Local woman lands role of top zombie killer

ATLANTA – Amy Oliver’s military background, modeling experience and overall temperament were important in securing the part — but there was a particular instance that stood out for “Testgroup” director Keith Bailey.

Oliver, a Panama City resident, was in character as Kara Hunter – the stern, no nonsense task master leading the Bio-Gen security team. She was walking down a corridor, face of stone, when Oliver’s 3-year-old son Aidan repeatedly yelled for her attention. Oliver finished the scene before talking with her son.

“If you can maintain character that’s what seals the deal for me,” Bailey said.

Hunter is one of the lead characters in an upcoming zombie-movie trilogy – “Testgroup,” “Omega Protocol” and “Darwin’s Law.”

Spoiler alert: Hunter is one of the few characters who makes it through the zombie swarm all the way to movie number three. At first this was a surprise to Oliver because she does not have any television or movie acting experience. She was expecting a lesser role.

“They don’t have a lot of bad habits they’ve developed either,” Bailey explained. “Amy is a very fast learner. Because of her military background she doesn’t interrupt while you’re giving directions. She’s very efficient.”

More important than acting experience was having an actress who properly conveyed the character’s look and physicality. Oliver’s 16 years in the Air Force, serving in Saudi Arabia and Guantanomo Bay, certainly helped. She served with one of the films producers, Albert Roberts at Guantanomo. He was the one who recommended Oliver for the part.

“For us it’s a challenge working with people who have never been forced to do pushups,” Roberts said.

She’s a reservist now, operating out of Tyndall Air Force Base with a home in Panama City, although she answers to the base in Langley. She is a major and public affairs officer. She attacks the complicated fight choreography with discipline.

“My mom is a zombie killer,” Aidan said.

She said the sensory overload on a movie set – with cameras, boom mikes and gaggles of people gathered on the peripheries — is kind of what she’s used to.

“I’m comfortable in a state of controlled chaos,” she said. “When it’s quiet on the set everything else disappears.”

Oliver and the rest of the cast are filming “Testgroup,” and scattered scenes from the latter two installments in the trilogy, now in Atlanta, scheduled to finish shooting in November. Oliver has been commuting to the Atlanta area regularly, with filming happening mostly on weekends. Bailey is hoping post production on the first film will be finished by next fall, when shooting will be underway for “Omega Protocol.” Roberts said the plan for distribution is 1,000 theaters nationwide and also featured on video on demand. A web series and follow-up movie are already in the works.

The budget for “Testgroup” is just $100,000 and, in part, financial limits have persuaded Oliver to put much of the gore and action off-screen. The movie also is focusing on social issues like genetic engineering, pervasive corporate influence, gay rights and domestic violence. Bailey described Bio-Gen as evil but they don’t believe they’re nefarious.

“We went against the influence, against what everybody else is doing in zombie movies,” Bailey said. “We’re not focusing on whether this makes money. We’re focusing on every day being a creative day.”

Oliver said she channels Uma Thurman's character from the “Kill Bill” movies for her role, steely determination, sans yellow jumpsuit. Oliver also happens to be tall and blond. Now that Oliver has made this foray into the acting world she’s wants to stay involved.

“This feels like home to me,” she said. “I’ve been told to fasten my seatbelt because this is going to be huge.”

The 40-year-old single mom plans on staying in the Air Force even though she is working on the marketing for the North American Football League. The Southeast-based league is still years away from launching but Oliver would be in charge of the 24-hour television network associated with the league.