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What is the best way to screenwrite a found footage film?

Since I am a no-budget filmmaker, I came up with a pretty good idea for a found-footge horror film I want to make that requires little to no money at all. The only problem is that found footage films are a little harder to screenwrite and storyboard. Can someone please tell me their best and easiest way to do this? Thank you.
 
Its more complex for me to screenwrite a found footage film because it is not alike other types of films. It is a lot more harder to plan what to shoot. Im only left with broad ideas of what to shoot. In other types I come up with specific ideas right at the top of my head. I hope I make any sense.
 
The footage is found in the beginning, middle or end depending on its role in the script.

Beginning ("Godzilla") - it's a set up for what's to come. Usually the footage only hints.
Middle ("Super8") - it is the lynchpin that everyone seeks. It may be a McGuffin. The footage, if actual, may be critical to explaining how to resolve the plot, a red herring/decoy, or an inspiration.
End ("Blair Witch") - hints at what happened, often in a teasing way. The footage is more expository or revealing.

Decide on the role of your found footage and place it accordingly. Then write around it. You can think of it like a "book" or "diary". There's nothing special about it because it's "film". It certainly should be thought of no differently than any other screenplay element. Write your treatment--the visual story line. If all you have is a clever 'footage', you don't have a story (or movie). Good luck.
 
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Its more complex for me to screenwrite a found footage film because it is not alike other types of films. It is a lot more harder to plan what to shoot. Im only left with broad ideas of what to shoot. In other types I come up with specific ideas right at the top of my head. I hope I make any sense.
You aren't making sense to me. Unless you mean an improvised film.
Is that what you're asking?

A found footage film is written just like any screenplay - the scenes
are written out, storyboarded, rehearsed and shot. The screenplay
is exactly like other types of films. You have broad ideas in your
head - now you narrow them down and write a screenplay.
 
Well, for now I'm just writing the background story for the footage. I'll be doing the storyboard/screenwriting/shot list after that.
Sounds exactly the same to writing any script. Most writers work
on the background story and characters before the write the script.
Looks to me like you already know the best and easiest way to do
this. Maybe you were over-thinking it?
 
Sounds exactly the same to writing any script. Most writers work
on the background story and characters before the write the script.
Looks to me like you already know the best and easiest way to do
this. Maybe you were over-thinking it?

Now that I think of it, I may have been over thinking it all along. Thank you.
 
I would say that, as you intend to shoot this yourself, you can pretty much write this in any way you choose. If you want your actors to ad-lib their dialogue, you could make do with a rough shot list, or a list of cues you want them to hit and a rough outline of any dialogue, and just roll with that. That would be similar to what they did for "Blair Witch...".

It does beg some questions though, maybe someone could fill me in too, just out of curiousity... If you would write a found-footage script in the same way as a regular narrative script, would the script ever need to mention the fact that it's supposed to be found-footage? Or would a found-footage film start life written as a regular script, no mention of it being found footage, before the producer decides to shoot it found-footage style? What about any mention of the camera-operator? Would they need to be written as JOE BLOGGS (O.C.) at all times, or what?
 
A few sections of my film satire found footage films... Those were the easiest parts to write.... These parts are specified in the script that they are found-footage, however, I think it would be safe to say an entire screenplay of this genre would be obvious to the reader that it takes place from the perspective of the characters' cameras
 
If you would write a found-footage script in the same way as a regular narrative script, would the script ever need to mention the fact that it's supposed to be found-footage? Or would a found-footage film start life written as a regular script, no mention of it being found footage, before the producer decides to shoot it found-footage style? What about any mention of the camera-operator? Would they need to be written as JOE BLOGGS (O.C.) at all times, or what?
Oh, for the love of God, PLEEEAZE just let it be what t is.
DO NOT EVER try to "sell" it as found footage.
Everyone in the audience knows the film is fabricated entertainment, just think up of some plausable reason as to why someone is recording it.

  • Cloverfield had Hud the moron taping the whole event for whatever purposes.
  • [REC]/Quarantine had the news reporter+cameraman angle on the night beat.
  • Trollhunter had the college media class reason - but the director/producer insisted that it was all "found footage." OMFG. :rolleyes:
  • Chronicle had loser boy with his best friend "camera". IDKWTH happened near the end with who was running the camera when everything went to heck in a handbasket.
  • The Devil Inside was all "real found footage" by a girl investigating her mom's issues. It was REAL!!! No! REEEEALLY!! It was!!! :wait:

So... just make your film to tell the story.
Have a reason why someone'e recording it when anyone with common sense would have just put the d@mn camera down.
And don't try to sell it as "real found footage."
Please. :)
 
The only good found footage films I've ever seen were Blair Witch and Man Bites Dog. It's been overused to death in my opinion. Thanks to Paranormal Activity everyone seems to be making them.

Totally agree with you, man.

My movie is actually a parody of PA, but it's not going to be found footage, except for a few scenes/shots.... that's how bad I think it is, I want to parody it without even doing it the exact same way
 
The only good found footage films I've ever seen were Blair Witch and Man Bites Dog. It's been overused to death in my opinion. Thanks to Paranormal Activity everyone seems to be making them.

Im only doing this once. Its the only one of my films that I get to actually film due to the lack of budget and income I get. This film requires little to no VfX and money for props, wardrobe. Only my $150 camcorder I have.

well thank you guys for the advise. I recently hired someone, well not really hired, a friend just decided to join me in my filmmaking career and we are now writing a background story for this found footage film which will be out to the world in about a year or so. Probably less. Thank you.
 
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