How Paranormal Activity Became One Of The Most Popular Horror Franchise
The most well-received sequel-laden horror series of 2006 was “Saw”, which featured films about extreme torture and death. People may have grown bored of the same tired story of people being ripped apart and executed in the most horrifying ways. Let’s do something different! “Paranormal Activity” was a rather pathetic excuse to create a new horror series. The film, first released in 2007, was about the ghost or “demon,” who haunts a couple. At the end of the film, at least one will die. Although this idea isn’t original, it could have made for a good horror movie.
The movie fell short of its promise due to the addition of the new horror subgenre “found footage” and a lack of a plot. Five more films were made in the next years to bring us to 2015, which is now the “Saw.” All but one of them was released in October in order to take advantage of Halloween’s extra income. What is the point of a poorly-written franchise? Or people willing to pay money for a movie that’s just been released in theaters. It was based on how “Paranormal Activity,” which promoted the “found footage subgenre, used cheap jump scares and profited from the idea that horror sequels were necessary, and the way that it was advertised. Advertising is the main factor in getting people interested in a series. Hollywood has no problem putting out as much advertising as they want. Paranormal Activity’s trailer and TV spot was quite different. It was promoted in a slightly different way than the other items. The trailers did NOT show the movie. They instead showed the theater terrified after watching it. Night cams were used to make the environment more chilling. This presentation was unique and made the movie more appealing.
To hype the movie they did the traditional show not tell. People understand the feeling of being scared. If they were in the theater, they would likely be terrified too. They will also have a lot of fun and feel safe. This was perhaps the most brilliant move of the entire franchise. The movie’s fate was unknown so the cast believed that the theater was a genuine reaction to “scary moments.” It is also worth noting that these trailers were released on Halloween. The Halloween excitement is key to the success of horror films. The past examples include “Saw,” Halloween, among others. This makes perfect sense since it will get people in the Halloween spirit. It was the advertisements that made “Paranormal Activity” so popular among people who had not heard of it before. Without them, the film would probably have struggled to generate as much income. It is a proud moment for the series’ producers that they used non-standard advertisements.
“Paranormal Activity,” which is so popular, makes good use of “found film.” This was first used in 1999 in the movie “The Blair Witch Project,” and has seen a huge rise in popularity. While “The Blair Witch Project” is now more popular, it was more controversial back in 1999 when people were less convinced it was real. “Paranormal Activity” has come to the rescue of this subgenre. “Paranormal Activity” was not based on true stories, but its camera work and satisfying ending (with the disclaimer that all of it was fake) gave it greater impact. The footage felt even better because they had multiple cameras rather than one like in “The Blair Witch Project.”
“Paranormal activity” was a movie that fundamentally changed the face and concept of “found video.” It used multiple cameras, which led to more “found-video” movies. The experience became more real for the viewer. What is the significance of “found footage” now?
Simple and cost-effective, producers save money. This allows you to make a movie for less money by going for a simpler look with less flashy shots and camerawork. Hollywood, being the money guzzler that it is today, has used this technique for years. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a movie is bad just because it costs less, but it might encourage people to work harder to have good actors and a well-written plot. “Paranormal Activity” is a case in point. However, the movie has seen more effort to improve its quality.
Unfortunately, the “horror”, as it calls itself, isn’t real good horror. Jump scares, which are common throughout “Paranormal Activity”, are what the series uses. The audience is scared by the “mystery” behind the chaos, demons and other untoward events. The most frightening parts of a character’s darkening are those when it is completely silent. In these cases, loud noises can enter and cause panic. This is what the movie “terror” looks like. This is the most cost-effective and least creative way to “scare” the audience. The movie’s best moments are then often forgotten. Only jumpscares are used so it is difficult to pinpoint the part that would most scare you. “Paranormal Activity,” contrary to horror movies like Halloween, has a slew of jumpscares. They create a very brief, insignificant pulse rate that isn’t as intense as the more important scenes.
This could be described as a reduction in horror movie’s previous use. Horror movies evolved as any other genre in order to reflect the times. Monster movies were most popular in the early 1900s. They featured classic monsters such as Dracula and Frankenstein. The more popular movies such as “Halloween” are now part of the slasher film genre. This is because they fear a murderer who will not die. We now have a horror style that uses jump scares and is less spooky. “Paranormal Activity,” while a great horror series, isn’t one that will be remembered by the audience after they are gone. These horror movies, unlike those of classic monsters or slashers, will be forgotten by most people in the future.
A horror series or movie would not be complete without the typical suburban white family, following Hollywood’s lead. The joke is that white people are always used to make horror films. This is because it is rare for white people to actually live in haunted houses, woods, or other dangerous places and feel fine. This is because horror movies often only feature white friends or families that don’t use common sense. Paranormal activity is no exception. In the first movie, a white couple argue about using a camera. The boyfriend then dies by ghost demon. In the second movie, a white family is led by a father who refuses to believe in ghost demons until his wife is possessed.
The third film is about the women in these movies and their childhood with the white 80s family. No one believes that the girlfriend of the girls’ mom was telling the truth about the ghost demonic. Another white family accepts an acting child, which allows the ghost to terrorize and kill their family. This is yet another story about white people having different beliefs. It quickly becomes tedious. Poor writing would likely not make any difference, but the fifth movie uses a Hispanic household. Although they were stereotyped for their poverty and dangerous surroundings, they feel deeply concerned about what is happening. What’s the point of a family horror series that focuses on white families?
Producers wanted to see their movies with lower ratings. The Hispanic audience was not the target audience, but the white one.
The series’ half-hearted attempts to attract more viewers makes it seem racist. There’s no reason to make the fifth and fifth movies about different hauntings. They barely relate to each other. This was done to grab money from non-white people. This sets a new standard for horror. The stereotypes quickly become cliched and insulting.
These flaws aside, how can an audience member still enjoy such boring horror? While any movie can be a guilty pleasure and something completely rotten can be enjoyed by others, this series begs for more movies. Maybe the audience wants an actual ending to this poorly structured story. Perhaps it’s Hollywood’s expectation of sequels. One movie cannot contain all the answers to a franchise. It must be extended to its full extent. The plot must be correct for every movie in the series. Not necessarily. In most of its newer movies, Hollywood values quality over quantity. The average movie-goer will want more, but they won’t be able to find the answers if the movie doesn’t have a plot.
Six movies have been made about the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. Hollywood has not put in more effort to make it better. If they had a clear ending, it would have been easier to either make another sequels or reboot the series. While there are some excellent horror movies like “Halloween,” “Friday 13th” and others, these films can still be seen as standalone movies. Unfortunately, many sequels have ruined them. Paranormal Activity’s original movie is not satisfying the consumer’s needs. This is due to its many unanswered queries, which means that sequels are forced to fill in the gaps. Because of this, the audience is still looking for more. This is disappointing, since a horror flick should be able and independent as an outstanding work of art. Sequels should only serve to enhance it. However, this sequel is being used as a leg for the first movie which was simply insufficient.
“Paranormal Activity” is a film series that was made using a different approach in advertising. It capitalized on the “found footage” era and used lazy scare tactics. They also believed that sequels would solve all their problems. Was this series able to fulfill its potential? It had the potential, but it was lacking memorable horror and memorable characters. The series also lacked a coherent plot. Although it’s disappointing, the series still appeals to many people. Perhaps the film’s visual style was a positive influence on some. The plot might have been interesting to some. People still enjoyed the first few movies, regardless of what the outcome was. The best horror series of all time would be “Paranormal Activity” if the script was well written, the characters were relatable, and there were more answers than just questions.
The idea of a ghost-demon living in your house and not being able to get rid of it is frightening. The “found footage technique” would make it more frightening because everyone would feel the same. It is now more common to use “found footage”, with movies like “V/H/S”, as well as “Quarantine.” Although the films are not as good as they could have been, they do show that Hollywood is trying to make horror movies. It had to begin somewhere, and in a very well-received way. The series “Paranormal Activity” was loved by many, regardless of whether they liked it. It also helped to create a new type of horror movie and the potential for more.
