A mockumentary is a movie that pretends to be a documentary. It’s a film that is meant to be based on a true story when in fact it isn’t. Mockumentaries are mainly comedies and the rare few are within a different category.
Most mockumentaries are used to be a parody of an event or topic. This adds the comedic element to break the seriousness of an actual documentary. They’re often used to comment on occurring events and issues by using a parody of the real thing. This allows them to be either comedic or over dramatic. Comedic mockumentaries are more common which is most likely down to them appealing to a wider audience. A dramatic mockumentary is very different to a docudrama and many people get confused with which is which. A docudrama is a parody in which dramatic techniques are combined with elements of a documentary to portray actual events. Mockumentaries are mainly made as historical documentaries, following characters as they go through historic events or some event in the past etc. The term “mockumentary” is said to have become mainstream in the middle of the 1980s. It’s not definitely known when the term “mock-documentary” became a thing, but it’s been known to have been around for sometime.
More modern mockumentaries are things like TV series such as The Office (UK&US versions) or mockumentary films such as What We Do in the Shadows. Both these shows/films are very different from one another topic wise but they are very similar in techniques. This is because there are certain ways to make a mockumentary without it being too serious or too immature. By having the right balance it allows the director to fit in the comedic elements well in each scene. Most of the time, the directors of documentaries allow the actors to just improv a scene as it adds a more raw and natural side to the piece. Because of the ways which help making a mockumentary being so crucial, it is key to sort of follow them but also make them your own.
Every director has their individual style and technique when it comes to their projects, but after doing some research I came across a website that gives you 11 tips. Before clicking on the link, I was very skeptical with what I was about to read but once I committed and took time to understand them, it hit me how useful and true they are. Below each tip, a clip is used to validate the point and I found this super helpful in understanding how making a mockumentary with these elements worked. The short youtube video below I watched and even though very short, also made me realise things that really needed to be included to make things flow together well.
I also believe there are some things which you just have to avoid completely when making a mockumentary and thats things such as too much immaturity, going into very serious topics and having the characters too enthusiastic. This is only my personal opinion though so others will obviously feel different.
https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/11-tips-making-mockumentary/
El's Final Major Project Blog 