Found footage (genre) / "Cam-scope"

By: Yu La

“Cam” or “Came-scope” (L.Aknin, camera+scope that mocks the cinemascope), a genre born from the success of The Blair Witch Project, often in the lists of mockumentary. Pivotal year: season 2007/08.

Medium: Camcoder and video-capture capability devices (handycam, CCTV cameras, mobiles etc.)
Framework: “cam-era” (H.Koskela), recordings pervasiveness, excess of mediation and documentability
Discursive mode: subjectivity, (character’s) POV (video camera) shot
Genre: found footage (genre), mockumentary, reality tv
Editing and techniques: raw footage, long takes, piano-sequenza, LD low definition (lo-fi image quality)
Effects: simulation of not (still) mediated brutal reality (..)
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chronological order list – cinema release only

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Essential Bibliography (——loading——)

AKNIN, L. (2008) The Blair Witch Syndrom, Avant-scene cinema no. 571
BISONI, CLAUDIO (2008) Il cinema tra paure post 11 Settembre e il mal d’archivio nell’epoca dei new media, in Governare la paura
KOSKELA, H. (2003) ‘Cam Era’ – the contemporary urban Panopticon, Surveillance & society 1
KOSKELA, H. (2004) Webcams, Tv shows and Mobile phones: empowering exhibitionism, Surveillance & society 2/3
TZIALLAS, E. (2009) Torture porn and surveillance culture, JumpCut 52

• 01
  Man Bites Dog
  Rémy Belvaux
• 02
  The Blair Witch Project
  Daniel Myrick
• 03
  [REC]
  Jaume Balagueró
• 04
  Diary of the Dead
  George A. Romero
• 05
  Paranormal Activity
  Oren Peli
• 06
  Cloverfield
  Matt Reeves
• 07
  [REC] 2
  Jaume Balagueró
• 08
  Paranormal Activity 2
  Tod Williams
• 09
  The Last Exorcism
  Daniel Stamm
• 10
  The Troll Hunter
  André Øvredal
• 11
  388 Arletta Avenue
  Randall Cole
• 12
  Grave Encounters
  Colin Minihan