Sunday 7/2/21 - Found Footage

Found Footage is a type of film that uses different techniques to mimic the idea that it is footage that was discovered. This means that it essentially looks as if it were recorded on a videophone or a camera. Because of this filmmakers often give the camera to the actual cast members for added realism such as a shakey camera. It also means cinematography won't use traditional techniques, it often feels more like a home video or a documentary. Overall it gives the film a very amateur feel which works well for a lot of plots. They often are made to give the impression that it is raw film or edited together by the characters or the people who found it.

It was popularised by the film Blair Witch however the first film to use this method is widely considered to be Cannibal Holocaust which was made in 1980 as opposed to Blair Witch in 1999. Other famous films that use this technique include Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield. Much like those examples it frequently appears in horror films as it can add to the horror factor by placing you in the character's perspective. Though other films such as Chronicle, Earth to Echo and Europa Report have used this style. I like the unique take it brings to films as it means coming up with new cinematography techniques and can add to the plot and atmosphere.

I wanted to research this as I planned on incorporating aspects of found footage into my film, it helps with the fact that I am limited on resources for filming.