See How 'Cloverfield' Is a Different Movie Without the Shaky Camera
Godzilla returned to rampage the United States this summer, but six years ago, Cloverfield struck terror in the hearts of filmgoers with a different giant monster — and a very shaky camera. The intentional bouncy visuals came from the conceit that the events were all caught on a home-video camera by a terrified twentysomething on the run through Manhattan, and it launched the pervasive (and cheap) trend of the found-footage horror movie. But would Cloverfield lose its thrill if the camera were less shaky?
To find out, a Vimeo user applied motion-stabilizing software to the entire film, which you can watch below (at least before the studio inevitably has it taken down). [Editor's note: As expected, the clip has since been removed.] If you’re wondering just how heavily Cloverfield relied on its shaky-cam technique, just watch how the timestamp in the lower left corner jumps around once the main visuals are held steady. Some shots of the characters look completely warped when they’re held still, like the film is being shown through a funhouse mirror.
During the most intense monster sequences, the film is so unstable that the picture shrinks to a fraction of its original size. It’s like watching Cloverfield while your DVD player melts. Basically, if the original film made you motion sick, the stabilized version will offer no relief. It is an interesting experiment, though. Are you now wondering how The Blair Witch Project would fare with the same treatment? The same motion-stabilizing enthusiast tackled that film, too.
Photo: ©Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection
