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Co-director Ariel Schulman explains how Catfish got him the Paranormal Activity 3 gig. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of this studio meeting:
HuffPo: Can you talk about how you and Joost took the reins of this new Paranormal Activity film?
Schulman: Catfish had a lot to do with it. Paramount were big fans and we had been on their radar. When we first interviewed with the president of Paramount, he actually said, “If you tell me right now that Catfish is fake, you’ve got the job.” And we just went real silent. And then I said, “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.” Because it was real.HuffPo: Do you think he just wanted to know because it had been driving him crazy?
Schulman: I think he figured that if we could create that authenticity dramatically, then we could do it again for this. Ultimately, we convinced them of exactly that. Catfish is completely real, but I think we have a knack for identifying the authentic moments in home video, and it plays like a narrative.
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If this isn’t further proof that studio big cheeses don’t have much of a clue about the film making process, I don’t know what it.
CATFISH was a con and this was the endgame Schulman had in mind all along. Congrats to him for pulling it off.
What exactly does “create the authenticity dramatically” mean? You don’t “create” authenticity, that’s kind of the whole point. Once you “create” it, by definition it’s staged and manufactured, or you know, “fake.”
Whatever. Schulman realized in the internet age the way to the director’s chair isn’t talent or demonstrable skill, it’s generating the buzziest buzz around your buzz and capitalizing on all the buzziness.
No idea if “Catfish” is a sham or not, but this sounds pretty glib… and bitter.
I really liked Catfish, but let’s face it; You could stand a cardboard cut-out of a director next to the camera on a Paranormal Activity film and it wouldn’t make any difference.
This is what’s wrong with the industry.
Kieran stole the words from, agree absolutely with you. A 5 year old film student could direct PA. This goes to show that studios are being run not by filmmakers but by those who don’t know better.
You have to give the Catfish guys credit for sticking to their lie. No question that film was staged.
But keep denying the lie and people just give up – cuz at the end of the day – who really cares.
Yup. Same thing with Exit To The Gift Shop.
If half the “fun” is not knowing whether something is real or not… it’s a magic show.
s
they will stick to the lie until one or all of them need cash. then they will write – or film – a tell all and cash in on that.
F’ing hilarious! Sounds like a couple of drunks who meet at a (real) dive bar and start bull shitting each other, with feats of genius and grandiosity.
“Hey, you’re my best friend now. Lemme buy you a shot.”
“Okay.”
BOTH CHARACTERS: “Ahahahahaha!”
You’re kidding me right? This is a joke, right? We’re talking about the same C- (at best) mockumentary CATFISH, right? The real bummer is these guys will get accolades for Paranormal’s built in audience box-office and next thing you know they’ll be butchering some classic that some genius thought would be a good remake because of it… E.T.3D N E BOD E? I’m sorry, there are just too many talented filmmakers out there with good films who can’t get arrested and these guys are about to have a massive opening weekend through no ‘fault’ of their own. Very paranormal activity if you ask me.
it’s abundantly clear in watching catfish that it is a true story that was reverse constructed and re-staged (faked) to a certain degree once they saw the story they were going to be able to potentially construct. a semi-scripted reality doc?
Schulman reminds me of the criminals who, while on their way to the gas chamber, persist: “I’m innocent; really, I am!”
This is an inspiring article.
It goes to show that, regardless if it’s your first film or not, if you put out a film that gets a good response, you will be getting offers from studios, such as the case is here.
Say what you will, but that’s the position that almost every filmmaker wants to be in.
Congrats to Schulman. Well done, bud, and welcome to Hollywood.
Any creative effort; art; whatever you want to call it…is a lie to some degree. That’s what imagination and creativity are all about. I give this dude cred for:
1) Breaking through his own way on his own coin
2) Sticking to his POV on how to do his own thing, regardless of various feedback nailing him to the stake for it.
3) With reality tv b.s. all over the place??? And people are dumping on Schulman?
Good deal Schulman. Stick it to the system.