It’s not uncommon for UCLA graduates to end up having successful careers. Alumnus Paul Wernick is no exception, especially with the upcoming release of his feature film “Zombieland.”
But like all stories of success, Wernick’s journey was not a straight shot. Through the years since graduating in 1994 with a degree in political science, Wernick’s career has taken many turns, few of which hinted at his current success.
Wernick’s career in film had a very atypical start. “I was never a film buff,” Wernick said. “I enjoyed (films), and liked iconic ones like “˜The Terminator’ and “˜Rocky’ movies, but I never did anything but watch them.”
So where did the interest of creating films arise? While Wernick’s childhood wasn’t immersed in film, his focus was actually on creative writing. “I wasn’t the kid who would make movies with my G.I. Joe action figures,” Wernick said. “Instead, I loved writing.”
In high school, Wernick met Rhett Reese who would become his producing and writing partner. Reese said he believes that Wernick’s passion for writing and sense of imagination are what prompted him to tackle showbiz.
“Ultimately, Paul tries to entertain himself, or write something that he’d like to see,” Reese said.
He claimed that it is this personal attachment to stories that makes Wernick’s writing so enjoyable. “Paul has a great instinct for character and storytelling,” Reese said. “He can take any story and think of what is simple and relatable about it.”
Wernick started off in the entertainment industry in one of the least glamorous places: the graveyard shift at a local news station as assistant producer. After switching from station to station, Wernick finally moved up, if only slightly, when he produced “Big Brother 2,” one of the first reality television shows.
It wasn’t until 2001, when Wernick moved back to Hollywood for a local news station, that he was reunited with Reese.
“One night we were watching reality TV and we decided that we had to make a show of our own,” Wernick said. “We came up with “˜The Joe Schmo Show’ as an extended practical joke.”
“We tried to sell it for almost a year and were told “˜no” in more rooms than I’d like to acknowledge,” Wernick said. “We finally found Spike TV, who believed in the idea as much as we did. It was really this show that launched us into the entertainment business.”
While “The Joe Schmo Show” jump-started Wernick and Reese’s careers, it still wasn’t enough. “People loved what they saw. Despite this, there is a pecking order in Hollywood, and reality TV is on the low rung of that pecking order,” Wernick said.
Wernick and Rhett continued to work together on other projects, such as “Invasion Iowa,” a reality television show similar to “The Joe Schmo Show,” starring William Shatner.
Their latest product, “Zombieland,” is not only their first fully scripted production, but also their first film.
“Zombieland is such a fun film about so many different things,” Wernick said. “It’s a road movie, it’s a stoner comedy, it’s a romantic comedy, it’s a drama and it’s an action adventure.”
Wernick designed this film with college students in mind. “UCLA and other college students are our target audience,” Wernick said. “If we can please them, then we’ve succeeded, just because they are such a huge part of the entertainment industry’s audience.”
While it seems like Wernick’s road to cinema has been winding and somewhat circuitous, he traces his inspiration back to Los Angeles.
“Being at UCLA was inspiring, not just because of the education, which is a given, but the environment. You can walk around UCLA and be inspired. Just in terms of location, a lot of this town in employed in the entertainment industry,” Wernick said. “You are able to establish contacts that you won’t be able to get if you went to school anywhere else.”
Despite the flurry of events, the speed at which things move and the stress involved that make filmmaking a difficult career, Wernick remains confident in his ability to succeed in this business.
“You really have to believe in yourself and what you’re doing. You have to persevere in a town that demands perseverance. You’ll be told “˜no’ more times than “˜yes,’ but that shouldn’t matter. Write and create what you love because if you love it, you’ll do it well,” he said.