2008 Woodie Awards
Suicide! Murder! Intrigue! The Galloway Ghost
Liz Blackman
Issue date: 2/10/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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After a week of filming and editing, Elin Dunigan and her small cast and crew created a movie that had a higher attendance at its premiere than most Martin parties. With over 200 Hendrix students in attendance, "The Galloway Ghost" caused quite a stir around campus. Ever felt that you aren't alone in an empty room? Most Galloway hall residents can answer, "Yes!" to this question thanks to Margaret (or Gertrude) Hendrix's very own Galloway ghost.
"It was an exciting event," sophomore Kelsey Steele said. "I thought the films were made very well, but I don't really believe in it. But, I have heard there is some creepy stuff up there."
The idea for the documentary and the short film, both of which premiered on Thursday, Jan. 26, came on a whim when sophomore Galloway Resident Assistant Jane Wallace discovered that the attic on the third floor of Galloway was unlocked and jumped at the opportunity to have some fun with her friends. Wallace, with the help of friends and sophomores Melissa Taylor and Erin Nixon, grabbed Dunigan and dragged her up to the attic to have a look around. That's where the magic happened and "The Galloway Ghost" was conceived. Dunigan whipped out a rough script and they started shooting scenes for a short film. That night as Dunigan was editing footage, strange things started happening. In one particular scene of the short film, an extra shadow can be seen crossing in front of the mirror. Creepy unexplained noises, dark shapes and uneasy feelings plagued the girls for the entire process.
Once they completed the short film, Dunigan and her muses decided to look a little deeper into the Galloway ghost mystery. They soon realized they had stumbled onto an urban legend gold mine and started work on creating a documentary to present their research. Sophomores Halley Mayo and Julia Campbell were cast as narrators with sophomores Shelby Harrell and Liz Blackman in their film debut as roommates and sophomore Katia Davis as the infamous Galloway ghost. Mayo doubled as a research assistant, traveling with Dunigan, Wallace, Taylor and sophomore Michael Raney to Harding University to uncover the root of the legend. Blackman and Harrell helped out in post-production with public relations and artistic direction.
The cast and crew had a great time during filming, which is evident in the hilarious gag reel, but to find out more about the Galloway ghost, students will have to check out the documentary. Research for the documentary included interviews with students and staff around campus as well as an in-depth Internet search. The Galloway ghost has actually made it into at least one book as one of Arkansas' top urban legends. Although the red carpet premiere has passed and the cast and crew have returned to their lives as mere mortals, they still come together occasionally to work on future film projects and Dunigan is hoping to reunite some of her cast and crew in a summer film project. If you missed the premiere, Dave Wagner, director of student activities, has requested that the film be screened in the Burrow in the near future.
"The girls still blame the ghost for most things but at least she's calmed down in the time since the film ended," Mayo said.
"It was an exciting event," sophomore Kelsey Steele said. "I thought the films were made very well, but I don't really believe in it. But, I have heard there is some creepy stuff up there."
The idea for the documentary and the short film, both of which premiered on Thursday, Jan. 26, came on a whim when sophomore Galloway Resident Assistant Jane Wallace discovered that the attic on the third floor of Galloway was unlocked and jumped at the opportunity to have some fun with her friends. Wallace, with the help of friends and sophomores Melissa Taylor and Erin Nixon, grabbed Dunigan and dragged her up to the attic to have a look around. That's where the magic happened and "The Galloway Ghost" was conceived. Dunigan whipped out a rough script and they started shooting scenes for a short film. That night as Dunigan was editing footage, strange things started happening. In one particular scene of the short film, an extra shadow can be seen crossing in front of the mirror. Creepy unexplained noises, dark shapes and uneasy feelings plagued the girls for the entire process.
Once they completed the short film, Dunigan and her muses decided to look a little deeper into the Galloway ghost mystery. They soon realized they had stumbled onto an urban legend gold mine and started work on creating a documentary to present their research. Sophomores Halley Mayo and Julia Campbell were cast as narrators with sophomores Shelby Harrell and Liz Blackman in their film debut as roommates and sophomore Katia Davis as the infamous Galloway ghost. Mayo doubled as a research assistant, traveling with Dunigan, Wallace, Taylor and sophomore Michael Raney to Harding University to uncover the root of the legend. Blackman and Harrell helped out in post-production with public relations and artistic direction.
The cast and crew had a great time during filming, which is evident in the hilarious gag reel, but to find out more about the Galloway ghost, students will have to check out the documentary. Research for the documentary included interviews with students and staff around campus as well as an in-depth Internet search. The Galloway ghost has actually made it into at least one book as one of Arkansas' top urban legends. Although the red carpet premiere has passed and the cast and crew have returned to their lives as mere mortals, they still come together occasionally to work on future film projects and Dunigan is hoping to reunite some of her cast and crew in a summer film project. If you missed the premiere, Dave Wagner, director of student activities, has requested that the film be screened in the Burrow in the near future.
"The girls still blame the ghost for most things but at least she's calmed down in the time since the film ended," Mayo said.