Welcome to Daisyland (Aus)
The supernatural and horror genres are known for having creative worlds and terrifying concepts. Official Selection web series Welcome to Daisyland (USA) and Over and Out (Aus) decide to use the creative freedom of these genres whilst also injecting something different into them.
Welcome to DaisyLand blends horror and rock to create a series full of character, that’s all about characters.
The series focuses on a carnival and it’s troupe members, who all have a dark gift and a job to fulfil. The carnival, Daisyland with the carnival being a location that collects souls.
The main spotlight of the series shines on the various different characters. Executive Producer David Edwards speaks on his creative process when developing this focal point.
“We started out with characters you would usually find in a circus and added a twist of horror and a pinch of evil to develop their personality.”
Edwards says he was inspired by the writing of Stephen King, as well as Alice Cooper’s blend of heavy rock music and dark stage presence.
The series mixes horrific elements together with rock to deliver on something different and thrilling. From the opening to the more nightmarish scenes, the music creates a stylised and frightening experience.
“We wanted to create a platform to highlight Rock music as it’s becoming harder to find sync opportunities for this genre,” says Edwards.
The series features a soundtrack from US rock band The Dead Daisies.
The series was challenging to make as budget constraints meant a short shooting timeframe. Deciding to make the story a web series was incredibly helpful with getting the show made, says Edwards.
“It was a great way to kick it off and not have to wait for anyone else to green light. The web format gave us the freedom to get the ball rolling,”
“[My goal for the series was to] create a platform where rock music and horror reside and lovers of both get the best of both worlds.”
From a series that mixes music, horror and the supernatural, the next series enjoys the combination of a post-apocalypse and raising a family.
Over and Out follows two parents trying to survive the age-old trials and tribulations of raising babies.. whilst also in the middle of the post-apocalypse.
Producer Abi Tabone spoke on how the idea of the show came about.
“As huge genre fans, film-makers, and parents to two young children, Adele Vuko and Christiaan Van Vuuren developed this script together over quite some time.”
The show uses a lot of aspects of the post-apocalyptic genre, such as mutants, zombies and looking for rations, whilst also highlighting the normal struggles of being a parent.
“Adele and Christiaan have managed to fuse the comedy of a crazed zombie coming to your door, with the day to day struggles of parenting; arguing over who’s going to change the next nappy, what your kid has eaten for dinner and whether grandma (Rachel House) can babysit for a few hours,” says Tabone.
Both widely different themes end up having a lot of similarities which appear throughout the series. From needing to get along with other parents/mutants for the good of the children, to the acute sense of danger surrounding a child, not only in ‘normal’ situations but also zombie attacks.
The crew’s favourite aspect of the series is the kids. They appear throughout the show and just act like nothing is abnormal, completely unaware of the chaos of a post-apocalypse going on around them.
“Over and Out was a real family affair. We had Adele and Christiaan’s kids Felix and Elke on set, and they were directed by their uncle Conner. …We think the sense of family and fun really shines through in the finished series.”
These two series use two widely different secondary elements to create some unique styles and stories. They each show the flexibility and creativity the web format allows with things that simply aren’t seen anywhere else.