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There were only two problems that I noticed in the film from a visual perspective.
The first issue was in formatting. Because they intended to release this film on DVD, the Etheridges didn’t letterbox it, choosing to release it in full screen. While this is a perfectly acceptable creative choice normally, it is a problematic choice if not thought through completely due to today’s multimedia world. Why do I say that? In the past, you could edit your footage and check the “Title Safe” guide in your editor, knowing that anything that extended into that digital no-man’s land wouldn’t be seen on a television set. However, now with digital projection, HD TVs, movies being watched on laptops, and Amazon’s UnBox pay-to-download service, Title Safe no longer gives you any protection. Bad Spirits shows a number of lens vignettes on the corners of the screen which are visible in any non-traditional viewing environment. The way to get rid of these would be either to zoom the footage in about 5% - 10% (most footage can be enlarged 15% without noticeable softening), which should remove the vignettes, or to letterbox the film to 1.85:1 (a traditional film letterbox) or 16:9 (the HD letterbox). Letterboxing makes films look a bit more professional, but the choice is definitely up to the filmmaker.
The second issue was that of lighting. Some nice shadow effects were used, early on, but the majority of the shots inside Bobby’s house were very dark, which made it almost impossible to see the people inside. Further, the shots inside the car were dimly lit (of Bobby and Jimmy), but the outside images were perfectly exposed. It is tricky to film inside a car and get the lighting right. To achieve proper exposure, these scenes probably need to be re-shot. Bobby’s treasure room had the lighting fairly well lit, as well as most of the outdoor scenes; except in a few instances, where the shadows were a bit too harsh. Overall, the final product would be much better off if those beginning indoor scenes could be re-shot.
[Note to the Director: Check out our tips on building a low-budget lighting kit, as well as additional lighting tips, check out our article.]
Use of Audio
The filmmakers made an interesting choice, in “Bad Spirits”, by using music almost continuously, throughout. The music was instrumental and helped add to the suspense, but I think that a little less music would have been better. Granted, audiences have figured out that suspenseful music often leads to something that is supposed to make them jump, but that is why movies now try to trick the savvy audiences, and have begun using the “musical fake-out”. However, in this case, there seem to be too many fake-outs. It would be nicer to hear more ambient, nature sounds, especially while nothing suspenseful is happening. And since the movie takes place in the Everglades, there should be an abundance of nature sounds to be heard.
For the most part, the audio and dialogue are clear. There were a few moments here and there where it was somewhat muffled and could probably stand some tweaking. However, considering that the shoot took place within 1000 feet of a very busy expressway, the filmmakers did a fairly, good job at keeping that noise out of the movie.
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