Final Critique: Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter, Pg. 3
Use of Audio
While almost every element of this show grew extremely strong with time, the one area that had some of the most consistent problems was with the dialogue audio levels.
The audio is good during close-ups, but the long shots suffer from the mic being too far away. They usually stayed with the audio from a long shot, even if we couldn’t see the speaker’s mouth moving, which is always a perfect time to go to audio from another CU take. Additionally, there was one scene where double dialogue with Dotti was recorded in Episode 9, with a much softer, first version of what she is saying from behind (clearly the line that went with long shot) and then a louder second version when we cut to her close-up. The first version simply needs cutting, in this situation.
For the areas where the mic was too far from the actors, simple redubbing needs to be done. (Check out our article on creating a simple redubbing studio.) For future shows and films, this needs to be solved with either wireless mics or more accurate placement of the shotgun mic. It can get complicated to place the shotgun within two feet on a long shot, but with a little creativity it can be accomplished. (Try hiding it amidst plants, in lighting fixtures, beneath tables, and any other place it can be obscured, while still having its tip aimed at the actor’s mouth within one and a half to two feet.)
Another thing to watch is, in some shots, additional background noise creeps in. For example, there’s a shot in a diner where Irving is talking to Dotti and we can clearly hear loud machinery. If this machinery can’t be turned off during shooting, then a shot like this should either be redubbed or shot in an area where the background noise can be controlled better.
The sound effects in this show are very good, often with physical and virtual camera moves. The sound of grating glass accompanies shredding text-to-intro episodes, and sudden bangs accompany whip zooms. The two tie together beautifully.
The score is very simple, often a single piano or cello, yet carries the theme of the film very nicely. This weaving melody often helps the film expand beyond the boundaries of its melodramatic origins, into the tense drama and suspense of, The X-Files.
When other investigators start
sniffing around Dotti...
...supernatural encounters
increase tremendously.
Use of Budget
Nine 22-minute episodes (coming out to three and a half hours) shot in Chicago for under $1000? That is an amazing use of budget.
Lasting Appeal
This show has lots of lasting appeal. Once you get through the melodrama into the meat of the show, you find a truly enjoyable experience that you want to watch again. I have many friends who are into suspense shows and I would definitely recommend they watch this one. I really hope that enough people invest in buying a copy of this show, as well as watching it online, so Grelck and company may bring back the show for a much-deserved second season, especially to get us through Season 1’s cliffhanger!
Overall Comment
Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter creates an intriguing world that you want to know more about, with its metaphysical exploration of “stage doors”, ghosts, and all things that go bump in the night. Nothing is fully explained, which gives the feeling that there is a mythos that exists far outside the constraints of the show and could give Grelck and company many interesting paths to explore if the show returns. I hope that it will, because with the death of Jericho and The 4400, I am getting tired of seeing great shows meet an untimely end. (Hmmm… Perhaps the ghosts of these dead shows could be mystery fodder for a future investigation, from Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter! )
The
director of two feature length films and half a dozen short films,
Jeremy Hanke
founded Microfilmmaker Magazine to help all no-budget filmmakers make
better films. His first book on low-budget special effects techniques, GreenScreen Made Easy, (which he co-wrote with Michele Yamazaki) was released by MWP to very favorable reviews. He's curently working on the sci-fi film franchise, World of Depleted through Depleted: Day 419 and the feature film, Depleted.
