Dead End Days
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Dead End Days was one of the first independent webserials (serialized live action video series developed for broadcast exclusively on the Internet), and a predecessor to modern vlogs (or "Video Blogs"). Released weekly at [DeadEndDays.com], the series combined elements of farsical comedy, classic serial adventure, social commentary, and modern zombie horror genres. The year long story followed the adventures of a number of individuals in a world where a human-zombie war has been narrowly averted, and corporate marketing interests were just starting to target the undead as a viable demographic. Comprised of forty-eight episodes of 5-10 minutes each in length, the series ran between October 2003 and November 2004, and attracted a cult following due to its black humor and biting commentary on modern marketing culture.
The Creators
Dead End Days was the brainchild of producer Brad Fox, director Matthew Hoos, and screenwriter Jason Patrick Rothary, childhood friends from Calgary, Alberta. Before the project, each had become involved, in various capacities, in the Canadian film and live theatre industries independently of each other. In a 2004 press kit for the series, Fox is quoted as saying that the original idea stemmed from a phone call he had made to Hoos while he was working as production staff on an unrelated feature film shooting in France (likely The Statement by director Norman Jewison).The Structure
The series detailed events over four specific days, each of which was spread throughout an entire year. As a nod to many classic horror films, most of the days took place on major holidays (Halloween, Valentines Day... etc). The series itself was 48 episodes, although 4 "special edition" episodes were also released. These "special editions" were rough comedic-gag pieces detailing the behind-the-scenes making of the serial proper and were often humorous takes on the real-life events and accidents that had, for whatever reason, caused a delay in the release of a regularly scheduled weekly episode. Ironicaly these hastily assembled filler pieces were often fan-favorites. The Dead End Days team also produced and released three spoof political ads for "Decision 2004" - an on-line contest that the website held to coincide with the 2004 Canadian Federal Election.The story
A full text summary of each episode in the entire series (containing major plot spoilers) is available at the official [DeadEndDays.com website]Aftermath
The series concluded in November of 2004, although it is still available on the website. The co-creators of Dead End Days (along with lead actor Shane Arbuthnott) have gone on to form [Rocket Ace Moving Pictures], a film and television development and production house based out of Toronto, Ontario. On the Dead End Days fan forums, the creators have also confirmed that a DVD box set is being prepared for the Fall of 2005 and several new projects are also in the works. In the Summer of 2005, the creators re-designed the website and re-released the web version of "Dead End Days" under an open Creative Commons copyright license.In the fall of 2005 the creators announced on their fan forums that they are starting a new, unrelated, series called Cerealized on October 10, 2005 at [www.Cerealized.com].
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