We (and others!) made Sharknado. Director Anthony C. Ferrante and Line Producer Devin Ward. Ask us Anything!

Is Sharknado based on a true story?

You haven't heard?!

At any point did you ever just have to stop and marvel at the fact, "Wow, I'm actually getting paid to make a movie called Sharknado..."

All the time. We're very very lucky to be able to do this.

Spoilers, watch out.

I think this was mentioned once before, but I need to know.

Seriously. Are Syfy movies supposed to be funny?

I love Syfy movies because they lighten the mood and are usually ridiculous. I loved Sharknado! My boyfriend and I waited for it to come on because we couldn't believe it was a real movie. The entire movie I was blown away by each new outrageous thing; specifically, when Nova gets pulled alive out of a shark after falling unscathed into its mouth from a helicopter.

Anyways, loved it! And it's definitely up there on my list with Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

Ask SyFy .... :) Short answer is, they're supposed to be awesome. We're always thinking "how could this be cooler" not "is this scene funny?"

How difficult was it to get the sharks in the tornado? I'd imagine it was trial and error tracking weather patterns and shark migrations

SO HARD.

There has got to be some golden rejected titles you've got over there...

Anthony's joke title for what's next is "Sharknadosaurus"

As someone on the east coast I would like a realistic portrayal of a sharkacaine is that in the works?

How about zombie sharks!

We were just joking around and came up with "Porn-nado". Someone get on this...

mother of God semen. semen everywhere

So instead of finning sharks, they're after sperm whales?

Was the film designed to be funny? It reminds me of Leslie Nielsen films, where it's played completely seriously but is hilarious.

My question is whether the funny was intended or an awesome side-effect of totally committing to taking the film seriously.

There is a thin line between making a comedy and a genre-film. In order for the comedic elements to work, everyone has to take these outrageous situations seriously. Otherwise you get true camp which is just "wink wink, nudge nudge" (Think "Oh my god! There are sharks in that tornado!!)

Thank you guys for making the Schindler's List of the modern era.

First question. In a fair fight, who would win. A Sharknado or a Metal Tornado? Also, if there were prison rules?

Second question. Have you guys approached SyFy with a movie script that even they themselves think is too ridiculously awesome and are afraid to make?

We're slightly biased but Sharknado. You see that shark chew through the roof of a car?

Devin - I did a film two years ago for the Asylum called "Nazi's at the Center of the Earth". That was a ride.

[deleted]

Thank you!

D - That was really fun to make.

Whats working with Tara Reid like?

She's great to work with. She suffered through the cold water and days of being rained on just like the rest of us. Seriously a team player.

Yesterday an ESPN radio host was talking about the movie, saying how Tara Reid is only shown in one building, suggesting that she may have been on house arrest during filming.

Was he just mocking your movie or...?

Nope. Her character isn't introduced until about half way through the film.

No question. Just a thank you. I had a truly crappy day at the office this week, and sharknado was what I needed to turn my brain off.

Devin-

Thanks! Honestly that's all I've ever wanted to do as a filmmaker.

will this be a launching pad for both or either of you to bigger budget projects?

Fingers crossed

Thank you for creating a modern day masterpiece. What other future animal based natural disasters do you see have potential? Perhaps a manateevalanche? A couple kids are skiing, when all of a sudden prehistoric manatees melt out of the ice and come hurtling down the mountain towards a small ski town. If you want I've got more.

Thanks! We tried to make the most entertaining film possible given what we had. We just hoped people would react the same way we did while we were filming it.

Leaning toward frog-cano personally

I have seen several films about genetically engineered sharks, tigers, spiders, mammoths, and whatnot, but I have yet to see a movie about genetically engineered cows. Cows that are genetically engineered to be able to produce twice as much milk and to be able to milk themselves wind up growing 5 times their size rebelling against humanity that has ruthlessly tipped them over and slaughtered them over the years. The title: Cowpocolypse (or Cowasaurus Rex). The tagline: Don't cownt on surviving. When can I expect this movie to premier? It will do what Jaws did for sharks, except for cows. Cows are seen as harmless because the movies portray them that way. Isn't it about time to change that?

Devin - This is the reason I'm a vegetarian. Terrifying.

First let me begin by thanking you guys for creating such an exciting, captivating film that revealed the incredible airborne maneuverability sharks are capable of.

So I'd like to know: What is it about sharks that make them so frequently utilized in these campy action films, in your opinion?

Thanks!

It's something about sharks. For a lot of people, sharks are always scary. It's just on us to deliver sharks in different ways each time. You know when you were little if you walked past the cover of a movie with a shark on it, you'd turn the box over in the video store.

This just sparked a discussion haha

We think they're just universally scary. Jaws really paved the wave for a little sub-genre of sharky action/horror films.

If you were to splice any three animals together which ones would you choose and why

Anthony-

A opossum, a tick and head cheese. Because the term "head cheese" is just funny.

Would you rather fight a tornado sized shark or one hundred shark sized tornados?

Tornado sized shark: There's only one mouth to worry about.

Hi,I wasn't able to watch it as I don't have sci fi, but how did this idea came? Was it a recurring joke or something you thought as a real film from the begining?

The idea had been floating around for a long time and I even put a reference to it in a movie I wrote last year for SyFy. I'm just glad we finally got sharks in a tornado and people loved it.

Did you guys ever think Sharknado would blow up like this? I mean I love the pure awesomeness of it, but saying it would become a national sensation would have been a leap, right?

Not to this extent. We've both said the universe really had our back on this one.

Sharknado without CGI, now that would be a film to see.

Oh man. Actually there is a version of the movie that exists with just cut-out sharks in place of the VFX elements that is fairly entertaining.

What's the general casting procedure? Do you go looking for certain actors that have retro sway, or is it all just the standard submitted-and-audition process?

A lot of the roles are standard submissions. For the bigger parts however, we really do go after actors that we think would fit the part. Our casting director G Webb has a knack for getting us some really big names.

Will the viral like response from both social media and main stream media impact how you approach future movies?

Good question.

Ferrante has done some viral campaigns for some of his other films and I think a lot of good filmmakers (Eli Roth comes to mind) are good at managing the social media aspect of their projects. Really though, the universe had our back on this one.

Could you talk syfy into airing it on a Saturday so I can have a Sharknado party? Surely you have that power?

Actually someone said it's available on demand so.....sure?

This has now become my new favorite "so bad it's good" movie.

"SPOILER"

When Ian Zering reached back into the shark my husband yelled "Look I found Nova!" And damned if Zering didn't then pull Nova out of the shark. I fell off the couch I laughed so hard.

Thank you! That was a really fun scene to shoot (on our side of the camera. Cassie and Ian were freezing that day!)

Will there be a Crocnami? Or Gatorquake?

I heard "Shark-furno" being tossed around. I don't even know what that is!

Any ideas for movies that you hope to someday make?

Anthony-

My dream movie is to direct the marvel adaptation of the comic "Moon Knight"

Personal Project: A thriller called "The Key" that I wrote with Jacob Hair.

Can you start work on NUKEOCANE next?

Tagline: Everything gets blown up all the time

Do you work at Asylum? If so, you ever considered doing a reality TV show? It could be hilarious!

Devin -

I do a lot of work with them. I think that idea has been floated around once or twice but the general consensus is that bringing a reality show production on to set would be rough.

Next time you're working with him, tell David Michael Latt that the kid who recognized his Mega Piranha shirt outside of the Mirage in Vegas a few years ago said hi!

Done

There are so many things I want to ask. The very least of which is how the hell do you get a script so bombastically silly sounding and fantastically written and made. Was it something someone wrote and pitched or was the whole project developed in house? I only ask this because as a writer, I would love to do a b-movie creature-feature but have no idea who'd buy them. Also, do you have any plans for a sequel, and if you do, could it be called Sharknadopocalypse?

Thunder would be the best person to answer this really but it's definitely a collaborative process between us as the producers, the network and the writer. We have a very good idea of the movie we're making before they go into production.

I REALLY want to make posters for Asylum. They're responsible for a lot of recent "my kind of" movies. How would a guy from the Midwest go about contacting them about that, and who should I talk to?

Yeah midwest!

Check out the Asylum's website @ www.theasylum.cc There are a couple ways to get a hold of the staffers over there who handle all of that.

How long did it take to film Sharknado? Was it fun to work on?

Officially it was an 18 day shoot with some pick-up days after. It had it's moments! There were some seriously stressful days for us but I think that's really all part of filmmaking. It's a process. Highlight for us both the house we flooded in an empty swimming pool. We had no idea if anything was going to work but it turned out to be a pretty awesome scene!

18 day shoot for a feature sounds stressful as hell. I just went through a 29 day shoot and we had to drop so many shots, our budget was only like 20k though. I imagine yours was a lot more.

There were a lot of big elements in this film to shoot in such a tight schedule. We definitely utilized a few pick-up days at the of the schedule.

Have you seen College Humor's Ghost Spiders commercial. If not, here is the link. http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6232058/ghost-spiders What is your opinion of this? Do you think we will ever be able to see a full motion picture of Ghost Spiders?

This is fantastic.

Almost there.... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2600742/combined

I have a question that I've been wondering for years. When the people at SyFy make movies such as Sharktopus or Pirannhaconda, do these people think, "This is art. This is good work", or are they just having a good time making homages to old monster flicks, or is there another motive behind making these films. Basically, do these people honestly think they are making good movies that are meant to be taken seriously. If this sounds offensive in any way, I apologize, for that was not my intention. I am honestly curious, because when I watch some of these, such as a shark coming up to eat a plane, I think to myself, "what are they thinking?"

Really the goal is always just to make a great film with the resources we have available to us. I think these movies wouldn't work if the people making them weren't 100% committed to make the best movie we know how.

My Mom wants to know; does George wear boxers or briefs?

Details are hazy....

Any chance there will be a Sharknado 2, possibly named the Sharkicane?

If so, I demand royalties.

You never know! It's all up to SyFy.

Hey! So I have two questions: 1. HOW do you come up with these movies?! (Sorry if it has already been answered...) 2. What are your guys' influences? Any directors that stand out to you when coming up with ideas? Thanks again!

Anthony: Sam Rami, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and any movie that Val Lueton produced. Twin peaks by David Lynch is huge.

Devin: Duncan Jones is doing some really cool things these days. And I'm a huge fan of Danny Boyle and Tarsem. And Lawrence Bender is kind of my idol.

Respect to the guys at the Asylum too. Those guys have really given us some cool opportunities the last few years.

Please for the love of all that is good in this world tell me I will somehow be able to watch sharknado again.

Of course. 2nd airing is next week. Check your local listings!

My friends have been nonstop talking about Sharknado for the past week.

I think you have a cult classic here, very popular amongst my nerdy friends. Are you happy with the wave Sharknado has made and excited for any future prospects this movie may have paved the way for?

Thank you!

We're extremely happy with the response. And yes, anytime something like this gets noticed you can only hope that it opens up a couple doors to the next project.

Obviously these are meant to be cheap productions. How do you go about on budgeting on these films? How much was Sharknado? Which one of the SyFy films that you've been involved been has been the most expensive?

Thanks for providing a two-hour escape from reality. Thoroughly laughed my ass off.

Devin-

I budgeted this just like I would any other film. The most dynamic element was the weather. Practical rain is hard to do well and expensive. We scheduled the production so we could lump all our rain days together in one run. If only it rained in LA...

Anthony-

IMDb says about a million dollar budget-wise so let's go with that. I believe a lot of the budgets are about the same. Kind of a winning-formula thing.

And thank you!

What film college did you guys attend? And what can you tell me about that college, recommendations about the program itself and what kind of opportunities they open up for you? (I am currently applying to college to become a filmmaker). Also, can you give me any advice when applying to film colleges to up my chances of getting in?

Anthony - I went to San Francisco state but I've been making movies since I was a kid. I knew when I was 11 I wanted to direct, I just didn't know how to break in.

Devin - I didn't go to film school. I've got a background in business (I went to Loyola in Chicago) which has been good for producing. Definitely something to consider. It's very possible to work in film without going to film school.

Thanks a lot. How was San Francisco state as a school, and did it open opportunities for you after graduating?

Anthony - Good. Having a degree in film is great and we actually had several SFSU almuni on the crew which makes me proud.

Thank you very much. Just one more question. Any advice you can give to up my chances in getting into a film school?

Make movies. Any way you can. That's the most important thing. If you work hard and are passionate about what you're doing, opportunities will find you.

Have any of your ideas been rejected for being too silly?

Anthony-

I'm primarily know for doing horror. Most of the stuff I've done is darker and more atmospheric then this film.

Devin-

Oh yeah. But I like to lay on the cheese.

I heard a redditor talk about a possible sequal: Bearicane. Would this interest you?

That would be unbearable.

Two questions: why did syfy change the channel's spelling? Second, do writers at syfy just sit around and try their best to come up with the most ridiculous story lines ever? Keep 'em coming!

D-

Questions for SyFy! No idea about the spelling. I love the titles. I got to do Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies. That was wild.

Who would win in a fight Godzilla or Megashark?

Stalemate.

what was your budget for this film?

About a million bucks

First, thanks for the set-visit. I have been able to burnish my nerd credit a bit the last few days by saying I visited the set of SHARKNADO.

Working with Asylum and SyFy... Have they ever talked to you about ambitions for low budget yet... non-camp... style films? Everything that comes out of Asylum seems to be set to make people laugh as much as jump?

Don't get me wrong. Giving us SHARKNADO and TITANIC 2, TRANSMORPHERS, etc., has its own appeal. It just seems they could also be funding the next PARANORMAL ACTIVITY or FRIDAY THE 13th style budget horror film, but they don't.

Seems with similar budgets, they could also make some crazy little thrillers. BOO 2 for example...

Or am I crazy?

Thanks, glad you enjoyed yourself!

The guys at the Asylum would answer this best, but that's really not the market they're going for. They have a very specific process to making films and it's working really well for them.

Anthony really wants to do Boo 2. He says he already has the story mapped out if and when it should happen.

Who was the actor who was swallowed up in the boat? Did he make it out alive??

That captain or the first mate?

What percentage of the film was stock footage... storm footage from TV news reports, traffic shots of LA with rain overlays added, etc?

Eh, hard to say. Our VFX guys are very good at augmenting footage we've shoot with stock footage and static images.

At the end, chainsawing out the back of a shark from the inside seemed to take longer than I would've thought. Did you experiment on sharks to see how resistant they were to chainsaws in order to time this accurately?

This was a tough scene to shoot. To sell, it had to be shot very specifically and we knew we only had one shot with the actual sawing. Corinne, Joe and Josh at Synapse FX built us a huge shark belly that looked great!

As someone aspiring to get into film making, what tips can you give?

Make movies. They don't have to be anything substantial but shoot whatever you can, whenever you can. If you are passionate about it and work hard, people will notice.

I haven't been able to see it myself but my Facebook feed has been blowing up about it lately.

Did you expect it to become as popular as it has or was it surprising?

We knew when were making it that people who liked horror films would like it. That being said, we never expected it to take off like it has. The response is more than we could have hoped for.

the shark idea is ok but I would have rather had something more plausible like oil and tar from the gulf sucked up with chemicals from BP and set on fire by lightning and have flaming tar balls..can that be next??

They see me rolling, they hating..

Petroleum, they trying to catch me riding dirty