www.videomaker.com Open in urlscan Pro
15.197.169.209  Public Scan

Form analysis
4 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.videomaker.com/

<form method="get" class="td-search-form" action="https://www.videomaker.com/">
  <!-- close button -->
  <div class="td-search-close">
    <span><i class="td-icon-close-mobile"></i></span>
  </div>
  <div role="search" class="td-search-input">
    <span>Search</span>
    <input id="td-header-search-mob" type="text" value="" name="s" autocomplete="off">
  </div>
</form>

POST #

<form id="loginForm" action="#" method="post">
  <div class="td-login-inputs"><input class="td-login-input" autocomplete="username" type="text" name="login_email" id="login_email" value="" required=""><label for="login_email">your username</label></div>
  <div class="td-login-inputs"><input class="td-login-input" autocomplete="current-password" type="password" name="login_pass" id="login_pass" value="" required=""><label for="login_pass">your password</label></div>
  <input type="button" name="login_button" id="login_button" class="wpb_button btn td-login-button" value="Login">
</form>

POST #

<form id="forgotpassForm" action="#" method="post">
  <div class="td-login-inputs"><input class="td-login-input" type="text" name="forgot_email" id="forgot_email" value="" required=""><label for="forgot_email">your email</label></div>
  <input type="button" name="forgot_button" id="forgot_button" class="wpb_button btn td-login-button" value="Send My Password">
</form>

GET https://www.videomaker.com/

<form method="get" class="td-search-form" action="https://www.videomaker.com/">
  <div role="search" class="td-head-form-search-wrap">
    <input id="td-header-search" type="text" value="" name="s" autocomplete="off"><input class="wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn" type="submit" id="td-header-search-top" value="Search">
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube

 * Video
 * Learn
   * Shooting
     * Aerial Cinematography
     * Camera Equipment
     * Camera Movement
     * Camera Settings
     * Composition
     * Files and Formats
     * Green Screen
     * Visual Storytelling
   * Editing
     * Color Correction
     * Editing Technique
     * Motion Graphics
     * Visual Effects
     * Workflow
   * Audio
     * Audio Editing
     * Audio Recording
     * Sound Design
   * Lighting
     * Lighting Design
     * Lighting Equipment
   * Directing
     * Film History
     * Management
     * Storytelling
   * Planning
     * Casting
     * Organization
     * Writing
   * Profitmaking
     * Budgeting
     * Distribution
     * Promotion
     * Sales
   * Technology
     * Anamorphic Lenses
     * HDR Video
     * HLG — Hybrid Log Gamma
     * How Image Sensors Work
     * How Lenses Work
   * More Topics
     * Documentary
     * Photography
     * Hacks
     * Legal
     * Online
     * Spherical Video
 * Buyer’s Guides
   * Cameras & Lenses
     * DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras
     * Cinema Cameras
     * Camcorders
     * Smartphones
     * Drones
     * 360 Cameras
     * Lenses
     * PTZ cameras
   * Software
     * Video Editing Software
     * Audio Editing Software
   * Production Gear
     * Livestreaming Gear
     * Drones
     * Tripods
     * Camera Stabilizers
     * Lights
     * Microphones
     * Advanced Camera Support
     * Video Monitors
     * Audio Recorders
     * Bags & Cases
   * Editing Gear
     * Desktop Computers
     * Laptops
     * Video Monitors
     * Storage
   * Stock Media
     * Music and Sound Effects
     * Stock Video
     * After Effects Templates
 * News
 * Reviews
   * Audio Equipment
   * Cameras
   * Camera Support
   * Computer Equipment
   * Drones
   * Lighting
   * Software
   * More
 * Downloads
   * Editing Software
   * Free e-books
   * Free Screenwriting Software
   * Music
   * Stock Video
   * Sound Effects
   * More Downloads


Search

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
 * Sign in
 * Videomaker Plus
 * Events

Subscribe
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account

your username
your password
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password

your email
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Videomaker
 * Video
 * Learn
   * Shooting
     * Aerial Cinematography
     * Camera Equipment
     * Camera Movement
     * Camera Settings
     * Composition
     * Files and Formats
     * Green Screen
     * Visual Storytelling
   * Editing
     * Color Correction
     * Editing Technique
     * Motion Graphics
     * Visual Effects
     * Workflow
   * Audio
     * Audio Editing
     * Audio Recording
     * Sound Design
   * Lighting
     * Lighting Design
     * Lighting Equipment
   * Directing
     * Film History
     * Management
     * Storytelling
   * Planning
     * Casting
     * Organization
     * Writing
   * Profitmaking
     * Budgeting
     * Distribution
     * Promotion
     * Sales
   * Technology
     * Anamorphic Lenses
     * HDR Video
     * HLG — Hybrid Log Gamma
     * How Image Sensors Work
     * How Lenses Work
   * More Topics
     * Documentary
     * Photography
     * Hacks
     * Legal
     * Online
     * Spherical Video
 * Buyer’s Guides
   * Cameras & Lenses
     * DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras
     * Cinema Cameras
     * Camcorders
     * Smartphones
     * Drones
     * 360 Cameras
     * Lenses
     * PTZ cameras
   * Software
     * Video Editing Software
     * Audio Editing Software
   * Production Gear
     * Livestreaming Gear
     * Drones
     * Tripods
     * Camera Stabilizers
     * Lights
     * Microphones
     * Advanced Camera Support
     * Video Monitors
     * Audio Recorders
     * Bags & Cases
   * Editing Gear
     * Desktop Computers
     * Laptops
     * Video Monitors
     * Storage
   * Stock Media
     * Music and Sound Effects
     * Stock Video
     * After Effects Templates
 * News
 * Reviews
   * Audio Equipment
   * Cameras
   * Camera Support
   * Computer Equipment
   * Drones
   * Lighting
   * Software
   * More
 * Downloads
   * Editing Software
   * Free e-books
   * Free Screenwriting Software
   * Music
   * Stock Video
   * Sound Effects
   * More Downloads



HomeDirectingFilm History
Film History


EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ANALOG HORROR GENRE



By Jordan Maison
Image courtesy: Alex Kister


IN A NUTSHELL

 * Analog horror is a booming subgenre of the found footage horror genre
 * Though analog horror has only been around for a few years, it’s quite
   prevalent in online horror videos
 * Despite its short-form approach and ease of entry, there are several key
   components to capturing the feel of the subgenre

The horror genre is constantly finding ways to reinvent itself and remain fresh
for new audiences. Because of this, several niche subgenres within the typical
horror tropes have popped up that manage to bring in new viewers while finding
fresh ways to scare long-time watchers. Among those subgenres that have seen a
big boom over recent years is analog horror. 

Thanks to the era of social media and YouTube, analog horror has flourished
among horror aficionados and creators alike. With whole channels dedicated to
crafting analog horror tales and garnering millions of views online in the
process, it’s certainly something any horror filmmaker would want to look at
more closely. 


ANALOG HORROR: A MORE RECENT PHENOMENA 

Analog horror is actually a subgenre of another subgenre: found footage. The
found footage approach has been around for several decades but came to
widespread prominence in the late 90s and early 00s thanks to films like “The
Blair Witch Project” (1999), “The Poughkeepsie Tapes” (2007), “Rec” (2008), and
“Paranormal Activity” (2007) to name a few.



The voyeuristic style inherent in found footage eventually gave birth to analog
horror, which takes the concept even further. In analog horror, viewers aren’t
merely witnessing characters dealing with things. They are targets of the
horrors and thrills themselves.

The subgenre has become immensely popular, despite only being around for a
little over a decade. YouTube is often credited for the subgenre’s booming
success, having only been around since 2010. Its continued relevance, however,
boils down to the “ease of access” to creating content for the genre. 

A major hallmark of analog horror is its reliance on using existing footage and
sound (often royalty-free or other stock footage) along with motion graphics
templates twisted to fit a new purpose. There’s very little physical shooting
required. As such, the barriers for video creators starting out in this subgenre
are relatively low due to the many resources available to them these days. 




ROOTED TO A TIME PERIOD

Image courtesy: jordangaming101

Analog horror derives its name from the overall style associated with it. It
uses visual aesthetics from the “analog” days of media creation, anchored to the
time period spanning the 1960s and 1990s. This includes everything from
low-fidelity graphics, recreating static from antenna interference or even
picture distortions made to look like you’re watching a battered, old VHS tape. 

Emulating the analog technology used during those decades gives audiences the
feeling of watching old-school television broadcasts. This aspect is important
because a key element of analog horror is the idea of broadcast intrusion. 

Most analog horror projects are characterized by the footage being somehow
corrupted or outright hijacked. Whether this is in the form of something
familiar, like the Emergency Broadcast System, or something more sinister, like
an entity — real or paranormal — taking control. Imagine something along the
lines of the Max Headroom incident back in 1987, a very real broadcast hijacking
that has acquired its own urban legend status.




HOW ANALOG HORROR SETS ITSELF APART 

Analog horror is different from traditional horror projects in several ways.
There are obvious things, such as having shorter runtimes — average analog
horror videos are under 10 minutes — and screening primarily online only.
Though, what really makes analog horror unique — what sets it apart from the
found footage genre it sprang from — is the fact these projects feature few, if
any, characters.  

Rather than focusing on specific characters and their journey, the analog horror
style essentially makes you — the viewer — into a character as the events you’re
watching unfold. Analog horror makes it feel like you’re looking “behind the
curtain,” so to speak. You might be witnessing things you’re not supposed to
see. There’s a sense that, in watching, you might become part of the story and
thus more susceptible to the horrors you’re seeing. 

A great example of this is the YouTube channel, Local58, a series of videos from
a fictional television station interrupted by random hijackings or notices from
the Emergency Alert System (EAS). One of their earliest videos, “Weather
Service,” plays out entirely as a series of different messages from the EAS
teasing a strange meteorological event that turns into something horrifying.




Because of this approach, there’s a deeper level of immersion in the material.
This makes the scares pop all the more while leaving a lingering sense of fear,
tension and discomfort even after it’s over. 


COMMON ASPECTS OF ANALOG HORROR

Analog horror features several key components common to the genre. These go
beyond dated visuals, an intrusion element and a lack of protagonists. If you’re
looking to develop a horror project utilizing this style, these are some of the
tropes you’ll want to consider including: 

 * Progressive horror: Analog horror projects typically all start off relatively
   tame/mundane and get steadily scarier as the video continues. 
 * Twisting the mundane: Analog horror frequently takes innocuous elements and
   warps them into something terrifying. Oftentimes this is accomplished via the
   use of contradictory imagery and sound. Music associated with easy listening
   (like on a “Technical Difficulties” broadcast slate) over images/videos of
   horrible things creates an unsettling contrast. 
 * Vague meanings: Analog horror projects are often purposefully vague.
   Audiences must interpret what they’ve watched for themselves. This ties into
   the idea viewers are seeing events that have already happened. It leaves them
   feeling helpless, with things far beyond their control. The desired result
   here is to get viewers talking, theorizing and sharing their thoughts with
   others in the horror community.  
 * Left to the imagination: What makes analog horror so frightening has nothing
   to do with the gore or jump scares. Viewers are left in the dark and forced
   to imagine the horrors unfolding. They’ll be dwelling on things long after
   they’ve finished watching.  
 * No soundtrack: Real life doesn’t include a soundtrack. In order to maintain
   the illusion of these videos being from the real world, analog horror won’t
   include musical scores unless it makes sense for what’s happening (e.g. music
   playing in a vehicle, theme songs part of the television broadcasts, etc). 
 * Beyond comprehension: A key factor in analog horror is the idea that what
   audiences are watching has no easy explanation. Whether it’s cryptids,
   Eldritch horrors or alternate dimensions, analog horror projects tap into
   that fear of the unknown. 
 * No happy endings: Much like the found footage genre it spawned from, there
   are virtually no happy endings in analog horror. As things grow more
   disturbing, viewers have no choice but to sit and observe. Videos often end
   when things are at their worst. 


IMPACT AND FUTURE

While it’s only been around for a relatively short time, analog horror has made
a definite impression. There are several YouTube channels dedicated to the
niche, and more pop up every day. Local58 and Channel 7 are staples of the
subgenre, presenting themselves as local TV stations interrupted by strange
events. The Mandela Catalogue is a series of faux informational videos spreading
awareness of supernatural monsters. The Minerva Alliance presents itself as a
non-profit that’s dedicated to shedding light on unexplained phenomena. 



More recently, there’s The SMILE Tapes, a horror tale about a commercial drug
gone wrong set in the 90s. There’s even “Sonic Limited Edition: The Lost
Cartridge”, which serves as an adaptation (of sorts) of a popular video game
Creepypasta. (Creepypastas are horror stories and legends that are born and
shared on the internet.)

While analog horror remains largely within the online community, its popularity
is expanding. For example, the feature film “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” (2021)
utilizes many of the elements associated with analog horror (set in the ‘90s,
focused on strange broadcast intrusions, etc). Netflix’s “Archive 81” (2022)
similarly uses analog horror tropes to scare viewers. We can debate the success
of these projects, but it shows analog horror is primed for mainstream
audiences. 


Jordan Maisonhttp://www.cinelinx.com
Jordan Maison is a writer and journalist, having studied film in college and
covered all aspects of film for the past 15 years.


RELATED CONTENT


DJI AIR 3S DRONE PROMISES UNMATCHED AERIAL IMAGERY WITH ENHANCED DUAL CAMERAS

News Pete Tomkies


SIRUI’S FIRST FULL-FRAME LENS WITH AUTOFOCUS IS THE AURORA 85MM

News Pete Tomkies


AMARAN REVEALS NEW ACE 25 BRIGHTEST EVER COMPACT LED LIGHTS

News Pete Tomkies





Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube


WRITE FOR VIDEOMAKER

Videomaker is always looking for talented, qualified writers. If you have a
great idea you’d like to share with our readers, send it to
editor@videomaker.com.

ADVERTISE WITH VIDEOMAKER

Partner with us to reach an enthusiastic audience of students, enthusiasts and
professional videographers and filmmakers. Click here to contact a sales
representative and request a media kit.

 * About Us
 * Advertise
 * Jobs
 * Ethics Statement
 * Privacy Policy
 * Sitemap
 * Contact

© Videomaker Inc., 1986 - 2024