Ataque de Pánico!
Encyclopedia
Ataque de Pánico! is a 2009 Uruguayan science fiction
short film, directed by independent filmmaker Fede Álvarez.
appear out of the mist and attack Montevideo
, the capital of Uruguay
. Accompanied by a squadron of spacecraft, they fire weapons at the city and destroy key buildings, leading to mass panic
. The military fights back to little avail. At the end of the film, the robots fuse together to form a giant sphere, which then detonates and engulfs the city in a fireball. No explanation is given for the attack.
of the film was uploaded to YouTube
in October 2006, with some scenes from the finished version. The official production budget of the film was given as only $300. In addition to writing, editing and directing the film, Álvarez created the visual effects based on computer-generated imagery
.
Rojo Sangre film festival and uploaded to YouTube
on November 3, 2009. Following widespread media coverage, he was offered a $30 million Hollywood deal to develop and direct a full-length film, which will be produced by Sam Raimi
.
. The music was originally composed for the 2002 film 28 Days Later
.
. Fede Álvarez stated in a BBC
interview: "I uploaded Panic Attack! on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of e-mails from Hollywood studios."
As a result of the popularity of the short, Ghost House Pictures signed with Álvarez for him to develop a new project, not necessarily based on the film. The Ghost House Pictures film will be produced by Sam Raimi
and Robert Tapert
, executive produced by Roy Lee
and Doug Davison. The film has been cited as an example of the increasing influence of the Internet
in finding new talent for Hollywood studios.
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
short film, directed by independent filmmaker Fede Álvarez.
Plot
Giant robotsMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
appear out of the mist and attack Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, the capital of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Accompanied by a squadron of spacecraft, they fire weapons at the city and destroy key buildings, leading to mass panic
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction...
. The military fights back to little avail. At the end of the film, the robots fuse together to form a giant sphere, which then detonates and engulfs the city in a fireball. No explanation is given for the attack.
Production
A trailerTrailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
of the film was uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in October 2006, with some scenes from the finished version. The official production budget of the film was given as only $300. In addition to writing, editing and directing the film, Álvarez created the visual effects based on computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
.
Release
The film was premiered on October 31, 2009 at the Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
Rojo Sangre film festival and uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on November 3, 2009. Following widespread media coverage, he was offered a $30 million Hollywood deal to develop and direct a full-length film, which will be produced by Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
.
Soundtrack
The music accompanying most of the short is "In the House – In a Heartbeat", an instrumental piece by John MurphyJohn Murphy (composer)
John Murphy is an English film composer. He is a self taught multi-instrumental musician who began his career in the 1980s working notably with The Lotus Eaters, Thomas Lang and Claudia Brücken....
. The music was originally composed for the 2002 film 28 Days Later
28 Days Later
28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...
.
Reaction
After being uploaded to YouTube, the film's reputation spread by word of mouth, and received a boost when it was linked from the blog of Kanye WestKanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. Fede Álvarez stated in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
interview: "I uploaded Panic Attack! on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of e-mails from Hollywood studios."
As a result of the popularity of the short, Ghost House Pictures signed with Álvarez for him to develop a new project, not necessarily based on the film. The Ghost House Pictures film will be produced by Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
and Robert Tapert
Robert Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert , sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company....
, executive produced by Roy Lee
Roy Lee
Roy Lee is an American film producer who regularly takes well known Asian films and remakes them for American audiences. Examples include The Ring, The Grudge and The Departed...
and Doug Davison. The film has been cited as an example of the increasing influence of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in finding new talent for Hollywood studios.
Cast
- Diego Garrido
- Pedro Luque
- Ariadna Santini
- Rodolfo Sayagues
- Martín Sarthou (actual Uruguayan news anchor)