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watch "The Dead Are Watching" series needs a critique!

Honest critique:

Dialogue was a bit hard to hear and echoey. I think you had the mic a bit too far away from the person or you didn't put carpets down or baffling around him to deaden up the space a bit.

The cut-ins of the questions were each a bit too abrupt and a bit too fast to read easily. I found myself reading faster to keep up with it.

The titles looked a little too low-fi for me. Try to get better titles and make them pop more - possibly CGI letters or 3-D. You want to grab your audience!

The acting was noticeable. The actor with the tattoo especially seemed like he was trying a bit too hard and had a bit too much effort in being angry or annoyed with the questions being asked.

The wardrobe is a bit too casual. It looked a bit too much like a home-movie. But then again, maybe that's what you were going for.

I'd put a musical element in there - like a low drone or a pad that says "This is freaky".

Good points:

Color is good, camera doesn't shake, the framing is good on the guy being interviewed, I could understand what he was saying.

I like how it's a personal diary sort of and the guy is searching to find paranormal activity. You've got something great here!

What kind of equipment are you using? Sound mics? The Vixia is a great camera, IMO. Tell us how you made it!
 
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The Dead Are Watching said:
It is a Marble Hornets-esk show (...) What is wrong or what is right about my show?
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Marble Hornets was built on the back of a popular meme; Slender Man. What is your show built around?

Playing to an established (and creatively active) fanbase/community is what turned MH into something more than just another no-budget web series. They knew their audience, for sure.
 
Zensteve said:
Marble Hornets was built on the back of a popular meme; Slender Man. What is your show built around?

Playing to an established (and creatively active) fanbase/community is what turned MH into something more than just another no-budget web series. They knew their audience, for sure.
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I am looking for a similar audience. My series is based on the Necronomicon. Most of the concepts brought forth are directly out of it's text.
 
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Euphony said:
Honest critique:

Dialogue was a bit hard to hear and echoey. I think you had the mic a bit too far away from the person or you didn't put carpets down or baffling around him to deaden up the space a bit.

The cut-ins of the questions were each a bit too abrupt and a bit too fast to read easily. I found myself reading faster to keep up with it.

The titles looked a little too low-fi for me. Try to get better titles and make them pop more - possibly CGI letters or 3-D. You want to grab your audience!

The acting was noticeable. The actor with the tattoo especially seemed like he was trying a bit too hard and had a bit too much effort in being angry or annoyed with the questions being asked.

The wardrobe is a bit too casual. It looked a bit too much like a home-movie. But then again, maybe that's what you were going for.

I'd put a musical element in there - like a low drone or a pad that says "This is freaky".

Good points:

Color is good, camera doesn't shake, the framing is good on the guy being interviewed, I could understand what he was saying.

I like how it's a personal diary sort of and the guy is searching to find paranormal activity. You've got something great here!

What kind of equipment are you using? Sound mics? The Vixia is a great camera, IMO. Tell us how you made it!
Click to expand...

I do try to keep my show understated so that when something happens it is more believable. My show is unscripted so the people who I talk to are actually acting the way they feel. Sorry about the short text blocks... I still haven't gotten that down yet, how much longer do you think they should be?
 
Oh, well my bad then! Maybe I don't know good acting when I see it then. My apologies.

Re: the titles, I think a good rule of thumb to use when putting any title up is how long it takes you to comfortably read each word aloud. That's what I do :)
 
Euphony said:
Oh, well my bad then! Maybe I don't know good acting when I see it then. My apologies.

Re: the titles, I think a good rule of thumb to use when putting any title up is how long it takes you to comfortably read each word aloud. That's what I do :)
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There was alot more I wanted to address and clarify earlier, but I was on my lunch break and ran out of time.
For that episode I will expand the time of the text blocks according to what you recommended and for each of the questions I will do a fade in and fade out so the text blocks aren't so abruptly spliced in.

My intention in saying unscripted was that there is no script, but there is a premise. To make it easier on the participants in my series the characters just behave as the actors would in the presented situation. I feel it is hard to say being yourself is acting like in a Hollywood movie. That is why I don't know how to feel about the stranger in that episode having over acted. What made him seem like he was trying to act?

The audio quality of the talk sounding a bit echoy is a product of the build of my house. Unfortunately with my equipment there is not too much I can do about it. As far as music goes or a white noise... I'm not sure. I don't want to do anything to detract from this being a realistic environment by adding a sound track. If I could somehow add music in a scene with it seaming to be a natural placement then sure, but I haven't found a good place to fit it in yet.
 
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It has been a long time since I posted this and I wanted to re-open the subject. I have learned a lot since beginning this Shockumentry, but a good film maker never stops growing. If anybody would like to give me some constructive criticism or a review then I would love to hear it. I try very hard to produce quality and I view this as a good atmosphere for truth and the bettering of my craft. Will you help me down that road?

(Sorry if this is necro, but it would just have been this same subject again.)
 
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I watched the first 3 episodes and even though I'm all about the paranormal and found-footage type of videos, I wasn't as interested in yours. Maybe because they were so short and having to go back to the list takes the suspense away.

Also, you kinda jumped into it really quick. I wish you had talked about the Ouija board experiment more. I know it is useless info now that you are 46 episodes into it, but for future reference - the audience needs to be drawn into the story a step at a time.

I'll have some free time this weekend so ill watch some more and see where it goes, I want to like it ;)
 
I thank you for your reply ^.^

joey1320 said:
I watched the first 3 episodes and even though I'm all about the paranormal and found-footage type of videos, I wasn't as interested in yours. Maybe because they were so short and having to go back to the list takes the suspense away.
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I recommend that you use the playlist called "The Dead Are Watching In Order" located under the Uploads. My Uploads section is out of order and like you said it takes away from the overall experience to have to keep clicking on the next video.

joey1320 said:
Also, you kinda jumped into it really quick. I wish you had talked about the Ouija board experiment more. I know it is useless info now that you are 46 episodes into it, but for future reference - the audience needs to be drawn into the story a step at a time.
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I agree. The main reason Leo didn't include the ritual was that the ritual could have been misused by others if duplicated and also if it went wrong then nobody else would suffer the same fate as he. I probably should have mention this in the series. huh :P I was considering adding the footage anyway since I never brought those points out in the series.

joey1320 said:
I'll have some free time this weekend so ill watch some more and see where it goes, I want to like it ;)
Click to expand...
In total it is only an hour long so far. I hope that you find it at least enjoyable ^.^ That is the only reason I am making it. I appreciate your pointers and look forwards to any future advise.
 
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