PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2016: FEAR THE WALKING DEAD {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 33rd William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This PALEYFEST 2016 seminar honors "Fear the Walking Dead," the dramatic action series spinoff of "The Walking Dead" about a group of strangers attempting to survive a zombie apocalypse. Host Rene Reyes (director of public programs and festivals, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and brings Rob Moynihan (senior writer, TV Guide magazine) to the stage. Moynihan introduces a series of clips from the series, including a scene from the first season finale, "The Good Man," in which Liza (Elizabeth Rodriguez) reveals to Madison (Kim Dickens) and Travis (Cliff Curtis) that she has been fatally infected by a zombie, and two scenes from the upcoming second season, including a conversation between Madison and Salazar (Rubén Blades) about the trustworthiness of the mysterious Strand (Colman Domingo), and Nick's (Frank Dillane) dangerous swimming adventure.
After the clips, Moynihan moderates the following panelists: cast members Kim Dickens (Madison Clark), Rubén Blades (Daniel Salazar), Cliff Curtis (Travis Manawa), Frank Dillane (Nick Clark), Colman Domingo (Victor Strand), Lorenzo James Henrie (Chris Manawa), Mercedes Mason (Ofelia Salazar), and Alycia Debnam-Carey (Alicia Clark); executive producer Gale Ann Hurd; and executive producer/creator/writer Dave Erickson.
The panelists touch on such topics as: the show's setting on a yacht at sea and whether zombies can swim; the experience of filming on an unmoving boat in a large water tank; the rapid destruction of Los Angeles in the six-episode first season; the characters' uncertain destination and desire for a safe resting place; Curtis' emotional finale scene in which Travis is forced to execute his infected wife Liza, and praise for co-star Rodriguez; the characters' struggle to understand the apocalyptic situation and accept that it's unlikely to be quickly resolved; Salazar's lack of "surprise" in chaos and war-like situations because of his experiences in Central American political conflicts; his complex relationship with Ofelia and the recent death of his wife Griselda (Patricia Reyes Spíndola); how Chris and Travis are "in a dark place" with their father-son relationship in season two after the death of Liza; the "streetwise" Nick's unchanging wardrobe and forced sobriety from heroin now that he is stuck at sea; Debnam-Carey's views of Alicia's "longing for connection" with others; her memories of a fun action scene with protective "stepbrother" Henrie; the lack of trust between many characters, unknown to each other before the fall of society; Domingo's interest in his mysterious "wordsmith" character; the unusual bond between "polar opposites" Nick and Strand, who met in prison; Madison's pragmatic instincts and protective nature; the visual "zombie aesthetic" and how it compares to that of the original series; the show's most memorable zombie-kills and fight scenes so far; the challenges of gathering to bid farewell to departing co-stars, as the international cast members are based in many countries; Blades' musical career and recent win of Best Latin Pop Album Grammy Award for his record "Tangos"; and jokes about the conception of a "musical episode."
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: the actors' preferences for either land, as in the original series, or sea as a setting; the creative presence of Robert Kirkman, author of the comic books on which the original series is directly based; the choice of Los Angeles as a setting and sense that it is a city of personal "reinvention"; the decision not to cross paths with the mothership series; the freedom and challenge of creating original stories without repeating ideas from the comics or original series and while staying true to the "zombie rule-book"; Debnam-Carey and Dillane's input on their characters' costumes; their outline for future seasons and willingness to find new developments "in the moment"; and praise for the strong cast, for whom the roles were not specifically written.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 2:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 125667
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Rob Moynihan … Moderator
- Colman Domingo … Panelist
- Lorenzo James Henrie … Panelist
- Mercedes Mason … Panelist
- Rubén Blades … Panelist
- Alycia Debnam-Carey … Panelist
- Frank Dillane … Panelist
- Cliff Curtis … Panelist
- Kim Dickens … Panelist
- Gale Anne Hurd … Panelist
- Dave Erickson … Panelist
- Robert Kirkman
- Elizabeth Rodriguez
- Patricia Reyes Spíndola