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.
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] [6] Many shot-on-video films were low-budget [7] and belong to the horror genre, including Boardinghouse (1982), [8] [9] Sledgehammer (1983), [1] [2] Video Violence (1987), [1] [2] [10] [8] 555, Woodchipper Massacre (both 1988), [1] [2] and The McPherson Tape (1989). [2] [11] Filmmaker siblings the Polonia brothers are known for their shot-on-video horror films, such as Splatter Farm (1987) and Feeders (1996). [2] [6]
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). [12]
The 1994 documentary film Hoop Dreams [13] was one of the first shot-on-video documentaries to receive a wide theatrical release. [14] 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. [14] An international example is Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's minimalist film The Idiots (1998; aka Dogme #2). [6]
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.
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] [6] Many shot-on-video films were low-budget [7] and belong to the horror genre, including Boardinghouse (1982), [8] [9] Sledgehammer (1983), [1] [2] Video Violence (1987), [1] [2] [10] [8] 555, Woodchipper Massacre (both 1988), [1] [2] and The McPherson Tape (1989). [2] [11] Filmmaker siblings the Polonia brothers are known for their shot-on-video horror films, such as Splatter Farm (1987) and Feeders (1996). [2] [6]
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). [12]
The 1994 documentary film Hoop Dreams [13] was one of the first shot-on-video documentaries to receive a wide theatrical release. [14] 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. [14] An international example is Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's minimalist film The Idiots (1998; aka Dogme #2). [6]