Nineteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Since the release of The Blair Witch Project (1999), which pioneered the found-footage style in horror cinema, this genre has witnessed rapid development and garnered widespread attention for its unique visual language. Found-footage horror films primarily emulate documentary filmmaking techniques to create a believable sense of “realism” within fictional narratives, thereby enhancing the audience’s sense of fear. Consequently, effective visual design plays a critical role in this process. This study takes the Korean horror film Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) as a case study to explore how found-footage horror films construct realism through visual elements. Using a combination of case analysis and literature review, the study systematically examines visual elements such as perspective, camera movement, composition, lighting, and color in the film. The findings indicate that the film employs extensive handheld camera techniques and subjective perspectives to simulate the characters’ visual perception, reinforcing the authenticity of “real-time recording.” Fixed perspectives from surveillance cameras mimic the objectivity of documentaries, enhancing the audience’s trust in the realism of the visuals. Informal composition increases the randomness and life-like quality of the imagery, while the combination of natural and low-light settings further enhances the documentary-like feel. Additionally, low-saturation color schemes closely align with the realistic tones of everyday life, simultaneously intensifying the documentary-style atmosphere of realism. These findings not only address a scholarly gap in the analysis of visual design in found-footage horror films but also provide valuable references for filmmakers aiming to enhance realism through visual elements.