Broken glass and bone crunches underfoot as you make your way down a hallway on an abandoned prison planet. Lights flicker overhead. Was that a growl? Something scrapes along a floor around the corner. Your intel is wrong. You’re not alone. You turn and see nothing human. Insectoid mutants, robots and hybrids no sane mind created lurch, crawl and undulate your way at the scent of fresh meat. You turn and instinct kicks in as your only thought is escape. A green glow emerges from the dark illuminating a gun barrel and you’re on the the wrong end of it. This is it.
A burst of gunfire erupts shredding your pursuers into a mass of metal, chitin and organs. An imposing masked skeletal figure steps out the darkness. Its eyes glow green with potent energy. It takes off its mask. Red hair, green skin, stitches. This is no prison planet.
It’s Planet Frankenstein.
Hatched from the mind of Newt Wallen, Planet Frankenstein asks the questions: what if Frankenstein’s Monster had daughters? And what if they lived into the far flung future? Part Roger Corman, part Universal monsters and part 80s and 90s straight-to-video, it’s a retro future sci-fi horror. This is the second pitch video I’m shooting for the project. We also did a blue screen shoot a few months ago. (Why not green? Green skin would have been rendered invisible against a green screen).
We filmed at the Philly Fright Factory. It occupies the basement of a warehouse and spans about a city block. Various rooms are sectioned off into distinct themes including chemical waste, a clown room, murder scene, mental asylum, etc. The background in the photo on the right is in the medical examination section.
This isn’t the first time shooting here. I’ve also spent a weekend there shooting Dollface and appeared in a scene for Killerz II at the haunted attraction during the off-season. but this is the first time doing a video and photo shoot with a glowing helmet and full body monster costumes. It takes a village to raise Frankenstein’s Monster and Newt pulled together an impressive crew of make up artists, prop fabricators, and actors.
- Cristin Berger of Freaky Fab Makeup Artistry did the sfx green skin make up and stitches.
- Ryan Hickey of Monster Masks put together the green-glowing Bride of Frankenstein inspired helmet
- Tony DeBartolis created the full body monster costumes and works at the Fright Factory and wears a robot outfit in the trailer
- Crystal Quin plays and models one of the daughters of Frankenstein’s Monster
- Wes Green, actor and stunt coordinator, donned the fly outfit (see the photo on the right, he’s up front)
- Justin Silverman (Silvermania Show) is doing the editing
This is the second trailer in a series of pitch videos to get funding for a feature filled with practical effects, classic monsters, and a retro feel. The locations we have available in the Philadelphia area fit the story line. Frankly, I’m impressed with what we’ve been able to pull together.
The trailer is currently being edited. In the mean time, here’s another trailer that was shot by Chapman Productions in Allentown, PA.