for more information, fans can visit the site here:

The Monk3ys homepage

Also I'm waiting on updates for a film called Nowhere Directed by Tez Palmer and there is more information on Nowhere here:

The Homepage for Nowhere

On the whole I try to be involved in as many projects as possible. So after those, many many more things are to come! Thanks!

More information on Rob's upcoming projects can be found on IMDB:

Rob Oldfield on IMDB

Also, as a special treat, horror and zombie fans can check out this Doritos Zombie advertisement, which Rob organized. This film reel made the top 100 cut and the clip is pretty spectacular:


Zombie 'King Of Ad's' (2010) from Rob Oldfield on Vimeo

The original to World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries (Zombie Diaries):



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Posted in: 2011,actor interview,directing zombies,horror movie preview 2011,independent zombie movie preview,united kingdom,zombie