STACK #147 Jan 2017

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DVD&BD FEATURE

BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Shakycam, motion sickness, fake documentaries, paranormal activity and cleverly disguised special effects – the prolific found footage genre comes with its own set of rules and clichés, and it's not all about horror movies. Words Scott Hocking

[Note: Not all titles discussed are available on DVD and Blu-ray. Check the JB website.]

#10 - FOUND FOOTAGE Popularised by The Blair Witch Project in 1999 and a staple of the horror genre ever since, the found footage format attempts to convince us that what we are seeing is real, forsaking technical proficiency for raw immediacy through handheld camerawork. A cheap, often effective and sometimes extremely profitable brand of filmmaking, found footage has run rampant over the last 17 years.

the money shots at the cost of their own lives. Found footage films are cheap to make, and if filmmakers get it right, the result can be a box office goldmine. The most famous example, The Blair Witch Project , was shot for a measly US$60,000 and went on to gross US$248 million worldwide. Paranormal Activity was made for even less ($US11,000), netted a global return of US$193 million, and spawned a successful franchise. So it's easy to understand why there is a multitude of these films, although very few do that kind of big business.

WHAT TO EXPECT If you watch a lot of horror films, you'll already be overly familiar with this ubiquitous genre – and wishing it would go away. But if you've yet to experience a found footage film, then read on. The MO of found footage films is to attempt to convince us that what we're watching is real – shot by people like us on handheld cameras. These people are generally never seen or heard from again, with the surviving footage a record of their possible fate, hence the format's popularity with the horror genre. And since we're meant to be watching an authentic account of the events that transpired, there's often a disclaimer at the start regarding the source of the recovered footage – and no opening credits or music score. Although a lot of found footage films are produced by major and independent studios, don't expect high production values or A-list actors – or a script, in the some cases. These movies are intended to look rough in order to heighten their verisimilitude, and that means... shakycam! Yes, the cinematography is all over the place and highly discombobulating, but when you're being chased by a monster, filming an exorcism, or being eaten alive by cannibals, proper framing and lighting isn't really a consideration. The common complaint with found footage movies is that they induce motion

sickness, especially when viewed on a massive screen, so if you suffer from this affliction, be warned or stay away. Found footage films also

WHERE TO START "In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary... A year later their footage was found." That footage became The Blair Witch Project (1999) – the movie that popularised the found-footage format, but not the first film to use it. (That honour goes to the notorious Cannibal Holocaust (1980), but more on that later.) Start here, but bear in mind it's a polarising film – many have declared it to be a masterpiece

favour a lot of POV shots, especially if the protagonist is the one with the camera. Generally, however, the faux documentary format is favoured to allow a more mixed perspective. In some cases, you'll find yourself questioning who is actually holding the camera, or where some of the footage

has come from, when none of the participants were present. That's where news bulletins, surveillance and security cameras, and CCTV footage comes in handy to fill in the gaps. Night vision is also popular and can be incredibly effective when it's used properly, or reduce everything to a fuzzy green blob on the screen when it's not. Expect to hear lines like, "Are you still shooting?" and "Turn that camera off!" (cue black screen), and despite whatever mayhem is engulfing them, the characters will keep shooting right up to the very end – especially if it's an ambitious documentary crew determined to get

and the scariest film ever made, while the less impressive have dismissed it as amateur rubbish. Whatever your opinion, you have to acknowledge its profound influence on found footage filmmaking and the horror genre. Sequel Blair Witch (2016) is a more professional production but retains the raw, handheld technique that worked for the original. Ideally, watch both Blairs back to back. In Spanish horror film REC (2007) – as in RECORD – a routine assignment documenting a night with the Barcelona fire department turns into a nightmare for a reality show host and her cameraman, following an emergency call to an

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