So, many might find this strange and wonder, "What exactly is this Mockumentary?" Now, in order to end your curiosity and beat down your questions, I'd be taking us to seeing what Mockumentary is all about.
Firstly, we'll define what Mockumentary is and then go into more details of what it does and how.
Mockumentary can be defined as a _portmanteau_ of mock and documentary. It is a type of film that illustrates or depicts fictional events, but presented as a fake documentary. Mockumentary as a subgenre can be closely related to another form of comedic homage; "Parody".
So, basically, a Mockumentary is simply a work of fiction that is presented in a style of documentary. And research proves that its linguistic roots originates from the conjunction of the words "Mock" and "documentary" (i.e, mockdocumentary, or fake documentary).
Now, moving on, another question that might be at the back of our minds will be what really is the essence of Mockumentary, what it does, and possibly how or why it does it. Let's take a dive into that aspect and see what we find. Research confirms that, "the purpose of mockumentaries are often times typically to criticize or mock trending events, and also pop culture trends, modern society, etc.
It is also needed most times to analyze or comment on issues by using a fictional setting, or to parody the documentary form itself.
Then, it's key features. The catchy concept about Mockumentary is that it is made to look like actual documentaries, and might include footages shot with hand-held cameras or hidden camera moments. Also note that mockumentaries may not be screenplayed, and so actors are free to improvise and add their comedic aspects.
What might be considered as an advantage of Mockumentary is that it allows less polished visual style than a show that strives for Cinema grace. It may be faster in some cases, but more importantly, it looks like it was shot faster. Mockumentaries require a televised and culturally literate audience, an audience that understands and recognizes how the target of its satire, whatever form it takes; normally appears and functions.
Now let's look at the types of Mockumentary we can highlight., A few can be listed as thus; (i). Docudrama: a fictional recreation of past events. (ii). Docufiction: a blend of documentary and fiction. (iii). News satire. and, (iv). Pseudo-documentary: a fake documentary, often presented as real, etc.
An early example of Mockumentary was the "Swiss Spaghetti Harvest" which was displayed on the British television program panorama in 1957. Others include; "A Mighty Wind" (2003), "Borat" (2006), and "I'm Still Here" (2010).
In summary, we've been able to depict what Mockumentary is all about, it's meaning, features, and the likes of it.
Credit: ACER WRITING HOUSE