The new film Zero Contact has broken new ground in several ways. It uses technology iconoclastically, as it is the first feature film to be released as an NFT and was actually filmed without anyone in the cast and crew in physical proximity with each other. The entirety of the film, organized by Enderby producer Rick Dugdale in his debut movie as a director, is filmed “without a single handshake,” as the production notes explain.
Produced throughout 16 countries over three months, utilizing 63 crew members, Zero Contact is a true anomaly. Each actor ostensibly did their own cinematography, lighting, and sound design, as everyone was isolated across the world; on top of that, in order to interact simultaneously, the cast and crew had to struggle with differing time zones, where it may be four in the morning for one person but 11 at night for another. It was an entirely new way to make a film.
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Chris Brochu on Acting With Zero Contact
Lionsgate / Enderby
The 2022 sci-fi movie occurs after the death of an eccentric tech billionaire (played by Anthony Hopkins), when a variety of his associates (including his estranged son, played by Chris Brochu) are contacted by an A.I. that the man has designed in order to activate an initiative he began which involves fringe science, including time travel. Telling this complicated story without hardly any of the cast and crew ever gathering together was difficult; each actor would work their parts of the film, with the director, writer (Cam Cannon), director of photography (Edd Lukas), and others on a Zoom call.
Brochu describes how a scene would typically shoot. “Turning on the camera, making sure everything looks good back there. Then doing the sound at two different sound setups, the lighting I had set up, figuring out what the backdrop was going to be, doing wardrobe, all of that. So once we go through that initial checklist,” Brochu says, “I can kind of center myself to know what’s happening.”
“The other challenging aspect,” Brochu continues, “was that we were not with our other actors. The other actors were not on the screen with us. We were acting with our assistant director, and he did a fantastic job, but there was that challenge as well. You’re not actually connecting with the characters that you will actually end up connecting with in the film. So it’s suspending that sense of disbelief, taking that kind of to the nth degree.”
Aleks Paunovic Acts With Himself in Zero Contact
Aleks Paunovic plays Trevor, one of the five people contacted by the artificial intelligence, and says that his process was entirely similar, with just him and his computer, where the crew guided him through the set-up of his scenes. “So I’d see these eight windows pop up just like you see in the movie,” Paunovic says, “and then they’d walk me through it. ‘Okay, can you move the light over to the right a little bit, and can you change your shirt,’ and like all these little things.” Paunovic, who is a buff kind of comic relief in the film and certainly stands out amiably, continues:
It was a complex experimental film in many ways, “definitely a challenge,” as Paunovic says. “It was definitely stressful,” Brochu concurs, “but again, we were all very supportive of one another.” But it was a labor of love carried out by a group of people, many of whom were friends and associates, who love making films and wouldn’t let social isolation stop them from doing such. “It was quite a ride to do, but it was during the pandemic, what else are you going to do,” Paunovic laughs, and to “get to make a movie with one of your good friends” was a joy.
What was so interesting is that we did not have any scenes with each other. This was all done from just one reader. So everyone would go on mute and one person would read us the lines, and we would give different takes of the scene. But then, you’re also sitting there going, okay, is the audio working? […] Getting into doing the scene, I’m like, okay, great, and then Rick would say cut, and I’m like, I didn’t even hit record. I didn’t get any of that. So you’re doing everything, on top of trying to remember the lines and going through the character development of it.
Rick Dugdale Directs His First Feature Film
Both Brochu and Paunovic praise producer/director Rick Dugdale and his bold approach to filmmaking; the artistically-minded businessman has been producing films for years now, but he delved deep into this massive international debut for a director. “Rick Dugdale, I don’t know,” Brochu smiles, “I’m pretty sure he probably sleeps in some sort of like hyperbaric chamber for 15 minutes a day. I don’t know how he does what he does, but the man is driven, and I’m very grateful to say this is my third film working with him, and every time it’s a pleasure.”
“It’s been great because we’ve been friends for a while,” Paunovic says of Dugdale. “I did a film called Blackway, with Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta, and that’s when we really became close friends […] So when he asked me to do his directorial debut on Zero Contact, I was all in. Then again, we didn’t know that this was going to go anywhere.” Even though it was one of the strangest and most unique film productions of all time, many people thought that it would fly under the radar as one of the forgotten little projects of COVID-era cinema, or simply remain “an experimental art project,” as Brochu calls it.
However, the film ended up being a lot bigger than most people expected, with Lionsgate distributing it and Zero Contact being released as a non-fungible token on the platform Vuele (the first for Vuele). So big that two sequels, this time largely filmed in person, are currently in production throughout the world. Paunovic continues:
The Zero Contact Sequels Are Filming Now, Starting in Antarctica
What a ride it is, with Zero Contact sprawling out internationally and filming across the globe (in person this time), becoming the first narrative picture to be produced on-location in the frozen tundra of Antarctica, where Brochu and Paunovic had recently finished filming. “We shot our first location in Antarctica, which was absurd and just life-changing in many different ways,” Paunovic says. The cast and crew have the distinct position of being some of the only three million people or so throughout human history to have been to the continent. Paunovic describes it as such:
This is a testament to Rick of really pushing this film to the finish line. It’s hard to explain. You have to wrap your head around the fact that nobody would ever think about doing a film like this. And when you’re the first one doing something, not a lot of people are giving you the thumbs up, and so for him to pursue it and persevere through that, and making this vision a reality […] Rick’s probably one of the best guys in Hollywood that I know, he’s just such a great, ethical human, and that’s rare to find in this town. So I’m just thrilled that I get to be on a ride with him.
Paunovic and Brochu are extremely excited about the direction their characters go in the next two films, and the ability to actually be physically present with each other (and Sir Anthony Hopkins, of course). “There’s a quite a journey that Trevor goes on in this film,” Paunovic says about his character in the sequels, “a lot of controversy and a lot of finding out more about himself.” Brochu’s character, who developed profoundly in Zero Contact, will undoubtedly develop and flex his newly discovered strengths in these films. “So the ride that not only the actors are going to be going on, but the viewers, is going to be quite intense and quite energetic and fun,” Paunovic says excitedly.
It was mind-blowing. The very first scene that we shoot in Antarctica is Chris and I walking across this massive space that looked like a tidal wave, a massive tidal wave of snow that we’re walking across, and it was a long shot, no audio just a long shot of us trekking. And literally, it was us talking to each other in a whisper going, “I cannot believe we’re here doing this. This is insane.” It was such an amazing experience to be a part of that, and be a part of something that just hasn’t been done before. I wish I had the vocabulary to tell you how amazing it was to go to Antarctica and shoot […] it’s just breathtaking.
Many viewers seem to be excited as well and are purchasing collectible versions of the film as an NFT. “For those of you who love this first film, and who will see it or maybe bought the NFT when they first came out, or whoever will see it in theaters or on demand on the 27th, thank you for your support,” Paunovic says. “In Zero Contact two and three, we plan to not just keep you confined to the world of the actors. Our characters are going to be taken all around the world on two and three. So we want to bring the audience with us to these fantastic, beautiful, just legendary places, so hopefully, hopefully everybody comes along with us.”
With all the ground Zero Contact has broken, they very likely will. From Lionsgate, Grindstone Entertainment Group, and Enderby Entertainment, Zero Contact will be released in select theaters, on-demand, and digital on May 27, 2022, and on Blu-ray and DVD on July 5. The exclusive NFT is on Vuele.
