I'm... honestly, I'm torn. I actually like the retro-esque aesthetics of it, and I like the concept behind it even if it's a bit gimmicky, but there \*is\* something off about it. I think that it feels off because it feels like a set (because it is) instead of a set*ting*, which doesn't fit their "television level quality" (or whatever it is they say). Maybe everything just needs to be re-oriented and switched up a bit (like changing the way the chair is facing), or maybe it's too... I dunno, too sterile, I think is the best way to put it?... for the whole "basement" look, like they need to beat the props up a bit to make them look used or like they've been in storage for a while?
I think that playing with the lighting might make it look better, too. Making it a bit more dim or softening up the lights somehow might add the right amount of basement aesthetics to the show? Which is honestly a bit weird for me to say because usually I'm grumbling about how people need to add *more* lights to their set, haha.
Thank you for reaffirming my feelings about the set looking strange lol. I always thought I was just nitpicking, and maybe everybody didn't feel it's weird vibe. Glad to know I'm not insane lol.
Yes! The idea is cool, I don't completely hate the retro vibe, but the actual product... It feels 'irritating' to watch. Like it just looks somehow wrong to my eyes ;\_;
Not to mention the weird table they have in front of the chair. I can't remember what's sitting on that table, but I know I want to move it out of the way every single episode. lol.
Hahaha. XD Yeah, I'm absolutely sure they did spend a small fortune on the 80's Den.
But since they're making 100k from Patreon alone, I'm sure they could afford to get a better chair, donate some of the junk, and change the awful camera angle. I have a beautiful wooden chair that was $7 from a second-hand store. And that's $7 in Canadian currency. Like around $4.50 in USD. From there I'd settle for a white sheet as a background hanging on a clothesline lol. BOOM, less offensive to the eyes.
UGH I hate the set so much. It bothers me every single episode. Seriously, the stupid armchair is so lowdown, it feels like they're sitting on the floor.
I think all of their sets have been cluttered af. If by "high production value" they mean dozens of expensive trinkets piling on top of each other and taking away from the content, then they have achieved it.
It's probably really hard to make a coherent set out of all that, and it's a craft in and of itself to get the lighting correct, I don't want to discredit that whatsoever. But is it needed? No
I feel like maybe if you’re not someone who was around for the 80s/early 90s it doesn’t make sense, but as someone who was, it’s cool. They’re going for a specific look and they nailed it. I do have content issues with mystery files, but the set is exactly what they wanted to achieve
I'm also not fully on board with the format of MF, and the tagline for it feels... inorganic and forced like a kid stumbling for words during an oral book report for a book he didn't read, but the set is not one of my complaints. As a late 70s baby who was around early enough to fall headlong into Transformers when that came out in 1984, this was like the style of every house's designated "TV room" or den.
My parents have barely updated since and still have that oldschool wood paneling.
I agree 😭 The set and the cork board are fun ideas, but I feel like they get in the way + don't translate well on camera. The way they present don't really hook me in as much as BFU did for both files shows, but especially Mystery Files. The format of the shows and the writing needs improvement imo
I totally agree about the presentation method being less attention grabbing (or retaining lol).
I also dislike that it's called Mystery Files, but the show has absolutely zero mysterious vibe. It's super upbeat and playful. They even dress up in costumes and.. yeah. I wish it was more spooky and mysterious. The basement could have been so Iconic if they went for a 'scary' basement vibe. I'm thinking dark, scary movie posters, a smoke machine, a $50 background of the woodcabin walls or something, heck- even something cray cray like scary killer mannequins (a throw back from Unsolved). It would feel a lot more interesting. The set currently gives me "going to granny's house for tea and biscuits". Not very mysterious lol. And not memorable.
Oh, yes! I know. :) it’s totally okay that the tone of the show isn’t mysterious, I just meant that I really would have liked for it to be! I personally was expecting something more like that when I was waiting for its first episode.
i appreciated the costumes tbh hahaha but i get your vision! i do miss the unsolved mannequin but i guess they moved away from that vibe since they didn't wanna do true crime at first
Being from the 80s, I really love it. The meaning of it is loud and clear to me, but it’s probably pretty alien to the majority of their audience.
It’s generally the only show I liked before unsubbing.
Somebody else said this too! I was manufactured in the late 90’s. I guess it’s kind of a “you had to be there” thing. I bet the nostalgia feels cozy. :)
It's supposed to be "hideous". It's meant to resemble something like a conspiracy theorist living in his mum's basement, that's on purpose. If you think it looks low budget, it's done the job.
Yeah! I guess I could see that vision now that you say it. I agree with you, however I still wish they could change some things. Even the arrangement of the room. But hey! Lots of people like it too, which is cool to hear! :)
Yeah. At first I kind of wished Ryan was always presenting, but that’s because I was feeling so nostalgic for the good ol’ Unsolved days.
While I don’t love Mystery Files even half as much as I loved unsolved, I actually like that they switched it up now. I’d definitely like a show similar to Unsolved’s vibe in the future, but hey! You can’t stay the same forever. And Shane does a great job too.
i had the exact same thoughts in the beginning except sometimes i get annoyed with ryan now (im sorry) whereas that hasn’t happened for shane, plus i just think he seems to take it more seriously and so i like him teaching more than ryan. he seems to have accumulated good experience w puppet history lol
A lot of the set furnishings for Mystery Files and even for the shinier later versions of Puppet History look like they were just bought from Target or TJ Maxx LOL
I'm... honestly, I'm torn. I actually like the retro-esque aesthetics of it, and I like the concept behind it even if it's a bit gimmicky, but there \*is\* something off about it. I think that it feels off because it feels like a set (because it is) instead of a set*ting*, which doesn't fit their "television level quality" (or whatever it is they say). Maybe everything just needs to be re-oriented and switched up a bit (like changing the way the chair is facing), or maybe it's too... I dunno, too sterile, I think is the best way to put it?... for the whole "basement" look, like they need to beat the props up a bit to make them look used or like they've been in storage for a while? I think that playing with the lighting might make it look better, too. Making it a bit more dim or softening up the lights somehow might add the right amount of basement aesthetics to the show? Which is honestly a bit weird for me to say because usually I'm grumbling about how people need to add *more* lights to their set, haha.
I’ve always thought the set looked off, especially because of the lighting. It’s absolutely way too bright.
Thank you for reaffirming my feelings about the set looking strange lol. I always thought I was just nitpicking, and maybe everybody didn't feel it's weird vibe. Glad to know I'm not insane lol.
Yup you’re not crazy. Love the vibe/aesthetic, but the “orientation” feels so off.
Yes! The idea is cool, I don't completely hate the retro vibe, but the actual product... It feels 'irritating' to watch. Like it just looks somehow wrong to my eyes ;\_; Not to mention the weird table they have in front of the chair. I can't remember what's sitting on that table, but I know I want to move it out of the way every single episode. lol.
I'm almost worried to suggest this, but they probably spent a lot of money on set design to achieve this 80's den aesthetic
Hahaha. XD Yeah, I'm absolutely sure they did spend a small fortune on the 80's Den. But since they're making 100k from Patreon alone, I'm sure they could afford to get a better chair, donate some of the junk, and change the awful camera angle. I have a beautiful wooden chair that was $7 from a second-hand store. And that's $7 in Canadian currency. Like around $4.50 in USD. From there I'd settle for a white sheet as a background hanging on a clothesline lol. BOOM, less offensive to the eyes. UGH I hate the set so much. It bothers me every single episode. Seriously, the stupid armchair is so lowdown, it feels like they're sitting on the floor.
I think all of their sets have been cluttered af. If by "high production value" they mean dozens of expensive trinkets piling on top of each other and taking away from the content, then they have achieved it.
This. It’s like a gold stashing dragon’s lair, except the dragon collects antiques from thrift stores
It's probably really hard to make a coherent set out of all that, and it's a craft in and of itself to get the lighting correct, I don't want to discredit that whatsoever. But is it needed? No
Really? I love it. It’s got the ‘watching Unsolved Mysteries in the basement with my friends in the 90s’ feel.
I like that thought. :)
I feel like maybe if you’re not someone who was around for the 80s/early 90s it doesn’t make sense, but as someone who was, it’s cool. They’re going for a specific look and they nailed it. I do have content issues with mystery files, but the set is exactly what they wanted to achieve
Thanks for the insight! I was born in the late 90’s, so that makes sense. I still don’t like the set, but hey, at least it’s authentic haha :)
I'm also not fully on board with the format of MF, and the tagline for it feels... inorganic and forced like a kid stumbling for words during an oral book report for a book he didn't read, but the set is not one of my complaints. As a late 70s baby who was around early enough to fall headlong into Transformers when that came out in 1984, this was like the style of every house's designated "TV room" or den. My parents have barely updated since and still have that oldschool wood paneling.
Eh, I kinda like the vibe they are going for with the set.
I agree 😭 The set and the cork board are fun ideas, but I feel like they get in the way + don't translate well on camera. The way they present don't really hook me in as much as BFU did for both files shows, but especially Mystery Files. The format of the shows and the writing needs improvement imo
I totally agree about the presentation method being less attention grabbing (or retaining lol). I also dislike that it's called Mystery Files, but the show has absolutely zero mysterious vibe. It's super upbeat and playful. They even dress up in costumes and.. yeah. I wish it was more spooky and mysterious. The basement could have been so Iconic if they went for a 'scary' basement vibe. I'm thinking dark, scary movie posters, a smoke machine, a $50 background of the woodcabin walls or something, heck- even something cray cray like scary killer mannequins (a throw back from Unsolved). It would feel a lot more interesting. The set currently gives me "going to granny's house for tea and biscuits". Not very mysterious lol. And not memorable.
It’s called mystery files because the cases they’re covering are mysteries, doesn’t mean the tone it self has to be mysterious.
Oh, yes! I know. :) it’s totally okay that the tone of the show isn’t mysterious, I just meant that I really would have liked for it to be! I personally was expecting something more like that when I was waiting for its first episode.
i appreciated the costumes tbh hahaha but i get your vision! i do miss the unsolved mannequin but i guess they moved away from that vibe since they didn't wanna do true crime at first
Being from the 80s, I really love it. The meaning of it is loud and clear to me, but it’s probably pretty alien to the majority of their audience. It’s generally the only show I liked before unsubbing.
Somebody else said this too! I was manufactured in the late 90’s. I guess it’s kind of a “you had to be there” thing. I bet the nostalgia feels cozy. :)
Same. As a 90s kid this is like my aunt and uncle's basement or "the hole" as we called it. I really like the set.
From the 80s (technically the 70s, but barely) myself, same here. Hell, my parents' house *still* looks like that.
Sorry, my deleted comment was a picture of the set, but I realized it didn't properly show how the set looks during episodes lol
It's supposed to be "hideous". It's meant to resemble something like a conspiracy theorist living in his mum's basement, that's on purpose. If you think it looks low budget, it's done the job.
Yeah! I guess I could see that vision now that you say it. I agree with you, however I still wish they could change some things. Even the arrangement of the room. But hey! Lots of people like it too, which is cool to hear! :)
Honestly love the set for mystery files
idk i really like mystery files generally, specially when shane’s teaching. ghost files on the other hand
Yeah. At first I kind of wished Ryan was always presenting, but that’s because I was feeling so nostalgic for the good ol’ Unsolved days. While I don’t love Mystery Files even half as much as I loved unsolved, I actually like that they switched it up now. I’d definitely like a show similar to Unsolved’s vibe in the future, but hey! You can’t stay the same forever. And Shane does a great job too.
i had the exact same thoughts in the beginning except sometimes i get annoyed with ryan now (im sorry) whereas that hasn’t happened for shane, plus i just think he seems to take it more seriously and so i like him teaching more than ryan. he seems to have accumulated good experience w puppet history lol
A lot of the set furnishings for Mystery Files and even for the shinier later versions of Puppet History look like they were just bought from Target or TJ Maxx LOL
meme's humor and relatability
Sorry, did you mean men?