Great Wall of Ant Man Casting Calls

The Great Wall of Senoia, Georgia is proceeding apace, surrounding an entire neighborhood with 15-foot-tall corrugated steel. As of two days ago, the gates hadn't been put in place yet, but that's clearly on the way because filming behind the wall is supposed to begin next month. I for one am eager to have The Walking Dead's cast back in town, giving Senoia residents and visitors a chance at snagging an autograph or a photo. Is it weird if I start carrying a 112-ounce can of chocolate pudding and a Sharpie everywhere I go?


Meanwhile, Ant Man is being filmed at Pinewood Studios in nearby Fayetteville, Georgia. They're doing an open casting call on Saturday for extras. They need scientists, business people, "ravers," and military types. I've never gone to one of these before, but this just sounds too cool to pass up, so I'm going to try and convince someone that I look believable as a scientist or business person.


I got some advice from an actor friend of mine who has attended open casting calls in her career. She says I shouldn't dress for the part (i.e. no lab coats or briefcases) for fear of looking like a nut job. Wearing my glasses to make me look smart is acceptable. (Wasn't that Sarah Palin's strategy?) My friend also advises wearing a solid color top because they'll be taking pictures and I don't want my outfit to look busy. I also asked what time to show up. The casting call is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., so do I arrive right at 10 a.m.? Or should I be there earlier to get in line? Or wait until 3 p.m. and hopefully avoid the rush? She said show up early and wait.


To sum up: Show up at the movie studio at dawn wearing a solid color shirt and glasses. Don't look like a nut job. Oh, and she said "don't complain." Now I'm not sure if that's general advice she gives to everyone doing one of these, or if these are so unpleasant that everyone's reaction is constant complaints, or if she knows that I'm never one to suffer in silence. Whatever, no complaints.


I'll let you know how the casting call goes. And when the gates are added to the Great Wall. And when I get my first picture with a TWD cast member. Stay tuned!

Walkers, Walls, and Wayward Cats

I've never lived anywhere before that people go out of their way to visit. Sure, I grew up in Chicago where millions of tourists flock yearly to look out over the city from atop the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower and eat what is unquestionably the world's finest pizza. But they never visited my neighborhood way out on the Southwest Side, so there weren't people wandering down my street with expensive cameras dangling off their necks.

But now, suddenly, I find myself in a tourist destination. Senoia, Georgia looks like that idyllic old-fashioned small town that only exists in your grandmother's imperfect memory. And apparently the film industry agrees.

Senoia was used as the backdrop for the formerly zombie-free town of Woodbury in The Walking Dead Season 3. It's been used as a setting for lots of other TWD episodes, too, including Season 4's infamous Pudding House and the never ending railroad tracks that everyone finds themselves walking along. And now they're prepping for at least two more years of TWD filming in my backyard.

On July 7, the Senoia City Council agreed to let Raleigh Studios build a 15-foot corrugated steel wall around an entire neighborhood near the downtown area. The buildings in that neighborhood were originally constructed as a "living backlot" with unique homes that are not only private residences, but also offer filming locations with a particular look.

Speculation is rampant about exactly what's going to happen within the wall. The word is that what's inside will not only be a filming location, but also the wall itself will be a prominent feature in upcoming episodes. An advantage of this wall is that it will have guarded gates that keep out "Walker Stalkers" (fans who want to watch filming and hopefully snag an autograph from one of the show's stars) and those who want to post online spoilers about upcoming plots.

Filming for Season 5's episodes inside the wall is scheduled for September through November, 2014. Then last week, the studio went back to the Senoia City Council and requested permission to extend the length of time the wall can be up. They asked for 2019, but had to settle for 2016 because this city council can't approve a project that will extend beyond its time in office.

What did TWD's huge fan base do upon hearing this exciting news? They descended upon Senoia in even greater numbers than before. It's a blast to walk down the street here and see smiling tourists taking pictures of each other with the town of "Woodbury" over their shoulders. They're carrying bags of souvenirs from The Walking Dead Store. They're visiting restaurants in hopes of a celebrity sighting. They're taking Georgia Mercantile's tours of TWD filming locations. Whenever a motorcycle drives past, everyone cranes their necks to see if Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon's alterego) is on it.

And if zombies and tourists aren't enough to keep the folks of Senoia entertained, there have been articles in the local newspapers that a number of people have spotted a large black or brown panther-like cat prowling the countryside. It allegedly ate some woman's little dog. It leered at another woman and her pet cat from a tree. It jumped in front of someone's car. Witnesses claim the feline is about 5-6 feet long, including the tail. No one knows whether black panthers are making a reappearance in the State of Georgia or if maybe this was someone's pet that either escaped or was released because the owner sobered up and realized he was keeping a freaking panther in his house. There are still some people who say it's not a big cat, but a coyote.

I want to be the first to put forward another explanation entirely: The panther is a Walking Dead fan that's just here trying to get Daryl's autograph like everyone else. And he'd also like to know what's going on behind that big wall.

Stay tuned for updates about filming, felines, and fans.

Filming in Senoia, GA

If you're looking for Walking Dead filming news, I've got a bit to share. Driving past Senoia, GA today on Rt. 16, there's an electronic sign that says Pylant Street (the one the library's on) will be closed during the day starting today until August 28. Of course I stopped to check it out. I'd read that the Walking Dead people had requested permission at the Senoia City Council's last meeting to do some filming and have some road closures. Needless to say, I've been on alert for evidence of the crews ever since.

Today, they had a good portion of the downtown area between the Post Office and the library blocked off. So I parked and took a little stroll. Back behind the Post Office is an empty lot, and that's got a "crew parking" sign pointing to it. At 3 o'clock this afternoon, it was filled with cars. Parked along the street were various trucks, including the one below with the Jolly Roger flying from it. Nice touch!

There was another lot filled with trailers parked in a square, not to mention the usual collection of police cars with lights flashing and barricades to hold back fans who were eager to get a glimpse of what was going on.

 

If you want to stop in Senoia and check out the action, I recommend grabbing a coffee or lunch at the coffee shop at the corner by the old railroad tracks. They have chairs out in front where you can sip an iced coffee and watch for celebrities. Have fun, and happy zombie hunting!

 

Living among the Dead

What's really scary is a new theme for my blog. I've been focusing on anxiety-producing problems for the past few months, but it's been called to my attention by my cousin Annmarie Ortega (who doesn't pull any punches) that the most interesting thing I've currently got going on is that I just moved to the area in Georgia where they film The Walking Dead. She suggested that my blog should share tidbits and rumors and photos about this very popular topic. She's right, of course. Annmarie is a master (or mistress, if you will) of promotional ideas. So here goes: My inaugural edition of the new blog format Living among the Dead!

Just in time to celebrate te new format, my aunt (Annmarie's mom) sent me a housewarming present for my new house. Not the usual new dishtowels or houseplant. Not in my family. No, today's mail brought a box with a zombie gnome inside.

Keep in mind that this same aunt, along with her daughter Annmarie, gave me normal gnomes for my birthday last year. They're scattered around my yard, looking all cute and gnomish. Well, now they've got a problem because I unleashed Zombie Gnome to disrupt their idyllic little garden life. While Grandpa Gnome sits under a tree to read books to Child Gnomes or Brother Gnome snuggles up against the garden bench, they're being stalked by a red-mouthed gnomish menace. Zombie Gnome is lurking in a large pot of fragrant rosemary to conceal the smell of rotting flesh. He's terrifying. And he's just the perfect addition to a home located in the Walking Dead's backyard.

Stay safe, zombie fans! The gnomes are out there – and they're hungry.