A shot-on-video (SOV) film,[1][2] also known as a shot-on-VHS film[3][4] or a camcorder film,[2] is a film shot using camcorders and consumer-grade equipment, as opposed to film stock or high-end digital movie cameras.
Examples
Shot-on-video films emerged in the wake of the release of Sony's professional-grade Betacam and consumer-grade Betamovie camcorders in 1983.[5] Many shot-on-video films are low-budget[6] and belong to the horror genre, including Boardinghouse (1982), Sledgehammer (1983),[1][2] Video Violence (1987),[1][2][7] 555, Woodchipper Massacre (both 1988),[1][2] and The McPherson Tape (1989).[2] Filmmaker siblings the Polonia brothers are known for their shot-on-video horror films, such as Splatter Farm (1987) and Feeders (1996).[2]
Theatrically released examples
The scenes in Bill Gunn's 1980 film Personal Problems were shot using a videocassette recorder which was a new technology at the time (as most previous films were shot using film stock).[8]
The 1994 documentary film Hoop Dreams[9] was one of the first shot-on-video documentaries to receive a wide theatrical release.[10] The 1999 film The Blair Witch Project was shot on both 16 mm film and the consumer-grade Hi8 video format, which was transferred to film for its national theatrical release.[10]
List of other notable shot-on-video films
- Blood Cult (1985)[2]
- The Ripper (1985)[11][12]
- Tales from the QuadeaD Zone (1987)[13][1]
- Things (1989)[14]
- Ghostwatch (1992)[1]
- Ozone (1993)[15]
- Conrad Brooks vs. the Werewolf (1994)[1]
- Polymorph (1996)[15]
- Bloodletting (1997)[15][16]
- Jan-Gel: The Beast from the East (1999)[1]
- Each Time I Kill (2007)[1]
- Trash Humpers (2009)[1]
See also
- 480i, the video mode used for standard-definition digital video
- Analog horror
- Found footage (film technique)
- Cinéma vérité
- Snuff film
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ziemba, Joseph A.; Choi, Annie (January 2, 2022). "Bleeding Skull 50: The Best Shot-on-Video Films". Bleeding Skull. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Albright 2012, p. 10.
- ↑ Albright 2012, p. 50.
- ↑ Piepenburg, Erik; Carlson, Zack (October 26, 2011). "Big Hair and Bad Blood: VHS-Era Horror Obscurities From A to Z". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ↑ Albright 2012, pp. 9–10.
- ↑ Bishop, Kyle William (2010). American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture. Contributions to Zombie Studies. McFarland & Company. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-7864-4806-7.
- ↑ Tinnin, Drew (June 2, 2022). "Homemade Horror: 5 Gross Out Shot-On-Video Shockers". Dread Central. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ↑ Defore, John. "Personal Problems" Film Review".
- ↑ Hoop Dreams: The Real Thing|Current|The Criterion Collection
- 1 2 Hurbis-Cherrier, Mick (2007). Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production. Focal Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-0240807737.
- ↑ Albright 2012, p. 284.
- ↑ Szpunar, John (2013). Xerox Ferox: The Wild World of the Horror Film Fanzine. Headpress. ISBN 978-1909394100.
- ↑ Ziemba, Joseph A. (June 1, 2005). "From Betacam to Big Box: Shot-on-Video Trash in the 1980s (Part II)". Bleeding Skull. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
- ↑ Turek, Ryan (June 23, 2011). "DVD: "Canuxploitation" Flick Things on the Way". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- 1 2 3 Gingold, Michael (December 20, 2018). "Exclusive Comments, Plus Trailer and Posters: SOV Veteran Turns Director with "Her Name Was Christa"". Rue Morgue. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ↑ Bowen, John W. (September–October 2001). "The Three Ms of Serial Murder" (PDF). Rue Morgue. No. 23. p. 44. ISSN 1481-1103.
Bibliography
- Albright, Brian (2012). Regional Horror Films, 1958–1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786472277.