As cameras and technologies are developing fast, the ways of shooting a film get more progressive. Somehow, some movies and TV shows try to produce them using only sports cameras, iPhones, or even video cameras on laptops. Not only does this shooting method gives a mysterious vibe, but the uncertainty of the camera movement also makes us desire to know how the story goes. Filmmakers use this point of view to let the audience watch the movie as if they are observing their lives with CCTV or video calls.

First, let us look at a specific episode of the hit TV show Modern Familly (2009-2020), “Connection Lost” (season 6, episode 16). The plot sets within a video phone call between the family members. In the episode, Claire (played by Jullie Bowen) waits for her flight back home while trying to get in touch with her daughter Haley (played by Sarah Hyland) after a fight they had. Not being able to reach her, she asks the family through video calls everyone where she might be, and a series of events and revelations are navigated through her screen. Looking only at Claire’s laptop desktop to look for evidence of her daughter’s trace, which is quite chaotic and multitasking, the audience would be curious about where she is. This episode only uses iPhones and iPads for the entire shooting, which is quite incredible, considering it builds up a comedic and hilarious show.

Moving on to a 2018 film, Searching, which also featured video calls on a laptop. The film’s plot is about a father, David Kim (played by John Cho), who is looking for his missing daughter Margot ( played by Michelle La) by calling every friend on the phone, trying to puzzle up the scattered pieces of information. Unlike Modern Family, Searching manipulates the audience into suspicious and anxious feelings. The film was shot on various devices. The making of this movie used several types of cameras, including GoPro, drone, mini DV cameras, webcam, and even director Aneesh Chaganty’s iPhone, which became the primary camera. In all, the thrilling tension built up by the uncertainty and the lack of control of the sights makes it a notable mystery thriller. 

At last, let us take a quick look at a Taiwanese movie, Incantation (2022), a found footage supernatural horror film directed by Kevin Ko. A woman named Li Ronan narrates the film, imploring the viewer to memorize an insignia and chant an incantation to send blessings and lift a curse on her six-year-old daughter, Dodo. The insignia and incantation are interspersed frequently throughout the film to encourage the viewer to pray along. The events of the film are shown as found footage in a non-linear manner. Most parts of the movie are from the first-person perspective of the main character, using a camcorder to record the unpleasant events they have gone through, while others are perspectives of the CCTV, which gives the audience a more objective perspective. 

In conclusion, the narrow shot of phone cameras and CCTV gives audiences a mysterious vision, and the handheld motion builds up the nerve-racking pace of the story. Depending on the editing and the writing, it could be directed into a thriller or a comedy.

Shih-Kai Yang