The Blockbuster Film: The Blair Witch Project (1999)

American cinema changed greatly after the United States vs. Paramount Pictures, Inc. decision which took control away from the major production companies in Hollywood. With the decline of the old studio system came the rise of the independent filmmakers, whose movies are geared more toward the art of filmmaking, employ unknown actors, have different themes and are made with a much lower budget than that of its counterpart, the blockbuster film. The blockbuster film is a big budget film that is enormously popular and financially successful. One of the major differences between these two types of filmmaking is how much control the producer has in the making of the movie. “The independent producer does what a movie producer has always done: chooses the right stories, directors, and actors to produce quality films” (Barsam & Monahan,

One of the most popular independent horror films of all time is The Blair Witch Project (1999). The budget of this movie was roughly sixty thousand dollars but it made millions. The film was initially disliked due to its amateur filming technique as it was meant to be footage from three documentary filmmakers who went off into the woods to investigate and urban legend. The movie played on people’s paranoia and built tension based on what was inferred but not actually seen. This type of horror film differed greatly from a blockbuster horror film for many reasons. For one, there were no well-known actors in the film and the budget for this film was very low. There were also no special effects within this film. In direct contrast with The Blair Witch Project is the movie World War Z (2013) starring Brad Pitt. The movie budget was one hundred and ninety million dollars and grossed five hundred and forty million. The movie is full of action, adventure, violence and computer animated special