Found footage film: History and Key Facts

Found footage is a cinematic technique and film genre in which all or a substantial part of the work is presented as if it were film or video recordings recorded by characters in the story, and later "found" and presented to the audience. The events on screen are typically seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved, often accompanied by their real-time off-camera commentary. For added realism, the cinematography may be done by the actors themselves as they perform, and shaky camera work, improvisation and naturalistic acting are routinely employed. The footage may be presented as if it were "raw" and complete or as if it had been edited into a narrative by those who "found" it.

The technique is most commonly associated with horror films, particularly Cannibal Holocaust, The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and Rec. It has also been used in science fiction, drama, comedy, crime, experimental film, and other genres.

Found-footage films generally make the recording device part of the story world rather than using the invisible camera of conventional narrative cinema; the images may come from handheld cameras, fixed surveillance cameras, or other recording devices.

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