Adding some Special Effects

[VAM]

During the '60, there was no doubt limitations as to what you could do using special effects. Considering the availability of technology, DS did really well. However,  let's pretend we had no limitations. What sort of things would you do to further enhance some of the scenes? Be creative and add some of your own!

[Gerard]

The bat would be computer enhanced.  Barnabas' hand certainly wouldn't look like a cut-out.  And, for cryin' out loud, get those candles to blow out on cue!  I always thought the make-up was very well done, especially the aging process.  Ironically, I think it looked far more realistic back then than what they do today.  I saw a rerun of Stark Trek - The Next Generation on TNN which included "aging".  They all looked like they fell into a vat of pancake goop.  However, on DS, it was all extremely convincing.  Barnabas, when he aged almost 200 years, looked realistic.

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So did Angelique.  Even Carolyn, appearing as a woman in her mid-forties in 1995, looked very convincing, with a minimum of makeup.

I was not that impressed with the Ef-X of the DS revival series.  I remember the scene where Angelique, holding the bullet which would kill Jeremiah in her hand, caused it to vanish and end up in Barnabas' gun.  There was a definite "chopping" in that scene.  They did better on Bewitched.

Gerard

[Luciaphile]

During the '60, there was no doubt limitations as to what you could do using special effects. Considering the availability of technology, DS did really well. However,  let's pretend we had no limitations. What sort of things would you do to further enhance some of the scenes? Be creative and add some of your own!

Less is more.

Instead of playing around with bats and fake blood, I would be taking a page from the Val Lewton unit from RKO in the 40s (anyone remember the original Cat People or the marvelous, The Seventh Victim?) and trying to create suspense and terror without the hack'n' slash stuff.

Might also play around with sound a bit more.  They really could have done some creative things for very little money (ala The Haunting (original version, thank you) or even Blair Witch Project.

Less is more.

Luciaphil

[Patti Feinberg]

Perhaps some play with the tombstones.

Yes, of course I mean that they wouldn't fall over, but, wouldn't it be cool if perchance Julia was in the cemetary, and would walk across her [shadow=red,left,300]OWN[/shadow]grave??

Or perhaps, someone could see a future tombstone?

Considering what DC&Co. had to go with, the lighting is actually quite good.

I can't stand the lighting on X-Files; I'm constantly squinting to see who is in the scene!!

Patti

[Brian]

I agree with Luciaphil that "sometimes less is more."  

One of the things I like about the B&W DS episodes is the lighting and atmosphere that recreates the look of the classic Universal horror films.  When DS first went to color, I felt it was too brightly lit--only later, after the 1795 story concludes, does the color lighting begin to approach the same atmosphere of the B&W shows.  (But that's only my opinion.)

By the way, I do remember THE SEVENTH VICTIM--and in particular I believe there was a suspensful scene featuring a door at the end of a hall that Kim Hunter was afraid to open--or am I thinking of something else? ?!?

Brian

[MikeS]

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One thing I'd improve upon is the shadow Nicholas used to haunt Jeb in the Leviathan story.  That paper cut-out looked too funny to be frightening!

[Luciaphile]

By the way, I do remember THE SEVENTH VICTIM--and in particular I believe there was a suspensful scene featuring a door at the end of a hall that Kim Hunter was afraid to open--or am I thinking of something else? ?!?

Nope, that's the one.  Actually, the door is the one she makes the detective go through, with some um, unfortunate results.  

Some of those movies would do some amazing things with people walking around dark, deserted streets.  Jean Brooks in the Seventh Victim trying to get back to her apartment comes to mind.

(shiver)

Luciaphil

[Luciaphile]

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One thing I'd improve upon is the shadow Nicholas used to haunt Jeb in the Leviathan story.  That paper cut-out looked too funny to be frightening!

As a general rule, I think anything that looks like it can be done by an elementary school art class should be avoided as a means of creating a mood of horror and terror  

Luciaphil

[Midnite]

Brian, a poster mentioned that they found the blue in your message above unreadable.  I can change it for you if you'd like.

But unfortunately, the wording of the request warranted removal, and I'll add that if they'd like to continue to enjoy posting privileges on this board, even when doing so as a guest, I recommend they follow the forum guidelines they agreed to when they registered.

[Cassandra]

How about getting rid of those "fake bats" and just start using real ones! (except for the part where Barnabas is attacked of course)

[Brian]

Midnight, thanks for the notice--I can read the blue post just fine on my screen--and, in fact, I used the blue font to make a point about the use of blue light, in particular, to create some of the atmosphere on DS.  Ah, well, guess my little experiment didn't go over well.  Next time I'll try a different color, but in the meantime, if the poster used language that warranted removal of his/her message, then leave the blue of my post for spite!!  

Brian

[Midnite]

Midnight, thanks for the notice--I can read the blue post just fine on my screen--and, in fact, I used the blue font to make a point about the use of blue light, in particular, to create some of the atmosphere on DS.  Ah, well, guess my little experiment didn't go over well.

The board displays slightly differently for users, depending on how it's viewed.  I had to move a little closer to read your message on my Netscape, but it was readable nonetheless so I didn't feel it was worth mentioning.  And if someone finds it completely unreadable, they'd be able to view it fine if they were to open a reply window within that topic because that would show all the messages over a light background.

Next time I'll try a different color, but in the meantime, if the poster used language that warranted removal of his/her message, then leave the blue of my post for spite!!  

That works for me too!

Thanks, Brian.

[Josette]

I think it depends on which background color the post ends up on.  I know there's been one person who has used a color several times (I thought it was blue, but this blue looks fine - but maybe the other came upon the gray background instead of the darker one) and I've found it extremely difficult to read.  It sort of glowed and almost looked three dimensional. I was tempted to comment several times to suggest not using that.

After initially posting this I encountered the blue on the gray background and that's definitely the difference.  It has a kind of "glowy" quality and I find it very difficult to read.  Of course one can't be certain of which background they'll get - it's possible that while composing one's response someone else will post just before.  However that's probably rare.  Perhaps one should consider the likely background color before choosing a posting color.

[Midnite]

Perhaps one should consider the likely background color before choosing a posting color.

Thanks, Josette.  But that's not always reliable.  However, registered members can modify anything in their messages, including its color and any other "special effects" (I guess we're on topic after all ) at any time after posting.

[Albert Camus]

I was the one who made the "inappropriate" comments, which I did not think were that inappropriate. I only said "f-ing" blue.

I really cannot read that "fun" blue.

1. I know my monitor displays things a bit differently because I broke one of the little spike things on the chord that connects into the comptuer, so I have to use an extension so that it will even connect to my computer. (Without the extension, it will not even go into the computer socket!) As a result, things are a little darker and off color. This is just because I have packed up and moved my computer a number of times rather carelessly and apparently was a little rough on it.

2. I have poor eyesight anyway, and have to have the text size on Largest to be able to read without irritation.

So please...stick to regular colors and don't try anything fancy, because not everyone can read it when you mess around so much with the colors. Be considerate of other posters and do not deliberately cause them to agonize in discomfiture.  Your best points are made with only a few choice words that demand our attention, not coloring the typeface in odd ways.