11/14/2015

What A Mockumentary Really Is

By Mattie Knight


In a nutshell, mockumentaries are actually fictional documentaries that would mock a certain issue or a certain event. A mockumentary is actually a parody that would make use of a fictional setting and characters to depict an existing issue. These types of shows are actually quite popular because they would offer viewers a fresh perspective on certain issues unlike what regular documentaries would usually show.

Now there are two types of mockumentaries that one can see on TV. The first one is known as the comedic type while the other one is known as the drama type. Obviously the comedic one lies under the genre of comedy while the drama type falls under the genre of drama, horror, action, or thriller types.

Now the first type, which happens to be the more common and the more popular one, is the comedic type which is very appealing among viewers because it is easy to watch and very light. Now the very essence of the comedic types would be to make something appear serious but actually funny at the same time with unintentional funny actions and dialogues. Since it is a sort of documentary, then it has to be made as realistically as possible without the laugh tracks and such.

The other type is the dramatic type which is the more serious type which brings to attention the message that it wants to depict. Of course everything in the documentary is fictional from the setting to the characters. However, the difference here is that the dramatic type would seem pretty much like a real documentary combined with a few dramatic elements to show actual events happening.

Now exactly like in documentaries, these mockumentaries would also have a specific time line that they would follow when showing the events of the film. The same would go for the mockumentaries that would be showcasing the life of a person and the events in his life. There is a sequence that should be followed so that it will look as realistic as possible.

Now the only time when the term was actually coined was when a director by the name of Rob Reiner told reporters about his film This is Spinal Tap in an interview. Of course because of this little show, mockumentaries really took off as people enjoyed watching them. There were actually a lot of them that turned into real movies that were shown in cinemas.

Now one of the most popular comedic mockumentaries would be none other than Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan which portrays cultural differences in a funny way. Another film that made its way to the cinema was Bruno which depicts the life of a flamboyant gay man. There are many more others out there like Confetti, Im Still Here, and many more.

For the drama types, probably one of the most popular would be the Blair Witch Project. This is a horror documentary that paved way for many more to come like the Last Exorcism and Paranormal Activity. For thriller and action types, there would be the films like Into the Storm and Cloverfield.




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