How to Make a Found Footage Film

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Plan a storyline.

   There are two types of found footage horror: an investigation film, where two or more people film themselves while investigating something strange and pay the consequences, and an "accident" film, where someone is filming themselves and it all goes hideously wrong.
   
   The investigation film is much more common, and it gives a reason for there to be an evil thing.
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   Step 2: Prepare.

   Where are you going to film? The best places for found footage are in isolated locations such as a forest (or in a house).
   
   Get actors (if you want to do the filming, you must act in it yourself), and tell them the basic storyline and what you're going to be filming that day.
   
   Be sure to use a fairly cheap camera because you don't want the quality of the video too high cause it may make it look as if it was from a movie at the same time though you don't want to overdo it. , Be sure to start by introducing yourselves (unless the characters are hardly seen on screen) and, if you're doing an investigation film, explaining the reason for filming.
   
   Then, film yourselves arriving at the location where the action takes place, and walk through it.
   
   You may choose to have something scary happening right away, but it is best in an investigation film to let the creepiness build up. , The characters could scream and start running away from something unseen.
   
   This is where the deaths begin to happen.
   
   If you're with someone, let them die first (possibly seen on-screen), and if you're with several people, let the one who does the least talking die first. , Only kill him at the very end. , If it's bad, start again.
   
   If it creeps you out, you've succeeded. , You could start by adding a piece of text saying, "I found this footage on a blood-stained camera deep in a forest.
   
   While watching the footage, I noticed several strange things that scared me a little.
   
   I later found out that I had found the footage of five young filmmakers who disappeared in that area.
   
   You are about to watch what they filmed." Let the audience know that what they're about to watch is genuine footage shot by people before they went missing. , Before you release it, choose whether or not you are going to tell them the footage is fake.
   
   It can often be scarier if people think it's real, but this may attract skeptics.
   
   If you do choose to tell them it's genuine, make sure your actors tell no-one about its falseness. , Youtube is good, or you could convert the footage to an accessible format and email it to your friends, who will be extremely creeped out and may even forward it to their friends.
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   Step 3: Start filming.

4. 4

   Step 4: Let the action happen.

5. 5

   Step 5: Leave the person holding the camera till last.

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   Step 6: Review the footage.

7. 7

   Step 7: Start editing.

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   Step 8: Shatter the illusion.

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   Step 9: Choose how to release it.

Detailed Guide

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