Local Author to Begin Filming Pilot for Vampire TV Series this Summer

, he’s ready to begin filming the pilot.

“We ran into a bunch of obstacles [over the past year], as is so often the case when dealing with Hollywood, but we will be ready to start shooting the pilot over the summer and into next autumn,” Merz said. “We'd like to ramp up to full production, meaning 14 episodes for season one, by the fall. It's going to be insanely busy, but a lot of fun.”

Once filming begins, Merz said his production company, New Ronin Entertainment, which he runs with longtime friend Jaime Hassett, will likely include locations familiar to Medfield residents.

“We'll be filming pretty much all over the place,” Merz said. “There are scenes in the seventh Lawson novel, The Ripper, that take place at the [Medfield] State Hospital, so we may be out there at some point if one of the TV episodes involves it. We’ve shot some teaser footage down [Route] 109 at the East Side diner. Kris and Linda were great about letting us take over the place one Friday after they closed and we shot some footage. Linda even makes a small appearance in it.”

Merz says New Ronin Entertainment is “very much about involving the great people and places” around him and Hassett. 

“Jaime and I are from Massachusetts; we grew up here and we want to make this company and its projects a real part of the Commonwealth,” Merz said. “We're not looking to bail on the state once we get a taste of success. As we grow and expand, we have big plans to give back, to create jobs, and really introduce a serious entertainment community to this region. New England is blessed with amazing locales, superior talent, and more. We want to take full advantage of that as we proceed with The Fixer and many more projects.”

The Fixer has already generated interest from networks but Merz said it’s still too early in the process to agree to a deal.

“We have interest from a bunch of [TV networks] but once we get the pilot in the can and can sit down, we'll be in a much better position to decide where we want to go,” Merz said. “Things are changing in Hollywood now as well. The old system is being challenged by new technology that makes it easy for anyone to create their own programming, which I think is great, so it's really a matter of deciding which direction we want to go in – what's the best route for exposure, what will be best for the brand itself?  It's not just a TV series, after all, since there are a whole bunch of books behind it as well. And then we're also in talks to do a video game based on it. So it's a lot to consider.”

Speaking of new technology, Merz took advantage of a virtual event hosted by Shindig.com on May 17 to interact with fans of his Lawson vampire series and to talk about the upcoming TV series.

“The virtual event was really extraordinary,” Merz said. “Using Shindig's platform, it was more like an actual bookstore signing event than a simple video chat. There were a ton of people who turned out to see the exclusive clip we had ready from The Fixer TV series and the questions ranged from e-books to publishing to The Fixer, and more. One of my favorite questions was taken after we showed the clip and the person wanted to know who the actresses were. We've got three amazing women in the series – all from Massachusetts – and they're as talented as they are beautiful.”  

For Merz, the most enjoyable part of this experience to date has been seeing his Lawson vampire novels come to life.

“There's nothing quite like being behind the camera and seeing an actor read your lines and bring the action to life,” said Merz. “It's exhilarating to see that transformation from written page to video. The star of the show, Brandon Stumpf, is really perfect as Lawson. He's had ample time to become really acquainted with the character and it shows. He was exactly what we were looking for when we cast the show, and being another New Englander – he hails from Manchester, N.H. – was the icing on the cake. When we set out to create an entirely independent television production, we wanted to do it using cast and crew from the New England area. There's so much talent around here that there's simply no need to import it from Los Angeles or New York. New England is going to be a real hub of amazing entertainment and we're happy to be a part of it.”

According to www.thefixter.tv, The Fixer, tells the story of Lawson, a cynical, jaded part cop/spy/commando who was divinely chosen at birth to help protect the ‘Balance’ – the line separating humanity and the race of living vampires that has evolved in secret alongside humans over thousands of years.  Lawson has been called upon to protect his race by rooting out rogues, criminals, terrorists, and ne-er-do-wells.  He dispenses justice with extreme prejudice, sarcasm by the bowlful, and bullets by the pound.

For more information on Merz’s TV series, The Fixer, visit www.thefixter.tv or at http://www.facebook.com/thefixertv.