Gavin Michael Booth to produce interactive murder mystery ‘Dreamcrusher’

By Matt Weingarden , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter

Local filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth is part of a new interactive murder mystery TV game series that could net you $100,000 for your detective skills.

Dreamcrusher 1 is part of a larger concept called Reward – the Series, part of an interactive murder mystery, in which viewers at home can watch the show passively or register to become an amateur detective. The experimental concept will incentivize viewers to hunt for clues off-screen and compete for a $100,000 cash prize.

“Every episode will have two major clues baked into the show, then there is the second screen experience where a participant may take in a quote from a character and chase it to a website where other clues reveal themselves,” said Booth. “Participants can collect points through the website that include other mini mysteries. At the end, you can submit who you think the killer is and if you are within the top scorers, you have a chance to win the cash prize.

Dreamcrusher follows the story of pop singer Gwyn who is found dead on the morning that should have marked her rise to superstardom. Tasked with solving her murder, detectives retrace her steps from a celebratory concert in her hometown the previous evening. Booth will write and direct all seven episodes, which will stream on Reveel, which can be accessed through iOS devices, Android devices, Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV.

The seven-episode series will film in Los Angeles; Worcester, Mass., and here at home in Windsor/Essex and expected to make its debut in the new year.

“We have a number of locations around the region we will be shooting at,” said Booth, who is currently doing pre-production. “As well, we are able to bring work to the area for local production people.”

Booth is no stranger to experimenting with the format, as he’s known for the Blumhouse horror short “Fifteen,” the world’s first livestreamed film, and “Last Call,” a split-screen feature shot in a true single take.

“I am the only one who knows who the killer is,” laughed Booth. “Not even the crew and cast know.”

He says he is excited to see how the entire series plays out.

“Just knowing that there is a random person out there playing along is exciting for us,” he added. “Knowing that our mystery worked, that people are out there collecting crumbs to solve the mystery and help us plan future episodes.”