From Analog to Interactive Haunting: Fake Documentary "Q" and the Remediation of Japanese Horror)

abstract: This article uses the theoretical framework of media archaeology to analyze videos created by the YouTube channel Fake Documentary "Q." Using the concepts of hypermediacy and remediation, I argue that Fake Documentary "Q" videos turn passive forms of media interactive via the YouTube platform. The form, content, and interactive viewing components of Fake Documentary "Q" videos, a natural extension of the focus on haunted media in Japanese horror films from the 1990s to the 2020s, point to new frontiers in the creation and consumption of horror media.