Why Found Footage Is The Best Film Genre Ever Created
Prove me wrong. Or right.
--
These days, the found footage genre probably feels more overdone to excess, and no one can really be blamed for feeling that way given the sheer number of movies that have been, and still are, being done in this genre to today. The fact that found footage films are generally cheaper and faster to make than movies in other genres does not help matters either. However, putting aside that notion, there is something to be said about how unique the genre is, compared to others. In many ways, it can be considered the most exciting and creative film technique incorporated into the art of filmmaking.
Throughout the history of making films, genres and sub-genres were born and tested. Many are loved, some hated, with the rest falling under that gray, neutral space in between.
Found footage is a technique usually used to give the audience a more intimate sense to the characters in a movie, T.V. Show, web series, etc…, intentionally shot as such to mimic footage as if it was lost and recovered from some mysterious event (e.g. Cloverfield, Chronicle, to name a few.) The usual effect, when done right, gives the viewer the feeling as if they are a part of the events themselves.
Moreover, the found footage style is usually portrayed in one or a combination of four styles.
- First-person Perspective
- News
- Surveillance
- Pseudo-documentary (or Mockumentary)
While not everyone is a fan of genres such as horror or romantic comedies, and I don’t think it is really about what genre a person loves, but that it really boils down to the appreciation of the art for what that genre is trying to bring to life. Each genre appeals to different audiences, with qualities which help enhance the narrative that the film is trying to emulate.
Moreover, in the world of the ever-expanding list of sub-genres, I personally find found footage particularly unique, compared to any of the others.
To me, found footage can offer a sense of intimacy between the viewer and the characters, that no other genre could achieve. As I mentioned before, it makes you feel as if you are a part of the…
