Production Blog: Inspiration for the Film

 When finding ideas for what to make the film about I needed to find inspiration from past media. I looked through several horror and thriller movies trying to decide. Most were boring and repetitive but one stood out to me. The Blair Witch Project. It's about these three students who vanish while filming a documentary about a local legend, the Blair Witch. The movie is supposed to be the footage they left behind. This blurs the line between what's real and what's not, and that's what makes it so gripping. Additionally, most of the actors from the film were pretty much unknown. None of them had a massive film before Blair Witch so it was easy to envision myself doing a similar project with my friends as actors. The entire time they had to act as if they weren't acting which seemed easy enough to replicate. The style of editing and filmmaking really interested me and had me captivated throughout the entire film. The story itself I didn't take too much inspiration from but the elements that went into making the film did. Blair Witch used technology that wasn't too costly and the editing was very doable on a amateur scale. The realism and emotion captured in The Blair Witch Project influenced my approach to storytelling. I decided to focus on creating an authentic experience, allowing the natural reactions of non-professional actors to guide the narrative. The concept of using found footage as a storytelling medium was particularly appealing, offering a unique perspective and an immersive experience. Using a minimalistic approach, emphasizing atmosphere over effects, helped me control and change the suspense. The idea that less is more steered me away from overcomplicated plots and towards a more nuanced, psychological horror. Reflecting on "The Blair Witch Project," I realized the importance of setting and environment in horror filmmaking.