conjuringandinsidious - Tumblr blog

conjuringandinsidious · 5 months

Text

The Location and Cinematography of The Blair Witch Project

One of the most renowned independent horror films from the 1990s is The Blair Witch Project (1999). Filmed at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, Maryland, The Blair Witch Project follows the story of teenagers Heather, Mike, and Josh as they venture into the Black Hills woods to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. Throughout the film, the group experiences supernatural events such as hanging stick figures appearing in the woods, hiking in circles, the sound of twigs snapping and children’s laughter at night, their belongings moved inexplicably, and an unseen force shaking their tent. After Josh disappears and Heather and Mike are the only ones remaining, it is clear that there is something quite sinister in the shadows. In this essay, the ways in which location and cinematography complement the film’s narrative will be discussed.

The first important concept to discuss is the significance of location for enhancing the film’s narrative. To convey this, Roger Ebert’s 1999 review recounts the following: “Once they get into the woods, the situation gradually turns ominous. They walk in circles. Something happens to their map. Nature itself begins to seem oppressive and dead. They find ominous signs. Bundles of twigs. Unsettling stick figures. These crude objects are scarier than more elaborate effects; they look like they were created by a being who haunts the woods, not by someone playing a practical joke” ( Ebert, 1999, paragraph 5). Through this account, it is evident that the dark and unfamiliar woods contain pure evil, stalking the group wherever they venture. This style of horror is quite chilling since the malevolent Blair Witch manifests itself in every character, slowly causing them to lose their minds and turn on each other. As a result, the audience watches the relationship of three close friends deteriorate as they become psychopaths willing to perform any act necessary to survive. As stated within the JSTOR article entitled, “Found Footage Horror and the Frame’s Undoing”, this type of horror is often “As incapable of containing what exists within its territory as it is of protecting it from the invasion of what lies beyond its borders” (Sayad, 2016, p. 49). Now that the significance of location for The Blair Witch Project has been discussed, it is time to explain the importance of cinematography.

The next key concept to understand is the ways in which cinematography enhances the film’s narrative. When discussing this, the JSTOR article entitled, “The Making of The Blair Witch Project” states the following: “Unlike traditionally short horror films, the actors would shoot the film themselves. Even later found footage films since The Blair Witch Project have not demonstrated this commitment to realism, instead opting to still employ professional directors of photography and camera operators to shoot the majority of their footage. The Blair Witch Project took realism as its prime directive and completely disregarded the conventions of making a fiction feature film, even a low budget independent one” (Turner, 2014, p. 23). Through this example, it is clear that director Daniel Myrick wanted to produce an unconventional horror film to offer audiences new content that appeared as genuine and unscripted. This aspect greatly stands out since anyone would experience immense fear if they were lost in the woods with minimal food and water, no cell phone service and nightfall quickly approaching. When one observes deadly events taking place from another’s point of view (POV) and hears their pleas for help, it is far more unsettling than those of traditional horror films. Considering this, it is understandable why The Blair Witch Project has established a lasting legacy for future horror films to follow. As stated within the Entertainment Weekly article entitled, “The Legacy of The Blair Witch Project: Four Things The Indie Classic Gave Us”, “The best-known legacy of The Blair Witch Project has to be the explosion of found-footage films that followed, from new horror entries like the Paranormal Activity series (which kicked off in 2007 and has a reboot coming) to monster movies (2008's Cloverfield)” (Sollosi, 2019, paragraph 8).

In conclusion, the location and cinematography of The Blair Witch Project greatly contributed to the film’s success at the time of its release and continue to influence its popularity among horror fans today. Ultimately, the found footage element and focus on the Blair Witch legend produce a truly unique narrative that continues to engage multiple audiences.

Works Cited

Ebert, Roger, “The Blair Witch Project”, July 1999.

Sayad, Cecilia, “Found Footage Horror and the Frame’s Undoing”,

Vol. 55, No. 2, 2016, pp. 43-66.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/44072414

Solossi, Mary, “The Legacy of The Blair Witch Project: Four Things The Indie Classic Gave Us”

July 2019.

Turner, Peter, “The Making of The Blair Witch Project”,

2014, pp. 15-32.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv13840

0 notes

conjuringandinsidious · 5 months

Text

The Location and Cinematography of It Follows

One of the most unique independent horror films from the twentieth century is It Follows. To provide some background information, It Follows is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. The film stars Maika Monroe as Jay, a young woman who is pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter. Also, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lil Sepe appear in supporting roles. When discussing the style of It Follows, The Entertainment Weekly article entitled, “It Follows: Film Review” recounts the following: “As in Mitchell’s previous film, parental figures are absent, oblivious to what their kids are up to, and it’s in keeping with standard genre rules that the protagonists are compelled to avoid seeking outside help” (Rooney, 2014, paragraph 9). In this essay, the ways in which location and cinematography play a significant role in enhancing the narrative of the film will be discussed.

The first important concept to discuss is location as an important aspect for enhancing the film’s narrative. In support of this, the JSTOR article entitled, “A Detroit Landscape with Figures: The Subtractive Horror of It Follows” recounts the following: “At the core of what is frightening about this creature and the entire concept of how it follows its prey is that it has no respect for the borders that have given meaning to the spaces inhabited by the film’s characters. Their sense of what is safe and unsafe, inside and outside, “our” placid suburbs and “their” violent city, crumbles as the creature follows them” (Lowenstein, 2018, p. 361). Through this account, it is clear that the most terrifying evils are those that have no limits and can torment one relentlessly regardless of how far away they are by preying on weaknesses. Additionally, the way in which Mitchell transforms a familiar location into one of entrapment and fear is quite remarkable. This is supported within the following Variety article: “Best Paranoid Thrillers of All Time, from Klute to It Follows”. The text states that “People read into It Follows more as a metaphor for STDs, but I’ve always really liked the interpretation that it’s more of a coming-of-age movie with death literally moving towards you. It’s inexorable, you can never escape it. That’s the rude awakening of youth and coming to terms with your mortality” (Earl 2022, paragraph 12). Ultimately, the Detroit neighborhood where the characters reside becomes an unfamiliar maze in which they must fight for their lives, always looking over their shoulders since evil follows close behind. Now that the ways in which location relates to the narrative of It Follows has been discussed, it is time to explain the importance of cinematography.

The next key concept to discuss is the significance of cinematography for enhancing the film’s narrative. To provide some context, It Follows regularly uses the point of view and long shots to convey the entity’s presence as it follows the main characters. Also important to note is that the extreme long shot is used to enhance the elements of Detroit landscape as the characters move throughout the different neighborhoods. Additionally, the close up shot is used each time the entity is about to attack one of its targets. In support of this, “The Horror Classic Potential of It Follows” recognizes these effects as “Elevated by the score which is strategically timed throughout the film to channel the rising sense of urgency at various points. The electronic-synth sound at the forefront of the music recalls an impending feeling of doom and death. The accuracy achieved in tone was phenomenal specifically due to the cinematography and score, elevating the film as a whole” (Spera, 2018, paragraph 7). These techniques have greatly impacted the film’s success since they work to create a sense of unease among audiences as they anxiously wait to observe what happens next. Furthermore, responding to the success of It Follows, Maika Monroe states the following: “I mean, I was in a workout class the other day and someone came up and said, ‘I saw the film and you were incredible’- that’s amazing. That’s why we do it. It was supposed to be a small release and then all of a sudden it’s doing incredibly well. People are like, ‘It’s not playing here! I’m driving two hours to a movie theater to see it!” (Collins, 2015, Paragraph 2). Ultimately, this exemplifies the lasting impact that It Follows has on audiences. Although there are many reasons to watch this film, the most prominent are as follows: The creative narrative which places a sinister twist on a sexual encounter, outstanding cinematography, and its unconventional approach towards the supernatural. As stated within the JSTOR article entitled, “Cinematography: The Creative Use of Reality”, In such cases the camera itself has been conceived of as the artist, with distorting lenses, multiple superpositions, etc., used to simulate the creative action of the eye, the memory, etc.” (Deren, 1960, p.159).

In conclusion, the location and cinematography of It Follows have profoundly impacted its success and acclaim among those who enjoy supernatural horror films. The unique style and sense of mystery has audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Works Cited:

Collins, Clark, “It Follows Star Says Response to Film Has Been Crazy”, March 2015.

Deren, Maya, “Cinematography: The Creative Use of Reality”,

Vol. 89, No. 1, 1960, pp. 150-167.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/20026556

Earl, William, “Best Paranoid Thrillers of All Time: From Klute to It Follows”, October 2022.

Lowenstein, Adam, “A Detroit Landscape with Figures: The Subtractive Horror of It Follows”,

Vol. 40, No. 3, 2018, pp. 358-369.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/discourse.40.3.0358

Rooney, David, “It Follows: Film Review”, 2014.

Spera, Siobhan, “The Horror Classic Potential of It Follows”, August 2018.

0 notes