Instead, it was written with all the earnestness of so many conspiracy-filled, urban legend fan sites. Written in the form of a timeline, the 'mythology' section of the site didn't give any clues that the legend was a modern-day fabrication. The site added great detail to the legend to further whet the appetites of fans ahead of the film's release.

To flesh out the believability of their eventual found footage film, they started, one of the first ever examples of a viral movie marketing website. Here's a look at some of the best and most audacious promotional stunts and viral marketing tactics that were used to make The Blair Witch Project such a groundbreaking hit.Īfter the promo documentary about the Blair Witch generated a great deal of intrigue and obsession, the creators decided to explore the lore of this convincing yet fictitious urban legend. Arguably, the greatest legacy of The Blair Witch Project isn't the impact it had on horror movies, but on movie marketing for decades to come. The key to the film's success was the way it blurred the line between fiction and fact, convincing people that what they saw might very well be real. According to the movie's opening title card, the final cut is made from reels of lost film discovered by police after the trio went missing in 1994.ĭespite lackluster reviews from critics and some filmgoers, the movie grossed over $248 million on a $60,000 budget. Williams, and Joshua Leonard (all played by actors of the same names), search for clues about the myth, but end up getting lost in the woods and hunted by unseen forces. The students, Heather Donahue, Michael C. The Blair Witch Project - directed by friends Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez - follows three college filmmakers to Burkittsville, MD, in their attempt to document the local legend of the Blair Witch.

Its production company, Haxan, is credited with essentially inventing viral marketing, and though the film didn't invent the found footage genre, it inspired countless knock-offs, homages, and imitations to follow.

Even before The Blair Witch Project hit theaters in 1999, it had already made a major impact on the history of horror films.

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