LATEST NEWS:
The experimental music video
"Science Fiction" which Debra
created for Chris Wellin and his
group Whispering Campaign won
Best Music Video, and Chris won
the Silver Award for Original
Score, at Florence Film Awards
in October 2024. "Science Fiction" was an Official Selection at the Milwaukee International Short Film Festival, screening at the historic Avalon Atmospheric Theater in September 2024.​
"Science Fiction" also was a Semi-Finalist at Planet Cinema, the Chicago Filmmaker Awards, the Seattle Filmmaker Awards, and New Filmmakers / NY.
​
A critique of "Science Fiction" by The Macoproject Film Festival in NYC is here:
-- November 2024
MEDIA MENTIONS
INTERVIEWS
"Real Estate & Law" (tips on buying
or selling a home) on Boomers Rock
radio talk show September 18, 2016
"Our Shifting Sands of Life with
Debra Zarne" on Boomers Rock radio
talk show October 31, 2015
TRIVIA &
PRODUCTION NOTES
Scrabble Champ -- Brian Knudson, who played the male lead in Metamorphosis--which includes a mildly erotic Scrabble scene--competed in national Scrabble tournaments in real life.
A Scary Future -- On a serious note regarding The Case for Lobotomy, lobotomies may be making a comeback for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders. Not a good idea.
The Rabbi in the Picture -- The man wearing the black hat in Mendel's Black Hats is in real life a Hasidic rabbi in Los Angeles (Rabbi Chaim Citron).
Training a Butterfly -- We shot the first scene of Metamorphosis in a butterfly sanctuary. To be able to film a butterfly landing on Danielle Langlois's (the female lead's) shoulder, we followed the butterfly experts' guidance: they put the butterfly in a freezer for a few minutes to slow down its metabolism. Then someone gently tossed the butterfly towards Danielle's sweater. By the time it landed, its metabolism was back to normal and it flew away--but we got the shot! No butterflies were harmed in the making of this film!
Commercial Viability -- During film school at USC, Debra starred in a commercial made by a classmate for a Union 76 contest. You can watch that bit of whimsy (Out of Gas), at right.
Debra once appeared in an Eastern Airlines TV commercial. Her role, along with the other participants, was to ask hard questions of the real-life CEO. Her questions were a little too hard and were edited out of the commercial that ultimately aired on TV; but they left in one word: her saying "Good!" Eastern Airlines is no longer in business.
Racing After the Lady in the Scooter -- In the opening shot of Adult Day Center / ReCharge!, the camera follows Miriam, the lady in the power scooter. Debra directed Miriam to go as fast as she could in her scooter, then make a hard right turn into the Adult Day Center. Miriam took off, and Debra raced like heck to keep up with her, while trying to hold the camera steady and keep Miriam in the frame. They did multiple takes.
Extra, Extra! -- When Debra moved back to New York after completing film school, for the fun of it she appeared as an extra in several TV shows, including Gossip Girl, White Collar, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Mercy, and The People's Court (her favorite). A year later she took a part-time judge position at the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, adjudicating cases involving yellow cabs, gypsy cabs, limousines, black car services, paratransit vans, etc.