Bodycam Director Brandon Christensen Interview: Found Footage Horror & Shudder
Listen and Subscribe on:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music
In this episode of the Bark Knight Podcast, we’re joined by director Brandon Christensen to discuss his latest horror film Bodycam, which has climbed to the number one spot on Shudder.
We break down the film’s bodycam-driven found footage approach, including its visual style, technical execution, and the influences behind it, from The Blair Witch Project to As Above, So Below. Brandon also shares insight into working with Shudder, shooting and editing back-to-back projects, and collaborating with actors like Keegan Connor Tracy (Final Destination 2, Z, Night of the Reaper).
The conversation expands into his earlier work, including Z, the craft of jump scares, and how modern horror continues to evolve. We also dive into physical media, recent watches, and the films that continue to shape his perspective as a filmmaker.
Enjoyed the episode? Join the newsletter for monthly movie picks and new releases.
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:09 Episode Overview
00:01:06 Bodycam is Number 1 on Shudder
00:02:55 Bodycam Synopsis
00:03:45 Shooting and Editing Back-to-Back Films
00:04:40 The Inspirations of Bodycam (Jurassic World, PhiladelphiaTent Cities)
00:09:27 First Person Shooter Visuals
00:10:33 The Blair Witch Project Influence
00:11:56 The Shooting Process Behind Scenes
00:13:09 The Bodycam Mechanism for Found Footage
00:14:18 As Above, So Below
00:15:04 Working with Shudder & How They’ve Contributed to Found Footage (with V\H\S)
00:16:43 Bodycam IMDb Trivia
00:20:24 Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin
00:23:51 Working with Keegan Conner Tracy
00:28:18 What would you double feature Bodycam with for a Halloween Double Feature? (Grave Encounters, Rec, People Under the Stairs
00:33:10 Z & The Art of Jump Scares
00:38:55 The Monster Design of Z
00:40:34 Night of the Reaper & When a Stranger Calls
00:43:41 Recently Horror (& Non-Horror Watches) of Brandon’s (Nirvana The Band the Show the Movie, Blackberry, Weapons, Sinners)
00:51:04 Oddity, Hokum, & Brandon’s Witch Feature
00:54:48 Physical Media Discussion (An American Werewolf in London, It Follows, Scream, The Prestige, Scream 4)
00:58:50 Movie Scores to Work To (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)
01:01:58 Episode Wrap
