Redefining the making of a genre: A thorough investigation of the blumhouse model

Abstract

Film production is a lengthy and intricate process that includes numerous steps and often a large group of people, such as the cast, crew, and executives. This is especially true in the case of films produced by major studios. Although the directors are at the forefront of filmmaking, the development of films and their outcomes may undergo extensive changes due to decisions made by executives, managers, and owners of the studios. Yet, since 2000, Jason Blum, the American producer, founder, and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, has revitalized the filmmaking process. The company is primarily renowned for the production of extremely successful horror franchises including Paranormal Activity (2007-), The Purge (2013-), and the final three installments of the Halloween franchise (1978-2022) consisting of Halloween (Green, 2018), Halloween Kills (Green, 2021), and Halloween Ends (Green, 2022), as well as critically and commercially acclaimed films such as Whiplash (Chazelle, 2014), Get Out (Peele, 2017), and BlacKkKlansman (Lee, 2018). The success of Blumhouse Productions stems from the filmmaking formula, which Jason Blum coins as the Blumhouse Model. The model uses a combination of independent and studio film production methods to make low- budget films that have mass appeal to audiences while providing creative freedom to directors. However, because of the large number of films produced with this model, some fail commercially and critically. This chapter concentrates on the Blumhouse Model to demonstrate the innovative filmmaking and production techniques of Jason Blum by showcasing the producer's unique impact on filmmaking and the horror genre. Moreover, this study examines the underlying reasons for Blum's immense success and popularity in the industry while also revealing the downsides of the Blumhouse Model as a result of the fast pace of production coupled with the micro budgets allocated to these films. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.