Random Facts About Making Of 'Paranormal Activity' Most People Don't Know About (15 items)

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  (#11) The Movie Was Filmed Using A Home Video Camera

  Peli opted to film his movie using a home video camera. The director wanted the footage of the haunted house to appear as real as possible. In contrast to a film like The Blair Witch Project, where the camera movements are extremely shaky and always moving (to the point where many audience members felt nauseous), Peli shot most of his movie with a stationary camera, usually placed on a tripod:

  I wanted to make it look as real and natural as possible, I’ve always been drawn to this storytelling style. It breaks the mental barrier when audiences see a regular film and become aware of the camera movements, they know a crew is there and there are stars. When you strip all of this away, the audience thinks they are seeing something with a higher degree of plausibility. The suspending of disbelief becomes all the easier. You have an audience that’s more invested in the story and the characters.
   
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  (#14) Sundance Rejected 'Paranormal Activity'

  When Peli finished making his movie, he didn't possess the Hollywood know-how to take the next step in finding distribution and backing. He entered the film in a few festivals, hoping to generate buzz and studio interest. Peli even submitted his movie to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, but it was rejected.

  Paranormal Activity did make the cut at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival. There, it impressed agents from Creative Artists Agency, who signed Peli as a client. CAA sent out copies of the movie to perspective studios, and it eventually found its way into the hands of Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks.

   
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  (#13) Peli Handled Most Of The Production Duties To Finish Making The Movie In A Week

  How was it possible for Peli to shoot an entire feature film in just one week? The first-time filmmaker took on most of the production duties himself, working day and night to get the project done in seven days:

  We were shooting at night, shooting at day and as we were shooting, I was constantly reviewing the footage, editing it myself to make sure everything worked fine. And in some cases I had to apply the visual effects while we were shooting for scenes while Katie and Micah were reviewing the footage. So I had to capture the video, do all of the processing, lay in the visual effects so the characters could view it on their laptop. It was an intense week.
   
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  (#5) Spielberg Reportedly Believed He Possessed A Haunted Copy Of 'Paranormal Activity'

  A well-told urban legend states Steven Spielberg believed his DVD copy of Paranormal Activity was haunted. Spielberg and his company, DreamWorks, were trying to decide whether to back Paranormal Activity. The popular tale claims Spielberg brought home a DVD copy of the horror film. While he was watching the movie, the door to his bedroom shut and locked from the inside. The director wound up needing to call a locksmith.

  Spielberg put the copy of the movie in a garbage bag, because he was so freaked out he didn't want to touch it. He then brought it to the DreamWorks office. Despite his terror - or perhaps because of it - he backed the movie and helped the project move forward.
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  (#4) Peli Had Absolutely No Film Production Experience

  Exactly 10 years ago was one of the most important & nerve-wrecking days of my life - world premier of Paranormal Activity at Screamfest. pic.twitter.com/ZrmbJLUKbr

  — Oren Peli (@Oren_Peli) October 14, 2017

  Paranormal Activity didn't just mark Peli's debut behind the camera for a feature film - it was his first time doing anything cinematic at all. The software programmer never even directed a short, and lacked any experience in movie production. Still, Peli knew he had a good premise for a horror movie. He gathered a group of friends, came up with $15,000, and hired some actors. The entire shoot lasted just seven days and took place at the director's house in San Diego.

  Peli's only other directing credit came in 2015 with the horror movie Area 51. He now has several writing and producing credits to his name, though.
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  (#6) Peli Filmed Three Different Endings

  Peli filmed three different endings for Paranormal Activity. A theatrical, original, and alternate ending all exist. Spielberg was one of the studio executives who wanted a different ending from the one Peli wrote. Each ending features a totally different climax for the film's lead characters. Peli also had a fourth ending in mind, but it was deemed too complicated and cruel to warrant filming.

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