Blog 3

The first quote applies to the Blair Witch Project because the producers of the film tried to create a sense of fear using the woods and the rest of the landscape around the main characters. The beginning of the film was used to establish the witch’s boundaries and what was acceptable to the townspeople. The student documentarians pushed the limits of those boundaries. This creates a real fear for the characters in the film, which crosses over into the viewing audience. In doing so, this eliminates the notion that the aura vanishes when a camera is introduced into the equation mentioned in the quote.
Because the main characters in the film reach out to each other for comfort and a sense a safety from the witch by looking straight into the camera during the movie (in reality trying to look at the person behind the camera), it breaks the fourth wall and puts the audience in the position of the actor. This tactic puts the audience subconsciously into the film. The aura eliminated by the introduction of the camera and the subtraction of the presence of the audience within the vicinity of the actors in the same room, is re-introduced into the mix. We feel the fear from being chased through the woods with these other students. It is like we are sitting in a theatre watching the events unfold, as the students get more and more lost in the woods.
However, with regards to the second quote in the prompt, The Blair Witch Project attempts to cross into the realm of true reality where one feels as though they are in the woods with the actors. Attempting to personify the witch and shooting it with a handheld digital camera draws the audience closer to the students. The choice of a consumer handheld camera helps the audience relate to the actors because most people use them on a daily basis, so we can familiarize and therefore grow closer and feel emotions that help to break down the wall between reality and fantasy.