Learn more about the making of Night Stalkers with AtmosFX co-founders, Pete Reichert and Pete Williams, as they answer your behind-the-scenes questions!
Are there any unique features on this digital decoration?
Pete Williams: Yes. We added a new display mode that allows folks to portray the effects into a doorway. We developed this method from experimenting with Ghostly Apparitions and it looks great. It works exceptionally well with our startle scenes. You can see a cool way in which it was utilized in a doorway. If you use it this way, we'd love to see a photo or video of it in action. Feel free to send them to community@atmosfx.com.
Why did you choose the classic 80's theme?
Pete Reichert: Pete Williams and I grew up watching these films. Grant it, PW was just a wee lad when they first came out. He probably didn't see them until the 90's, unless he was sneaking into movie theaters. The first rated R movie I saw in the theater was Halloween (the original - not the Rob Zombie remake). And yes...I was under 17.
What challenges did you face when making Night Stalkers?
Pete Reichert: For me it was definitely the casting. Picking out the most horrific psychopaths and talented screamers was a challenge.
Pete Williams: I know PR is kidding. Actually the set creation, lighting and visual effects were a major challenge. Fog machines are pure evil.
How long does it take to make one digital decoration from beginning to end?
Pete Williams: That really depends on the content. The range would be anywhere from 8 to 20 weeks. Animation and visual effects really add time. Most people don't realize how time intensive or difficult it is to create CG animation and visual effects.
Is this a family-friendly decoration?
Pete Reichert: I don't consider Night Stalkers a 'family-friendly' decoration in the sense that it could scare kids (and adults) much like the classic 80's horror films did. That said, our hope is to provide a unique DVD menu system that can separate the scariest scenes and startles. Our other new digital decoration, Bone Chillers, will be the first to utilize a new menu system that allows people to choose between 'family-friendly' and 'scary' versions on the same DVD. And of course, our digital downloads will be available this summer so people can pick effects that are more or less 'family-friendly'. If you or your friends, and I know I'm shamelessly plugging our stuff here, want to know when our AtmosFEARfx digital downloads will be available on our store, sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter.
