The Shaddy Doppelganger is one of the new micro-films to be shot with the RedONE camera. As such, most of the visuals look quite good.
As far as the effects go, since the Shaddy Doppelganger is meant to become the person that one is talking to, their face actually changes into the projected image of that person. It's an interesting concept, and very difficult to accomplish with special effects. This effect was done quite well, though there was one instance where an image seemed to shake around a bit excessively. (Of course, it goes without saying that the actor must either stay very still for their lines or their face would have to be tracked. I’m not sure which of these was done here, as both are difficult.)
The transitions are also good, making use of the common dip-to-black dissolve. The fading through black fits very well into the mood of the film. It was also interesting that the entire thing takes place in one location: Stephen's apartment. Given the AGD referenced in the movie, this is a very fitting choice.
The only exception are some dreamlike sequences of Stephen venturing outside. They were great washed-out images with lots of camera shake and zooming in and out. It's a great sequence, as I'm certain Stephen constantly dreams about this possibility.My one complaint is that it only pops up twice toward the end of the movie. It would have been nice to see the sequence throughout, perhaps as a transition between scenes, getting longer and longer.
I liked the music in the film. It was limited, but very eerie, often dreamlike, which matched the tone perfectly.
There were, however, some audio problems, mostly with dialogue volume.
The beginning of the film starts with music and a sound of what is perhaps typing on a keyboard. The volume of that sequence is rather low, so I turned up the volume. Then the infomercial starts, and the speaker's voice is so loud and forceful that I had to quickly turn it back down again. Later on, as his Shaddy Doppelganger begins to malfunction, Stephen lets out a bloodcurdling scream. This would have been great...if it didn't blow out my eardrums. Again, the volume was way too loud compared to the rest.
Also, during many of the conversations, the volume of both individuals doesn't match. One would assume that, when chatting online, Stephen's voice would be louder, but in some instances it's actually quieter. And the same is true when he converses with the Shaddy Doppelganger, one voice usually overpowers the other.
It should be remembered that one of the common industry standards for dialogue is –12 Db, with music beds normally being mixed to –18 Db and sound effects often be mixed at –8 to –6 Db. Mixing levels to their appropriate mean average and then matching these standards will make this film much easier to watch and enjoy.
