no more found footage
- Thread starter Gillvane
- Start date
Chris Adler
Veteran
I thought Cloverfield worked pretty well.
jghenderson
Well-known member
I dunno, i'm kind of a sucker for them. I thought Cloverfield, Blair Witch, and Chronicle were all good. It's a very neat, albeit very specific, device. Definitely not for most things, but on occasion I think it makes a movie very interesting.
And honestly, there's really not that many of them being made. Not sure why you're so mad about it.
And honestly, there's really not that many of them being made. Not sure why you're so mad about it.
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
Got suckered into End of Watch. Dunno if that counts though...unless Gyllenhaal had a lab partner doin' a ride-along or had himself a Mr. Fantastic-esque arm holding the cam. [/drunkpost}
refocusedmedia
Veteran
There are plenty of instances where Found Footage works and the "bad POV" effect is done right. Just like any other gimmick though, it is overused and when done for gimmick's sake it loses all credibility.
jghenderson
Well-known member
Oh yeah forgot about Troll Hunter. I was very pleasantly surprised by that film. Much better than I expected.
I haven't seen troll hunter. One thing that makes Chronicle different is the progression in the film. The kid starts out holding a small consumer video camera. So the video is bad, well not bad but not as good as it could be, and shaky. I don't like shaky cam so it's driving me nuts.
But then after getting super power he loses his cheap camera and buys a new fancy one. PLUS, now he can control the camera with his mind. So now the image is beautiful (i.e. more professionally and perfectly lit) and we start to get smooth camera moves, dolly moves, crane shots etc.
I"ll admit it's a clever idea for going from shaky cam to Stanley Kubrick style film making, but they spent way to much time on the camera. The camera is like a character in the movie. We have to spend time talking about the camera, why is he carrying the camera, what happened to the camera, how is he controlling the camera now, oh look he's getting a new camera, etc., etc.
You're supposed to care about characters, and I don't really get that attached the the camera.
In the end did all that talk about the camera, or the fact that the main character is shooting the movie really add to the story? I don't think so. I think it would have been just as good if you just told the story and did a solid shot list that was not POV main character.
But then after getting super power he loses his cheap camera and buys a new fancy one. PLUS, now he can control the camera with his mind. So now the image is beautiful (i.e. more professionally and perfectly lit) and we start to get smooth camera moves, dolly moves, crane shots etc.
I"ll admit it's a clever idea for going from shaky cam to Stanley Kubrick style film making, but they spent way to much time on the camera. The camera is like a character in the movie. We have to spend time talking about the camera, why is he carrying the camera, what happened to the camera, how is he controlling the camera now, oh look he's getting a new camera, etc., etc.
You're supposed to care about characters, and I don't really get that attached the the camera.
In the end did all that talk about the camera, or the fact that the main character is shooting the movie really add to the story? I don't think so. I think it would have been just as good if you just told the story and did a solid shot list that was not POV main character.
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
Damn, and just when I found a box of footage at a garage sale, which seems to be some one's home movies involving alien invasion murder mystery erotic thriller fantasy comedy with a happy ending...
Postmaster
Dark Side of the Camera
I liked Troll Hunter till those goofy CGI trolls came in - from that point on it was like the Muppet Show - in a bad way.
Agreed, one of the better FF movies ever made.