Balancing Act Pictures Produces Sci-Fi Feature Film in Las Vegas

Published on Sun, Aug 17, 2014 (11:53 p.m.)

Submitted by Balancing Act Pictures

Local production company Balancing Act Pictures is currently in production on sci-fi feature film “Dead Redux” using offbeat Las Vegas locations and local students.

Las Vegas, August 17, 2014: Local production company Balancing Act Pictures has begun production on its second feature film, the sci-fi/zombie/government conspiracy/thriller “Dead Redux”. This indie project makes use of some of Las Vegas’s more offbeat and iconic locations, local actors, and local film students.

The story: In a post-apocalyptic world, a man finds that he is rapidly decaying - and that someone wants him more dead than he already is. What makes “Dead Redux” different is that it takes the zombie genre and spins it around to the undead point of view. These zombies – the results of an Area 51 experiment gone awry – just want to be left alone. But like all zombies, they are ruthlessly hunted by humans.
"I wanted to make a zombie movie that was truly different,” said Writer/Producer Lisa Savy. “People seem to relate to zombies on many levels, even one of twisted empathy. Why not make zombies the good guys for a change?” Although she wrote/produced an award-winning feature film in California (“Defying Gravity”) and several acclaimed short films, Savy had put aside filmmaking once she moved to Las Vegas to focus on her teaching career. She presently teaches mathematics full-time at CSN and film production part-time at NSC. After working with her film students on an NSC short film production “Red Angel Dragnet” (which recently appeared in the Las Vegas Film Festival), she was galvanized to make another feature film. Students Eric Sparks (Executive Producer) and April Kagan (Associate Producer and Assistant Director) helped propel Lisa’s dream to a reality.

“Dead Redux” also draws on the talents of several motivated NSC students (including Tony Date, Cinematographer) and local videographer Walter Marin (Director). Considering the extreme low budget (it is self-funded by Savy and Sparks), the film has gained amazing momentum in the community, attracting local actors and crew, even the support of locally-based international survivalist organization Z.E.R.T. The film also makes use of several unique locations in and near Las Vegas. “Las Vegas is one of the most photogenic cities in the world,” said Writer/Producer Lisa Savy. “Everyone has seen the iconic Las Vegas strip in everything from ‘Oceans 11’ to ‘Casino’ to ‘The Hangover’. We wanted to showcase some of the more offbeat locations unique to Las Vegas, including Nelson’s Landing (site of the El Dorado mine), and Dr. Lonnie Hammargren’s home/museum which could almost be considered the eighth wonder of the world, or at least an amalgam of the first seven.” Dr. Hammargren even agreed to play what else – a mad scientist – in the film. And it’s not his first time in front of the camera, as his imdb page attests.

Production will continue every weekend until Oct. 4. The goal of the filmmakers is to enter “Dead Redux” into film festivals and ultimately obtain internet and DVD distribution. Because indie filmmaking is more of a passion than an investment (they historically make very little, if any, money), Savy and Sparks are hoping to defray costs through their kickstarter campaign, which offers its supporters awards that include naming a character after yourself, adopting a zombie, and even appearing as a zombie in a climactic film scene.

For more information or an electronic press kit, please contact [email protected].

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