#NewsBytesExplainer: What's a mockumentary—definition, examples, and salient features
What's the story
The beauty of cinema lies in its various forms, genres, and styles—it cannot be straitjacketed into any one specific format.
One of the most popular styles used in films and TV is mockumentary, which, as the name suggests, is the mockery of a documentary, and presents fictional events as a documentary/docu-drama.
Here's everything you need to know about this peculiar style of filmmaking.
Definition
Mockumentaries are usually, but not always, comedies
A mockumentary is "usually a comedy that is produced and edited in the style of a documentary, often featuring the characters breaking the fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience on-camera or via a voiceover."
The director/documentarian may play a role, too.
Naturally, the audience is expected to suspend their disbelief while watching a mockumentary, and have to be in on the joke!
Features
This style is often leveraged in other genres, too
A lot of mockumentaries have improv-style comedy embedded in them, which means that the dialogues aren't rehearsed or scripted.
They are often shot in real locations, and participants are well-aware of the style of the film/show.
Other genres, too, incorporate the style of mockumentaries, with hidden cameras or the director's direct involvement in the project, such as Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project.
Process
How are mockumentaries generally brought to life?
Mockumentaries don't use run-of-the-mill topics, and almost always have something unique or odd as their foundation.
Moreover, it's also common practice to use a few cameras, mostly only one or two, and shaky footage obtained through handheld cameras further provides the project with authenticity.
Exaggerating cliches, using popular music that will connect with the audience, and using minimal lighting are other common norms.
Early work
How many of these early examples have you watched?
Mockumentaries have been in vogue for a long time.
Some of the earliest examples include Luis Bunuel's Land Without Bread (1933), Peter Watkins's The War Game (1965), Privilege (1967), and Punishment Park (1971).
In 1979, American actor and filmmaker Albert Brookers further contributed to the genre with his film Real Life, which was a spoof of the 1973 reality television series An American Family.
Indian examples
Here are some Indian mockumentaries you can watch
In Indian film corridors, mockumentary remains a tragically under-explored area, despite its immense scope.
However, there have been a few pioneers.
In 2016, Rohit Mittal's Autohead was one of the few films chosen in the Film Bazaar Recommends category at the NFDC Film Bazaar 2015.
Kunaal Roy Kapur's The President is Coming, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, is another such pertinent example.
'American Vandal'
Netflix's 'American Vandal' is another recent example
American Vandal, an intelligent, quirky show streaming currently on Netflix, is another recent addition to the mockumentary style of filmmaking.
The two-season-long series hilariously parodies the immense popularity of true-crime series, and the episodes have fake "cases" and "investigations" at their core, with both seasons set in American high schools.
The Emmy-nominated show was created by Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda.
'The Office'
Have you noticed the mockumentary style in 'The Office'?
The Office is perhaps the most well-known example of a mockumentary, considering the characters regularly acknowledge the presence of a camera in their workplace.
One character, Jim, also regularly looks up at the cameras.
Interestingly, the premise of the show also says that a "documentary" is being shot at the office premises.
You can watch the sitcom on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.