Shadowbox: (Faux?) Lost British TV Horror

[MrRING]

Does anybody know anything else about this?

The lost intro to 'Shadowbox' the forgotten 1970s TV show which traumatised a generation. Now considered a Hauntological artefact. original copies are scarce and said to be truly something to be handled with care.

Dread Central says this about it:
https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/455432/creepy-new-video-delves-into-the-world-of-shadowbox/

We have been following the career of writer T.W. Burgess for a number of years here on Dread Central. And we’re now excited to report on his next endeavor, an ongoing folk horror project titled Shadowbox.

Based on a fictional 1970s children’s TV series of the same name, it remains to be seen what exactly Burgess has in store with Shadowbox. However, he recently revealed a stunning video that serves as the TV show’s opening sequence. The video was uploaded to TikTok, where it has accumulated over 700,000 views, in addition to receiving a comment from Blumhouse.

You can view the creepy video for yourself in the player below, and it will no doubt leave you intrigued to learn more about the upcoming stories taking place within the world of Shadowbox. And you have to admit, the video really does resemble a genuinely creepy TV opening sequence from the 1970s, with the grainy picture quality and the old-school soundtrack accompanying the visuals both adding to the retro aesthetic. While we do not yet know much about Shadowbox, the video certainly still managed to give us the creeps.

 

[Sabresonic]

Looks fake

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Does anybody know anything else about this?

Dread Central says this about it:
https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/455432/creepy-new-video-delves-into-the-world-of-shadowbox/

Intriguing!
The 70s was when my young self developed a taste for any TV with a spooky theme - The Owl Service, Ace of Wands, Children of the Stones, Sapphire and Steel etc. but I have never heard of Shadowbox. The video certainly has a creepy air of authenticity about it, but I'm calling fake.

 

[brownmane]

I'm not clear on what the question is. It looks like one of those things, can't come up with the term, that people set up in the intrasphere eg. Slenderman to create a story that uses different artistic modes. The Dreadcentral link does have a video by the author explaining what he does.

 

[Ermintruder]

the video really does resemble a genuinely creepy TV opening sequence from the 1970s, with the grainy picture quality and the old-school soundtrack accompanying the visuals both adding to the retro aesthetic

It does, yet in lots of ways it doesn't. As a facsimile of 1970s production style, it does a good job, but with some jarring errors.

Towards the end it loses the discipline of period 4:3 screen aspect ratios and goes contemporary 16:9 (which would've been inconceivable outwith the highest-end studio production facilities with Panavision-style film cameras and stock processing capabilities).

The pace & style of the over-sophisticated production styles applied to the stills transitions sequence is gripping, but in a faux/anachronistic manner for the era.

It immediately looks like direct video assemble-edits in initial post production, and *not* the result of film edits (or the limited wipes/changes available in analogue video edit suites of that time). It self-professes to be some form of tele/cine conversion, but the colour balance and overall video resolution (even allowing for radical remastering) is far too good for the time.

The 'added retroauthenticity' aspects of emulsion grain, burnthrough, scratches, all feel applied rather than emergent.

All of the above is subjective opinion, vaguely stated. But it is *all* valid observational criticism: the only way in which it's not fake is that it isn't being claimed to be real. And I liked it a lot (both for what it is, and as what it tries to be).

in the intrasphere

What is this? Sounds interesting

 

[escargot]

Shadowbox.

Based on a fictional 1970s children’s TV series of the same name

Nobody's pretending there was a TV series called Shadowbox. It's an art project, in the spirit of Picturebox* -

Shadowbox looks like fun. The title sequence images are a bit samey. Less idyllic cottage, more Horned Man, say I.
The more folk horror-style pictures look sort of slipped-in though, to fool the adults.

*Picturebox stands alone as a Hauntological artefact. It was a Granada TV schools broadcast so kids who didn't watch it in context might catch a random edition when home with chicken pox, and it has of course been spoofed.

After all, we mock that of which we are afraid.

Here's the famous Sleepy Hollow episode -

Worth noting the conclusion as presenter Alan Rothwell asks still-pertinent questions about the supernatural and our fascination with fear.

(I suspect the narrator is Brian Wilde.)

My schools didn't show it but my younger brothers' one did.
When I saw an episode by chance I thought 'Why are they trying to scare little kids?'

Here's a nice page on Picturebox, from our well-beloved Haunted Generation website -

Picture Box, Sean Reynard and Quentin Smirhes​

 

[Spookdaddy]

Nobody's pretending there was a TV series called Shadowbox. It's an art project, in the spirit of Picturebox* ...

Yup. Although it's kind of disconcerting how many people commenting on places like YouTube and Instagram claim to have seen it. Made even more oddly bizarre by the fact that some are obviously way too young to have ever been around when it was purportedly aired.

It's great - but I think for those of us who are precisely the generation that were supposed to have been watching this stuff at the time - it seems somehow too consciously of that time, to be of that time. If that makes sense.

The music reminds me somewhat of Yppah's - which often strikes me of having something of an updated Haunted Generation feel to it - although, in his case, I don't think this is deliberate referencing:

 

[Mythopoeika]

My schools didn't show it but my younger brothers' one did.
When I saw an episode by chance I thought 'Why are they trying to scare little kids?'

A government psy-op experiment.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Nobody's pretending there was a TV series called Shadowbox. It's an art project, in the spirit of Picturebox* -

Shadowbox looks like fun. The title sequence images are a bit samey. Less idyllic cottage, more Horned Man, say I.
The more folk horror-style pictures look sort of slipped-in though, to fool the adults.

*Picturebox stands alone as a Hauntological artefact. It was a Granada TV schools broadcast so kids who didn't watch it in context might catch a random edition when home with chicken pox, and it has of course been spoofed.

After all, we mock that of which we are afraid.

Here's the famous Sleepy Hollow episode -

Worth noting the conclusion as presenter Alan Rothwell asks still-pertinent questions about the supernatural and our fascination with fear.

(I suspect the narrator is Brian Wilde.)

My schools didn't show it but my younger brothers' one did.
When I saw an episode by chance I thought 'Why are they trying to scare little kids?'

Here's a nice page on Picturebox, from our well-beloved Haunted Generation website -

Picture Box, Sean Reynard and Quentin Smirhes​

Or the famous TV for schools programme "Look Around You"...

 

[MrRING]

Thanks all and particularly @escargot and @blessmycottonsocks - I think that it is definately trying to evoke the Picture Box specifically and that countdown on Look Around You seems very much what the initial countdown screen is based on! Even if it is a new product made to evoke that specific hauntology feel of 70's creepiness, it could be something quite interesting!

 

[Frideswide]

It's an art project, in the spirit of Picturebox*

I have a Picture Box box!

 

[MrRING]

I have a Picture Box box!

You should box your Picture Box box on Boxing Day!

 

[escargot]

I have a Picture Box box!

I've considered making one. With, of course, the red cushion inside.

 

[Sabresonic]

Nobody's pretending there was a TV series called Shadowbox. It's an art project, in the spirit of Picturebox* -

Shadowbox looks like fun. The title sequence images are a bit samey. Less idyllic cottage, more Horned Man, say I.
The more folk horror-style pictures look sort of slipped-in though, to fool the adults.

*Picturebox stands alone as a Hauntological artefact. It was a Granada TV schools broadcast so kids who didn't watch it in context might catch a random edition when home with chicken pox, and it has of course been spoofed.

After all, we mock that of which we are afraid.

Here's the famous Sleepy Hollow episode -

Worth noting the conclusion as presenter Alan Rothwell asks still-pertinent questions about the supernatural and our fascination with fear.

(I suspect the narrator is Brian Wilde.)

My schools didn't show it but my younger brothers' one did.
When I saw an episode by chance I thought 'Why are they trying to scare little kids?'

Here's a nice page on Picturebox, from our well-beloved Haunted Generation website -

Picture Box, Sean Reynard and Quentin Smirhes​

I loved being not well as a kid in the late 70s/early 80's as we had some good Tv to watch Picture Box, Dr Snuggles and the Giddy Game Show and loved the BBC and ITV) I think Schools and Colleges like How We Used To Live.
The music of Picture Box was live a Kids version of Tales of The Unexplained.

 

[escargot]

I loved being not well as a kid in the late 70s/early 80's as we had some good Tv to watch Picture Box, Dr Snuggles and the Giddy Game Show and loved the BBC and ITV) I think Schools and Colleges like How We Used To Live.
The music of Picture Box was live a Kids version of Tales of The Unexplained.

My schools didn't have the TV-based curriculum so I too was unfairly deprived of the above.

They were of their time though. Can remember catching a little of How We Used To Live in about 1980 depicting Victorian urban life, where the reason given for the huge numbers of pubs in towns was to give married men a rest from their large families at home.

 

[Frideswide]

I've considered making one. With, of course, the red cushion inside.

Mine has red velvet on both sides of the bottom panel. Slightly weird but then it is a Picture Box box!

 

[catseye]

Intriguing!
The 70s was when my young self developed a taste for any TV with a spooky theme - The Owl Service, Ace of Wands, Children of the Stones, Sapphire and Steel etc. but I have never heard of Shadowbox. The video certainly has a creepy air of authenticity about it, but I'm calling fake.

All of these! My favourite programmes!

Oh I used to love Picture Box! In my school it was used to prompt creative writing exercises (which were my favourite thing!) and even just the music makes my skin tingle! I never found it frightening, more thought provoking, but I know others in my primary school were terrified of it.

 

[brownmane]

What is this? Sounds interesting

Intrasphere. A word I made up (internet, atmosphere). And the fact that Slenderman was originally set up within a group of people who knew they were telling a story, so "intra".

With the web of the world, we don't actually know where anything goes

 

[brownmane]

Yup. Although it's kind of disconcerting how many people commenting on places like YouTube and Instagram claim to have seen it. Made even more oddly bizarre by the fact that some are obviously way too young to have ever been around when it was purportedly aired.

Many (younger?) people don't investigate things further than a one off comment by a stranger. They don't engage in critical thinking and just react. Sometimes it's intentional, but other times, I think, it's ignorance.

I like to find out the origin of things found on the internet. Especially since some things are false and have a malicious intent. I learned a long time ago that, often when there are several people stating "fact", that when you go to their sources, they are using the same source.

This "Shadowbox" I did follow dreadcentral's link to the source and the author/artist is not passing it off as real. He does say it's a creative project.

 

[Frideswide]

Many (younger?) people don't investigate things further than a one off comment by a stranger. They don't engage in critical thinking and just react. Sometimes it's intentional, but other times, I think, it's ignorance.

My experience is that it isn't younger, but YMMV

 

[brownmane]

My experience is that it isn't younger, but YMMV

Hence the question mark. Though I do suspect that, in general, younger people are not being taught critical thinking or know what it is.

YMMV?

 

[Mythopoeika]

YMMV?

Your Mileage May Vary.
In other words, your experiences may be different.

 

[Earthly oddity]

I loved being not well as a kid in the late 70s/early 80's as we had some good Tv to watch Picture Box, Dr Snuggles and the Giddy Game Show and loved the BBC and ITV) I think Schools and Colleges like How We Used To Live.
The music of Picture Box was live a Kids version of Tales of The Unexplained.

The Giddy Game Show was great. Really good idea.....I am sure I was older than the target audience at the time but it was fun. I wonder how many people remember it?

 

[Delightful]

This thread has brought back such weird and fun memories, lol, and introduced me to the joy of Quentin, Stare with Mother, and the birdbox orchestra. Delightful!
Thanks

 

[catseye]

Many (younger?) people don't investigate things further than a one off comment by a stranger. They don't engage in critical thinking and just react. Sometimes it's intentional, but other times, I think, it's ignorance.

I like to find out the origin of things found on the internet. Especially since some things are false and have a malicious intent. I learned a long time ago that, often when there are several people stating "fact", that when you go to their sources, they are using the same source.

This "Shadowbox" I did follow dreadcentral's link to the source and the author/artist is not passing it off as real. He does say it's a creative project.

I think it's wanting to belong to a 'gang'. So if someone posts something, lots of people are going to chime in with 'me too!' to prove that they belong to this particular subset of people. I did it myself earlier on this thread.

And with society being fragmented, so many people working from home or not mixing socially as much as they used to, everyone is trying to find their tribe, even if that means shouting 'I remember this!' about something invented. The most interesting motivations will be displayed by the first person to post 'me too!'.

 

[Spookdaddy]

My experience is that it isn't younger, but YMMV

Yes - there's a thing I think of as a kind of 'get there first' syndrome - which I don't think is particularly age dependent, and which I think is probably connected to the same sort of mindset that often implies the possession of special knowledge, and also the drive to be the first with information (especially, it seems to me - information related to bad news).

Separate to any false memory issues, I'm pretty sure that if you made up a 'true' event and disseminated the information to a certain number of people (probably quite a low number) - at least one of those people is going to reply, almost reflexively, with confirmation.

To be fair, although in my original post I stated that it was 'kind of disconcerting how many people commenting on places like YouTube and Instagram claim to have seen it', it has to be said, that these people appear to have been far outnumbered by the ones that 'got' the faux nature of the video - often calling out the nonsense of those false witnesses.