movies/tv What's your opinion on Found Footage Films?

[Alpha-neos 46]

If what keeps going on? Bad found footage movies or comments pointing them out? Like I said it could work, but you have to have someone outstanding behind the cinematography and screen writing. Alot of the people who make these movies are seeing the low budget and the filled movie seats as good investments and that wiggling a handheld camera at a scene is good enough for "found footage"

In reality a found footage movie done right is HARDER to do than a regular movie, which is why so many flop.

 

Her name is Maria Ushiromiya and she is from the Umineko/higurashi series, her expression and me go together so well she became my near universal avatar on the internet.  

 

I was talking about the bad movies. XD The comments people are making are pretty interesting! Harder to do? That's interesting, I wouldn't really think that it be that harder to do than a regular movie, I've always thought they were on the same scale at least.

 

Ah, Umineko! I remember that series! Good thing I watched Higurashi first otherwise I wouldn't be prepare for Umineko. Funny thing was, I still wasn't. Still though both series were great, Maria still creeps me out, don't know what's going on in that head of her's. But then again the whole anime is creepy with everybody getting slaughtered all the time. O___O

[Buck Testa 5,505]

I was talking about the bad movies. XD The comments people are making are pretty interesting! Harder to do? That's interesting, I wouldn't really think that it be that harder to do than a regular movie, I've always thought they were on the same scale at least.

 

Ah, Umineko! I remember that series! Good thing I watched Higurashi first otherwise I wouldn't be prepare for Umineko. Funny thing was, I still wasn't. Still though both series were great, Maria still creeps me out, don't know what's going on in that head of her's. But then again the whole anime is creepy with everybody getting slaughtered all the time. O___O

lol, yes she has some pretty epic expressions, right up there with Shion and Rena, but something about her just speaks to me and that's why she's my internet face. 

 

Let me break down what I mean. In a regular movie the camera's can establish the scene, do close ups on the characters talking, cut to different things, do multiple angles, all kinds of thing that one camera on its own just isn't able to do realistically. The cameras are the window into the scene that is playing before you, the way you frame the shot and what you put in that shot says not only what's going on but is giving information on what is implied behind the scenes. The camerawork in a good movie is so well orchestrated that you don't even realize it's happening, it all feels natural and flows together while telling the story. The desire is to be seamless and to not pull the watcher from the experience. 

 

A found footage camera must do all these things while being in the hand of a character while not drawing attention to the fact that its doing those things. All of a sudden a normal establishing shot to tell the viewer where they are must be explained, the reason for a camera being present needs to be explained, the reason the camera lingers on characters while they are talking or on an object of interest needs to be explained. Instead of the camera being a floating window observing the plot of the movie it is an actual thing that the other characters acknowledge exists and thus needs a reason for every shot it does. Having a camera on during a heated argument is rude, but in a normal movie the camera doesn't exist to the characters so the rail on like no one is watching. 

 

You have to ask someone not only to be a character and a camera man, but you also have to give him a valid reason why he is shooting all these crucial plot points in the first place and why the other characters don't make him shut it off when things get rough. There is another level of suspension of disbelief that the audience then has to deal with

 

first being that the events are happening in the first place

and second that anyone in their right mind would record/be okay with recording those said events 

 

If you can't sell this then the viewer is pulled right out of the experience and subsequently hates the movie for it. 

Edited August 14, 2015 by Buck Testa

[Alpha-neos 46]

lol, yes she has some pretty epic expressions, right up there with Shion and Rena, but something about her just speaks to me and that's why she's my internet face. 

 

Let me break down what I mean. In a regular movie the camera's can establish the scene, do close ups on the characters talking, cut to different things, do multiple angles, all kinds of thing that one camera on its own just isn't able to do realistically. The cameras are the window into the scene that is playing before you, the way you frame the shot and what you put in that shot says not only what's going on but is giving information on what is implied behind the scenes. The camerawork in a good movie is so well orchestrated that you don't even realize it's happening, it all feels natural and flows together while telling the story. The desire is to be seamless and to not pull the watcher from the experience. 

 

A found footage camera must do all these things while being in the hand of a character while not drawing attention to the fact that its doing those things. All of a sudden a normal establishing shot to tell the viewer where they are must be explained, the reason for a camera being present needs to be explained, the reason the camera lingers on characters while they are talking or on an object of interest needs to be explained. Instead of the camera being a floating window observing the plot of the movie it is an actual thing that the other characters acknowledge exists and thus needs a reason for every shot it does. Having a camera on during a heated argument is rude, but in a normal movie the camera doesn't exist to the characters so the rail on like no one is watching. 

 

You have to ask someone not only to be a character and a camera man, but you also have to give him a valid reason why he is shooting all these crucial plot points in the first place and why the other characters don't make him shut it off when things get rough. There is another level of suspension of disbelief that the audience then has to deal with

 

first being that the events are happening in the first place

and second that anyone in their right mind would record/be okay with recording those said events 

 

If you can't sell this then the viewer is pulled right out of the experience and subsequently hates the movie for it. 

 

OMG! THAT FACE!! DX I don't want to find that in a dark alley way.

 

I see. That does sound really difficult. I think I've seen a few movies where they were creative with the use of the camera. But I understand why its difficult. 

Edited August 14, 2015 by Alpha-neos

[TFarrgon 57]

These types of movies I feel really capture things in a more real aspect. This perspective doesn't really require many special effects and it makes thing look so real it's scary sometimes. There are a few problems with it however, a lot of times with these movies, there comes the fact that it is usually very slow and you are basically going through unedited footage with these movies, so there are a lot of boring scenes where nothing happens. Also there is the issue that there is no soundtrack at all in any of these movies to simulate the realism, I mean that's what it is suppose to do, but the real way to scare people is through noise, not looks and the music adds to the tension. Also realize I'm talking about these movies as if they are horror movies because that is all these kinds of movies can work as, if you try it with any genre it is just gonna be boring.

 

So basically, great way to do a horror movie, but that is all it should stick to, it just can't work as anything else.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

I love found footage movies.

[TigerGeekGuy 4,664]

I love those kinds of movies, I think the style really lends itself to a more realistic and creepy movie overall. I remember seeing Cloverfield for the first time and getting motion sickness in the cinema. I went ahead and bought it though and now it's one of my favorite found footage films.

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

I love those kinds of movies, I think the style really lends itself to a more realistic and creepy movie overall. I remember seeing Cloverfield for the first time and getting motion sickness in the cinema. I went ahead and bought it though and now it's one of my favorite found footage films.

Cloverfield was good, but it made me motion sick too.