It’s that time to of year again where the undead roam the Brisbane streets in a desperate attempt to devour our brains and/or raise money for the Brain Foundation of Australia.
This Sunday the 23rd of October the zombie horde will gather in hopefully world record breaking numbers in Wickham Park before shambling down through Brisbane CBD. This means it’s also time for the zombie shooters among us to get ourselves prepped for a challenge that is the walking dead.
To this end I present to you a checklist and some hints and tips on how you can prepare yourself to tackle the zombie horde on this auspicious day.
Notice
Weapon
Choose your weapon wisely. Make sure you can carry it comfortably and it’s something you are happy to use in a hurry. Some people prefer the little side arms (point & shoot cameras) others will bring their entire armoury of interchangeable barrels with them (DSLRs). This year I fully expect to see more of the small phasers (camera phones) being used as they are great for this sort of quick and dirty shooting style.
Ammunition
Make sure your weapon of choice has all its ammunition ready to rock and roll. I’m talking replacement (fully charged) batteries and fresh memory cards somewhere within easy reach to facilitate the fastest possible swap out to avoid missing the shot.
Washcloth
As with most encounters with zombies this one can get down and dirty with chunks of zombie viscera making its way onto you or your weapon should you get too close. Keep a cloth close at hand to clear the muck away.
Comfortable Shoes
While the zombies aren’t lurching a huge distance you are likely going to be running up and down the horde looking for new and interesting shots. This is a lot easier to do in good comfortable shoes. Some of the buggers move faster than expected.
Rain Jacket
Just in case the heavens decide to open up and deluge us in order to add that extra layer of drama. Also useful for keeping zombie viscera off you.
Your Braaaaiiiiinnnnnsssss
Be smart. Keep an eye where you are walking. Don’t stand in the middle of the road. Don’t taunt the zombies. Avoid getting trampled. Think about the people around you before shooting.
Notice
Avoid Friendly Fire
This event draws a lot of zombie shooters, some of whom will find themselves a comfortable spot to set up and take shots at the horde as it passes by. Give them some respect and avoid the line of fire if at all possible.
Respect The Dead
Whilst most shots of zombies in public are fair game, make sure you aren’t doing anything too outrageous. Lawyers will be all to happy to represent their undead brethren against you.
Get Down Low / Stay High
Try some different angles with the zombie horde. There are usually a few pet/kid zombies within the swarm which usually work well with low down shots. Conversely shots from a high point will get you some fantastic crowd shots of the ravening undead.
Watch Your Step
Zombie viscera and general street detritus can be slippery. You don’t want to smash your weapon on the ground or perform a flying face plant in front of other shooters.
Have Fun!
Enjoy the shooting, donate some cash and generally just have fun. Stick around for a bit at the end of the walk, many of the zombies are quite friendly (to lull you into a false sense of security) and will happily pose if asked nicely (or bribed with a nice chewy bit of braaaaiiiiiiiiiinnnnnn).