In the 2008 J.J. Abrams film, Cloverfield, we see a technique that is not of the norm, when you look at normal big budget motion pictures. The entire film was shot verite, which is a specific documentary style of film making, and is commonly seen today in reality tv. Recently, movies like The Blair Witch Project, and Paranormal Activity have also used this technique, but neither had managed to deliver the authentic feel J.J. Abrams gives us in Cloverfield.
The one thing that separates Cloverfield from other pseudo documentary films was that Abhrams gave this film a more raw feel, by seemingly delivering a movie that wasn't edited, but in fact was shot continuously. And in order to develop a character storyline, and easy break points he inserted what was perceived to be footage that was on the cassette prior to the night in the movie.
This movie lacked any common techniques used by film makers today, thus making it a success. What normal viewers expect from movies, such as depth of field, panning, and focus were stripped from this movie to maintain the home video feel.
