Contrary to appearances, “Paranormal Activity” did not start the era of para-documents in cinema. The first film in the “found footage” style, i.e. pretending to be real footage found and only properly edited by the editor, was “Blair Witch Project” from 1999. And yet it was the production created by Oren Pele that became a phenomenon. So great that after seeing it, he allegedly packed the disc into a black bag and took it out of the house, because he was afraid that the disc was possessed. in one of the interviews, at the end of the screening, the door of his studio slammed shut and he had to call a locksmith. Interestingly, the director of “Paranormal Activity” was inspired by his own experiences.
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Paranormal Activity. The director was inspired by his own experiences
The production was advertised as based on facts and depicting actual recordings. And although the story of Micah and Katie, who are struggling with paranormal phenomena and a demon after moving in, is completely made up, the director and screenwriter was inspired by events he experienced in his childhood. As an example, he cited when the noise woke him up in the night. It turned out that a box of washing powder had fallen to the ground and found itself inexplicably far from the shelf. “Weird things were happening in our house,” Oren Peli recalled in an interview. – I’m not saying that we were dealing with a ghost, but there were many unexplained situations. This is how the germ of my film appeared – he added. However, he chose not a ghost, but a demon, as the main antagonist. Unexplained and paranormal events were supposed to take place at night, when the main characters were sleeping. I thought it was a great subject for a movie. I think many people have asked themselves what happens at night, when we are most vulnerable – he admitted in the conversation and added that this is the source of the most primal fear.
10 days of shooting, a budget of $15,000 and the director’s house. Everything to make the movie look as realistic as possible
Paranormal Activity was filmed at the director’s home in San Diego. Oren Peli prepared the rooms in advance, including replacing the furniture, and above all, he built the staircase. He wanted authenticity, so he used an ordinary camera for amateurs, not professional equipment. “I wanted the film to look as realistic as possible,” the director recalled.
Shooting took place at night and during the day and lasted only 10 days. The entire production cost of the first part was $ 15,000. Two months after its release, the film grossed a total of $100 million. To date, “Paranormal Activity” has made $193 million. Both viewers and critics received the film positively, appreciating the realism above all. Today, the film is considered a cult classic, and has had six sequels, although these have been evaluated and reviewed differently.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
