Paranormal Activity ($15,000 budget)
Almost 10 years after the release of The Blair Witch Project, audiences were introduced to another horror mockumentary, Paranormal Activity. The film was shot on a handheld camera in seven days, all for $15,000. The director of the film, Oren Peli, admitted that he’d had no previous experience, and things were about to change.
The film made an unbelievable $193 million and it was the beginning of what quickly became a franchise which includes 6 films to date. Paranormal activity was produced by Blumhouse Production, a company that has a reputation for investing in new horror talent, especially at low costs.