Sunday, March 27, 2022
Three days ago, filming for Paranormal Activity wrapped. From the very first day of shooting, Owen and Matt had already set to work on finding a post-production team.
Before post-production, Owen had spent about $9,600 on the film—much less than what he had initially calculated. That left him with $10,400 for the post-production phase.
First, he hired an experienced composer for horror and suspense films, someone skilled at creating atmospheric and dissonant sounds.
He knew music was essential to sustaining the film's tense atmosphere, especially given the nature of Paranormal Activity, which needed to build an ever-growing sense of anxiety as the story progressed and the two main characters became increasingly disturbed.
The cost of the original score, taking into account the creation of pieces for the entire film, was divided between themes for key moments and ambient tracks. The budget for this part was roughly $3,000.
Next came the visual effects. He couldn't afford overly elaborate ones, but he wanted the demon entity's appearances to be decent and better than in the original film. With current technology, much better results could be achieved than in 2007.
Basic CGI effects would be used: reality distortions, objects moving on their own, and warped shadows of the creature.
For this, he would spend around $2,500.
Then came the sound editing and mixing, a fundamental part of any horror or suspense film. He decided to work with a sound editor specialized in horror to create an auditory experience that would complement both ambient noise and tense moments.
Sound effects such as footsteps, creaks of the house, strange breathing, and the distorted voice of the demonic entity.
This section would cost about $1,800.
Color correction and grading to give the film the right tone would cost another $1,200.
In total, around $8,500. Adding that to the previous expenses brought the budget to $18,100. That left him with about $1,900 to spend on marketing or any other unexpected costs that might come up.
Owen estimated the entire post-production process would take about 8 weeks if they were optimistic, up to 12 weeks at most. Since filming had only taken 10 days, this stage wouldn't last as long as it usually does for other films, which can stretch over six months.
On top of that, Matt and Owen would be constantly supervising the post-production team, helping with the editing and making sure no time was wasted.
In his previous life, Owen had never been a producer. He struggled hard from the ages of 18 to 27, when he died. He had managed to get an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and the film in which he was nominated had also been a box-office hit.
With those nearly 10 years of experience in the industry, he knew the filmmaking process, though he wasn't an expert producer. So producing Paranormal Activity on his own was a challenge, but a welcome one.
Since arriving here just over a month ago, he had spent time studying the production process, reading books, and learning from those who knew more about the industry.
It was a good thing he had Matt's help, who was passionate and willing to put his whole heart into the project, his first serious feature-length directing job.
Thanks to the friendship and collaboration they built over those days, production moved forward without major setbacks, and post-production began the very next day after filming wrapped, Friday.
Owen was at his apartment with Mark, each sitting in an individual recliner sofa, leaning back while watching television. On the screen, the Oscars broadcast had already started, though the ceremony hadn't officially begun yet.
Both were dressed formally. That had been Matt's idea.
Three days ago, Paranormal Activity had finished filming, and to celebrate, Matt suggested Owen organize a small party with the crew. Since it coincided with Oscar night, they decided to host a gathering to watch the ceremony together.
Since Matt lived with his parents, Owen had to offer up his apartment as the place for the party.
"I still don't understand how you convinced me to dress like this," Owen said, adjusting the collar of his shirt.
If anyone saw them, they would think they were about to attend the Oscars or some special event. But no, it was just a small gathering to celebrate the end of filming Paranormal Activity.
"Everyone thought it would be fun, and besides, we're just practicing for when Paranormal Activity becomes a success," Matt said with a smile.
In about an hour, Sophie, Tyler and Eric (sound engineer and lighting assistant), Alison, and Daniel (the supporting actors) would be arriving.
Owen let out a sigh, unable to stop a faint smile. "You have a lot of faith in the movie," he said.
Unlike him, Matt had no idea that Paranormal Activity had been a box-office hit in his past reality, despite its low budget. But even so, he had unshakable confidence in the film.
"Of course. The performances are great, we polished the script so that the tension builds minute by minute, and you and Sophie managed to convey real anxiety as the story progresses. The audience will connect with you two; they'll feel like part of what they're watching, and that's the most important thing in this kind of film," Matt said enthusiastically.
He leaned back on the couch and smiled smugly. "Not to mention my direction, of course."
"And when the special effects and music are ready, the atmosphere of tension will skyrocket. The scares are going to hit hard, especially the ones at the end," he added.
Owen nodded, crossing his arms. He had to admit it: the movie had really turned out well. Despite the limited budget, the version they had made far surpassed the original from his world, at least in his eyes.
The script's structure was much more refined, and the relationship between Katie and Drake had a more natural progression, which made the audience more invested in the characters before everything went to hell. And obviously, Sophie's and his own performances compared to the two original actors was like comparing heaven and earth.
On top of that, the tension and suspense were better crafted. They didn't rely solely on a couple of jump scares but instead built an atmosphere that grew increasingly oppressive.
Owen's only concern as producer of this film was the time gap. In his world, Paranormal Activity had been released in 2007. Back then, found-footage films still had a strong impact on audiences.
Now, in 2022, the horror landscape had changed quite a bit. Found footage was no longer a novelty, and audiences might have lost interest in that kind of movie.
However, now that the film was complete, Owen felt much more confident after seeing the quality of the scenes they had shot and the improved script.
And in this reality, there weren't nearly as many horror movies using the handheld, documentary-style format. The trend had faded over the years, which meant his film could feel fresh instead of like a worn-out formula.
While uncertainty was always part of any project, Owen was sure this version of Paranormal Activity had everything it needed to become a phenomenon.
He couldn't say with absolute certainty that the film would gross $193 million like the original. There were too many variables in play: audience reception, distribution, marketing, competition at the box office… He wasn't a box-office analyst and couldn't predict with precision how far the film's success would go.
What he did know was that, with the level of quality they had achieved and the low budget they had produced it with, the film would no doubt pay back his investment many times over.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Owen and Matt looked at each other. As if by tacit agreement, they raised their fists and started playing rock, paper, scissors.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" they said in unison.
Owen chose rock and Matt scissors, so Owen won.
Matt clicked his tongue and got up from the couch to open the door.
"You'll never win if you always choose scissors," Owen teased, turning his attention back to the Oscars on the TV.
"One day you'll think I'll switch and use paper, on that day, I'll beat you with my scissors," Matt said as he went to open the door.
When he opened it, he saw that the first to arrive was Sophie.
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