Documentary Vs. Mockumentary

Documentary Vs. Mockumentary

Documentary

Non-fiction films which are sharply distinguished from fiction films.

Documentary

• Actual & factual, usually contemporary issues, institutions & people.

• Purpose is to educate, inform, communicate, persuade, raise consciousness or satisfy curiosity.

• Materials are selected & arranged from what already exists.

• Methods involve filming “real people” as themselves in actual locations, using natural light & ambient sound.

6 Documentary Modes

poetic, expository, observational, performative, participatory, and reflexive —each containing its own specific characteristics.

Poetic

• Favors mood and tone

• Artistic

• Juxtaposition of imagery

• Lacks verbal narrative

Expository

• Authoritative, objective narrator - "Voice of God"

• Archival photographs, film and original documents to present historical events.

• Classic documentary style

Observational

• Camera captures subjects uninterrupted.

• Longer takes.

• Cinematic realism.

Performative

• Filmmaker's involvement with their subject.

• Subjective truths

• Personal experience

Participatory

• "Interactive" documentary

• Direct engagement with subjects and topic.

• Captures real emotional responses.

Documentary Style

• Narration

• Vérité (observational)

• Interview (talking heads)

• Archival

• Montage

• Handheld

• Re-enactment

Mockumentary

'look' and/or 'sound' like documentaries or reality-based media, often seeking to satirize the depicted event or character.

Multiple Choice

What documentary mode did "The Majestic Plastic Bag" primarily utilize in its storytelling?

• Expository

• Poetic

• Performative

• Participatory

Multiple Select

Select two documentary styles used in the floor is lava.

• interview

• narration

• archival

• vérité (observational)

Open Ended

Which type of documentary mode feels more real to you the viewer and why? What doc styles do you want to employ in a mockumentary?