Abstract
Found footage horror is one of the most culturally engaged subgenres through necessity, as its central conceit is that the narrative is taking place in our reality. Our experience of reality has shifted in ways both subtle and seismic during the subgenre’s history, not only in terms of reportage of world events, but broader cultural and political concerns, and how we experience, witness, and engage with wider society. As such, found footage horror has consistently been a site of experimentation in terms of aesthetics, themes, and medium, and can be characterised by its mutability – lending itself to a variety of narratives, national contexts, and budgets. Although there have been several instances of found footage horror blockbusters, this keynote lecture will examine how the subgenre has been utilised by independent filmmakers for overtly political purposes.
This keynote will utilise selected case studies such as The Conspiracy (MacBride, 2012), Savageland (Guidry, Herbert, and Whelan, 2015) and Spree (Kotlyarenko, 2020) to examine how the found footage format, its tropes, and its wider thematic preoccupations, have been used to explore various political tensions, debates, and movements in North America over the past two decades. I will argue that the malleability of the subgenre, along with the relative inexpensive involved in recreating its key conventions and aesthetics, has provided low budget and independent filmmakers an intriguing framework from which to hang their politically motivated stories – one which is simultaneously limiting, but liberating.
This keynote will utilise selected case studies such as The Conspiracy (MacBride, 2012), Savageland (Guidry, Herbert, and Whelan, 2015) and Spree (Kotlyarenko, 2020) to examine how the found footage format, its tropes, and its wider thematic preoccupations, have been used to explore various political tensions, debates, and movements in North America over the past two decades. I will argue that the malleability of the subgenre, along with the relative inexpensive involved in recreating its key conventions and aesthetics, has provided low budget and independent filmmakers an intriguing framework from which to hang their politically motivated stories – one which is simultaneously limiting, but liberating.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Event | Fear 2000: Horror Uncaged - Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Jul 2023 → 29 Jul 2023 https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/fear2000/ |
Conference
Conference | Fear 2000: Horror Uncaged |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Sheffield |
Period | 21/07/23 → 29/07/23 |
Other | An online and in person conference focused on contemporary horror, featuring talks, keynote lectures and guests |
Internet address |