Oren Peli wrote, directed, photographed, edited, and produced Paranormal Activity.
Peli made the 2007 found-footage horror film as his feature debut. It centers on Katie and Micah, a couple who place a camera in their bedroom after believing that a supernatural presence is disturbing their home. The mostly fixed-camera approach was designed to make the frightening events feel unusually plausible.
The film was shot in a private residence in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, using a home video camera and a very small production setup. Peli encouraged naturalistic performances through outlines and improvisation rather than relying on a conventional fully scripted production.
The original independent film premiered at Screamfest in 2007. After DreamWorks and Paramount became involved, the project received additional work, including a new ending, before its wide 2009 release. It became a major box-office success and launched a long-running franchise, although Jason Blum was a producer rather than the film's writer-director.