This is the trailer for "Pathogen", Written, Directed, and filmed by Emily Hagins. This wouldn't be anything really new for most of us, as we've seen plenty of feature length films where a single person was the primary creative drive behind the film, except... Emily was 12.

The process behind the creation of the film was recently chronicled in the Indie Documentary, "Zombie Girl: The Movie", winning awards at SlamDance, Dallas AFI International Film Fest, and the Comic-Con Film Festival. Being quite inspired after hearing about her story, I got in contact with Emily, and got a chance to talk to her about the production behind the film, zombies, and what it's like being a Director at 12. 

Wesley: What first really inspired you to become a filmmaker? When did you first pick up the camera and decide that this was something you truly loved, and wanted to do?

Emily: When we got our first home video camera, it was really for my dad to use. He used to work in advertising, and one day he wanted to show me the process of making a commercial from planning to editing. He didn't do anything for me, just told me what the next step was. I remember this getting frustrating when he asked me to learn imovie, but there was something magical about seeing the final product once it was done- and I understood why he wanted me to go through all the steps myself.

W: How did you learn filmmaking? Obviously you skipped the "film school route" shooting your first feature film long before you could attend a University. Did you start by making short films first, and if so what were they like as a learning experience?

E: After filming the commercial, I was eager to make more short films. Most of them included my dog (title example: Buddy vs. The Barbies). I've been friends with Harry Knowles through this event he ran at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater in Austin called Kids Club, and he put me in touch with some local indie filmmakers to help with their feature. I learned a lot from working on their production, even though my primary job was behind the scenes and fake blood/vomit maker.

W: Zombies have become a very popular topic for low-budget filmmakers, what about zombies and the horror genre was so appealing to you, and why do you think its a choice that so many others gravitate towards?

E: I was actually terrified of anything remotely scary until I was 11-years-old. That was when I attended my first Butt-Numb-a-Thon, Harry's birthday party (24 hours of movies), where an Australian zombie movie called "Undead" played. This was before "Shaun of the Dead" came out, so it was my first experience seeing a horror movie that was both funny and scary. It was such a fun movie experience, and I wanted to make my own.

I think zombies are a popular plot device because they come with their own set of rules (not to mention audience). What's cool about the rules of zombies is that they're not necessarily limiting- they just show how it's possible for different filmmakers to put their own spin on the sub-genre.

W: What did your Parents think of your decision to not only shoot a zombie film, but a gory feature-length one?

E: My mom had seen Undead, so she and I were pretty much on the same page. My dad was slightly more hesitant, but he just didn't want me to get let down. It was the feature length aspect scared him. He really wanted me to shoot it all in a day in the park.

W: How important do you think it is to have support from your friends and family? It seems that you had a very "ragtag" crew of volunteers helping you, can you tell how you conscripted many of them, and any advice you had for Directing people that are helping you for free?

E: I think it's extremely important to have support from others with a big project. Making a movie is a team effort, and every role in the production is valuable to the whole. If you're able to get a group to work for free- I'd recommend being respectful of their time, and make sure everyone is having fun. It really shows in the final product if there was a bad vibe on set, either from uncomfortable acting performances or poor production quality.

The people that worked on "Pathogen" were friends from school and/or the film scene in Austin.

W: Your film has been getting some additional attention recently with the release of the Documentary about the making of your film, "Zombie Girl: The Movie", how have you been handling the attention that the documentary has been bringing to your film, and what did you think of the final product?

E: Usually attention from the documentary results in orders for Pathogen DVDs. I use DVD sales to help fund my new projects/compensate for the expenses of Pathogen.

W: How did the team behind the documentary get ahold of you, and what was it like having the making of your film being chronicled?

E: They saw my post on AustinActors.net saying, "Looking for teenagers for feature zombie movie made by 12-year-old girl". Despite the insecurities of being a teeanger, I'm happy that the documentary was made. I know that I'm going to remember making my first feature more than that day I had a huge zit on my forehead. I also learn from myself every time I watch the doc, which almost feels like I'm improving my football plays.

W: Overall, throughout the course of production of your film, what do you think was the hardest thing to accomplish? Was there ever a day during shooting where you were just ready to pull out your hair, or thinking that maybe you'd bitten off more than you could chew with such a big project?

E: What comes to mind first is the day we taped over part of the end of the movie, which had a lot of zombie extras. Not only that, but we taped over the footage on the supposed last day of production. I really wasn't sure what to do at that point, and I started to get a lot of "Well, it was a good try." Being 12-years-old and having only made shorts, it had never occurred to me that sometimes movies weren't finished. Once I realized that's what people were implying, I thought "Why shouldn't I finish it? I've already been working on it for a year." So we did reshoots, and started post a little while later than first expected.

W: A lot of filmmakers talk about how they don't have any opportunities, or they just don't feel like they are good enough. With you shooting and completing a full feature by yourself at an age where many people think that is simply impossible, do you have anything to say towards people that feel like they simply can't do it? Do you have any advice on how to keep preservering even if things end up being far more difficult than they anticipated?

E: I think if you go in knowing that filming won't turn out exactly how you plan, you'll be a little more prepared for it. You'll have to make changes along the way, but find a balance that doesn't compromise your vision. This is how you'll end up with those happy accidents that may very well end up being the most memorable moment for the audience. If you love movies, and making them, you'll have to persevere through the difficult parts. It all works together as part of the experience, and that's the most you can anticipate.

W: You completed the filming of your next film, "The Retelling" last year, can you tell use a little about it, and how the production of it went?

E: Here's my little official summary for The Retelling: 12-year-old Charlie and his family make a summer trip to take care of his blind and ill grandfather. However, when he and his new friend Anne discover there's something suspicious about his grandfather's routine walks, they uncover a murder plot that involves them more than they know- and a murder from the past finally finds it's connection to the present.

We had some problems early on with filming, including losing the main location and an actor within the first three days. A lot of compromises were made along the way from that point on, but in that aspect I feel like I learned even more with this one than "Pathogen".

I feel like one of the coolest things about Retelling though was that I got to work with a crew. Even though it was only 10 people, everyone worked extremely hard and did the best they could. 8 of the ten people were between the ages of 13 and 18, including the lighting, cameraman, and sound departments. They all studied their jobs before filming, and I think that really shows in the final product.

W: Between "Pathogen" and "The Retelling", what are some of the biggest lessons you learned, and what are somethings that you did with "The Retelling" that you wish you'd had known when you shot "Pathogen".

E: -Good sound is key. It is also probably the most unforgiving part for an audience if it's bad because it draws them out of the story.

-Continuity is tough. You really need somebody focusing on it without other jobs.

-The more planning you do in advance, the easier filming will go. This is one of the things I learned with Retelling that I wish I did on Pathogen. Coming up with a budget beforehand helped us do fundraisers and even earn a film grant.

W: With cameras being relatively cheap, and powerful computers being abundant, there are all of these tools at our disposal that previous generations couldn't even have begun to imagine. How do you see things as continuing to change in the future, and where do you think all of this filmmaking technology will be in another generation?

E: I think these tools will become more accessible and professional on a consumer level. Fisher Price even makes a toddler video camera, so I can't imagine new developments in digital technology would be exclusively for professional use. YouTube and voyeurism seem to have become increasingly popular (starting with things like Blair Witch Project), so I would guess that technology would adapt to support that style on a consumer level.

In addition, I don't think that young people can be disregarded for their filmmaking inexperience anymore. With digital developments becoming more prominent, people such as myself have grown up using this stuff. Not only is it accessible to us at an early age, but it's all we know.

W: Overall, what do you think the biggest, most important piece of advice you can offer up to fellow filmmakers in regards to everything you've learned?

E: You'll always need perseverance and teamwork. And the more movies you make, the more you'll learn and improve.

W: Having gotten not one, but two feature-length films under your belt, at an age where most people are just starting Highschool... What comes next for you? Can you tell us anything about any projects you have coming up, and where we can stay out on the lookout for them?

E: I am currently working on a feature comedy script with some friends I've been making movies with for the past few years. I'll be updating my website soon, but my new feature, "The Retelling" has a facebook fan page.

W: Thanks for talking with me, and I encourage everyone to check out Emily's site, order a copy of Pathogen, and try to catch "Zombie Girl: The Movie" if they can to see your inspiring story in-depth! If you can't then at the very least, check out the trailer below.