The cameraman is the main protagonist of Michigan: Report from Hell. As his title implies, he is a rookie cameraman for ZaKa TV who is sent to investigate a mysterious fog covering Chicago. His identity differs depending on the player's actions during the game.
Appearance and Personality[]
Throughout the majority of the game, the cameraman is a silent protagonist with no discernible personality. He does not speak and appear on-screen until the game's ending and his identity is determined by the amount of "Suspense", "Immoral", and "Erotic" points the player accumulated during the story. It is suggested by Brisco that he simply refuses to speak while holding the camera.
In the "Suspense" ending, the cameraman is apparently named Dwight Murdoch. He is depicted as being remorseful over the events that transpired and gives condolences as well as bereaved affection to deceased reporter Nina Valkov, whose death he intends to avenge. Compared to the three other cameramen, he is considered the most charismatic and presentably decent looking, with medium length styled dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
In the "Immoral" ending, the cameraman is named Andy Steamboat. He is depicted as being emotionless and matter-of-factly, if cold and ineffectual, providing a straightforward report on what took place. He has an uptight appearance to him, with slicked back strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.
In the "Erotic" ending, the cameraman is named Teddy Snooker. He is depicted as being energetic and excitable, but is something of a pervert and a sensationalist, believing the provocative shots he took will increase his network's ratings. Despite this, he does attempt to name the culprit behind the events. He is portly and balding, with his light brown hair in a comb over to try to hide his growing baldness.
In the "High Immoral" ending, the cameraman is apparently named Diego Morales. He is depicted as taking pride in the actions he claims to have committed and his face is hidden by shadows.
History[]
Newly hired by ZakTV, the cameraman is on his first assignment with sound engineer Jean Philippe-Brisco and reporter Pamela Martel to cover an outbreak of mysterious happenings in and around Lake Michigan. After Pamela is infected by a strange creature, the cameraman, Brisco, and their reporter (who varies depending on the player's actions) investigate the source of the outbreak.
Up until the end of the game, the cameraman generally follows Brisco and the reporters around, assisting them in their jobs. His actions and motivations are partially deterministic on the player, but because he is under orders to not stop filming, he is still mostly disempowered from doing anything that requires him to take his hands off his camera. Instead, his actions are based on the advice and information he gives or withholds from others, which can impact whether they survive. The cameraman also has control over what he chooses to film, such as footage deemed "suspenseful", "immoral", and "erotic".
In the Suspense, Immoral and Erotic endings, he appears to be recording a video in which he will reveal important facts about the truth of the outbreak, but is shot by an unknown figure before he can truly begin. The High Immoral ending depicts the cameraman saying "Look closely. It's me! It's me, see?", followed by a jump scare of a ghost, which has been interpreted as him admitting that he was the true mastermind of the outbreak.
Trivia[]
- While the Immoral and Erotic cameramen reveal their names in their endings, the names of the Suspense and High Immoral cameramen are derived from the arrangement of the credits in the PAL version of the game. Strangely, the credits give the Suspense cameraman the name of Dwight Murdoch, a character who is already seen dead earlier, Nina's boyfriend. This cameraman's attachment to Nina suggests the possibility that he is the real Dwight and the corpse seen earlier was a fake, but the details are left unclear.
Gallery[]
