The 'Marble Hornets' Web series becoming a smash on 'Net
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Still from "Marble Hornets." -
Joseph DeLage -- "We had a budget of maybe $500 for the first 26 videos." -
Troy Wagner -- "I see this as a giant experiment that got entirely out of hand."
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The Web series "Marble Hornets" has given big-budget gloss a run for its money.
Grainy, amateur video filmed by "real" people under the guise of documenting a "real" event -- horrifying subjects ranging from the extraterrestrial to the paranormal -- has been taking over since "The Blair Witch Project" first horrified audiences 12 years ago. You know what to expect from these kinds of movies by now, right?
Troy Wagner and Joseph DeLage, creators of the popular and downright terrifying YouTube series are trying to change that.
In 2009, Mr. Wagner and Mr. DeLage began production on "Marble Hornets," a Web-based horror series that combines the handheld gimmick of "Quarantine" and "Trollhunter" with the same mysterious storytelling techniques that made "Lost" an international hit.
That "Blair Witch" verite style has grown into an overused phenomenon. It was a novelty in 1999. But, the "shaky cam" gimmick was ultimately an expert scare tactic contributing to the film's freakish effect. It was good at harnessing audience trust in its authenticity but different from the way audiences were used to seeing a narrative unfold.
"The Blair Witch Project" was a massive hit, making back its production budget, a mere $60,000, almost 4,200 times over in worldwide box office receipts. A revitalization of studios distributing smaller independent productions surfaced.
Without the film that exposed the world to infamous snot-and-tears confessionals, a tongue and teeth wrapped in a handkerchief and a grown man standing in a corner, indie-turned-blockbuster hits like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" never may have found studio-backed distribution. And what would the romantic comedy genre be today without its highest grossing picture of all time?
While verite-style films such as "Cloverfield" and "Paranormal Activity" exploded onto screens around the world after "The Blair Witch Project," two friends set out with a meager budget, a standard recreational camera and a great idea.
First Published August 24, 2011 12:00 am
