The Outbreak Is Here!

Hey there folks!

I haven't been so good about checking in from the road... a lot has been going on between the traveling around I've been doing for my OHSU/ OR-Node/ NIH gig, negotiating new projects, schedule juggling, and the like. I'll try to spend some time this weekend filling you in on all those details... but that's not what I want to tell you about this morning.

This morning, I have the distinct pleasure of letting you know that The Outbreak, the new internet zombie film I'm in, is live at last and available for free at http://www.survivetheoutbreak.com/!

The thing that sets The Outbreak apart from other recently-produced zombie films is its interactive nature - throughout the film the audience is given "decision points" where they're asked to make choices for the characters. These choices can help the characters survive... or lead to disastrous consequences.

I'm really excited about this project for a number of reasons... some of which will be apparent as you watch the film. As frequent readers of my blog know, the film was shot during a one week period in Damascus and Portland, Oregon (with an additional day added a couple weeks later to help "tweak" the ending). The cast and crew were incredibly talented and dedicated people - I had a blast making this movie!

Early reaction to the film has been very positive - in fact, there are so many people visiting http://www.survivetheoutbreak.com/ today that the servers are having a tough time keeping up with demand. If the film takes a while to load, please be patient. You may notice the film "buffering" in the middle of some of the scenes; if this happens, click the "pause" button and wait for the full clip to load before clicking play (the scene will catch up if you just wait, but allowing the bar at the bottom of the screen to go all the way to the right will give you a smooth, un-interrupted viewing experience).

Even though there's no rating system on the internet, this film should probably be considered a "PG-13" or "R" (depending on your tastes) for language, violence, blood and gore. Take a look at it before you show your kids, then make up your own mind - the make up and blood might not be appropriate for younger children.

If you want more behind-the-scenes info on the film, check some of the blog entries from April of this year... I've also posted some photos at http://www.haroldphillips.net/. Stop on by and check them out!

So... check The Outbreak out, and then please let us know what you think by visiting the film's MySpace site - or send the producers an email at info@survivetheoutbreak.com. We'd love to hear your reactions!

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold