Local zombie shoot has reality TV potential

A Hardin County man’s enthusiasm for zombies and shooting sports has caught Hollywood’s attention. With the concept of a reality show in the works, other enthusiasts have an opportunity to make their on-camera debut as a survivor of a zombie apocalypse.

Zombie Shooters United, an operation run by Frank Jardim of Elizabethtown, holds shooting matches based on a fictional world he created. That world is Live E-town and its security force is the Zombie Killers, a group that patrols the dead zone around Live E’town.

At the matches, competitors, or ZKs, take aim at Jardim’s life-size zombie targets.

When Evan Stone and Adam Forrest, partners in the reality television business, learned of Jardim’s matches, they thought the situation was unique and interesting enough to support a show, said Stone. He and Forrest have worked on multiple reality shows including “Amazing Race.”

“We want to do a reality show based on what Frank has going on. He’s got something special and there’s a rich back story,” Stone said.

The Hollywood partners will visit Elizabethtown on Feb. 16 and 17 to collect footage for a sizzle reel, which will be used to market the show to networks. They’re looking for people who can act as Zombie Killers during filming.

Anyone interested should film three one-minute videos in “full post apocalyptic ZK battle array,” according to a casting call posted at facebook.com/zombieshoot. Details about the video requirements are posted there, too.

A compelling first-person impression of a Live E-town ZK is key, Jardim said. Those interested can do some character research at Jardim’s website, www.zombieshootingcompetiton.com.

“We’re looking for people in character … almost like a YouTube diary thing,” Stone said. 

Sarah Berkshire can be reached at (270) 505-1745 or sberkshire@thenewsenterprise.com.