Research - Films Within the Same Genre

For research I also watched short films that belong to the same genre as the short film I am making.

No Title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5KW2d1OaFA

This was the first short film I watched and although it doesn't fit directly into the found footage genre it has a close resemblance to the narrative of my production. It follows three friends as they use or 'play' with a Ouija board. Although the main body of the film is the friends actually filming themselves whilst using the Ouija board rather than what happens before or after whereas I want to focus more on the aftermath. As the idea of this is close to my own it proves to be useful as I can see what works and what doesn't e.g what the viewers need to see more or less of / what camera angles to use or not / camera placement etc.

Unlike most short films this was unconventionally dialogue heavy, there was rarely a moment where a character wasn't talking which, for me, even though the film as a whole isn't very good, ruined it as I felt it was just too much. The character's accent played a huge part in this, there is a reason why so few characters with a Southern USA accent rarely appear or only make a small appearance in films. Also, another point about the sound - At times I could faintly hear a television in the background most likely in another room, It had no place within the narrative so I am quite sure this was accidental. This mistake ruins the otherwise obvious intended realism of the film  and breaks the suspension of disbelief.


It proved difficult trying to find short films within the found footage genre so as a result I looked to feature films as films within this specific genre have experienced a surge in popularity since the release of The Blair Witch Project.

Cloverfield (2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufYF0f-zMgY

Follows a small group of people as they try to escape a city that is being attacked.
Personally, I find this to be one of the best examples within the genre - it conforms to an amount of the conventions but also breaks them whilst still holding the suspension of disbelief perfectly. Cloverfield is more than likely the film with the biggest budget ever within this genre which is highly unusual as film makers generally feel that a bigger budget with this kind of film will ruin the realism aspect. The bigger budget is obvious through the use of special effects - explosions / gunfire / monsters. A big convention broken is that we actually see what the characters are running from rather than just hear it or have second-hand accounts from other characters within the narrative that have seen it out of shot. Another one is that the group of people we follow are in the middle of a city with hundreds of other people experiencing the same thing - conventionally events in this type of films happen in secluded country areas and empty houses where no-one else is aware of what is happening.
Unlike the other films I researched,Cloverfield had an actual cameraman working the camera as opposed to an actor and character within the story having control over it. To the viewer it seems as if the character has the camera but in the 'making of' featurette it is revealed to be a cameraman with the character always standing beside or behind him out or shot so his voice will be captured and he will appear to be in control of the camera. This is how I want to work my short film idea.

Paranormal Activity (2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSSqxrh5kp8

About a young couple who film their experience of and trying to deal with a 'Demon' in their house. This film was made with as little input from the director as possible, the actors were told what the director wanted the film to achieve and then let them improvise and have sole control of the camera. This was also the closest feature film storyline to that of my own short film.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D51QgOHrCj0

The story revolves around three people making a documentary for their university project when they get lost in the woods. The characters in this also had control of the camera and dialogue was often impovised. Most of the reactions of the characters whilst they are in the woods is real as they were not told exactly what was going to happen as the creators wanted everything to appear realistic.

Closely following the conventions of this genre all actions within the narrative take place in the countryside and a secluded wood far from urban life. The relationships between the characters also becomes increasingly strained as the narrative reaches its dramatic climax and the atmosphere remains this way until the abrupt ending.