Documentary Pitch

This pitch is more of a proof of concept than anything else, but I think it would be fun.
I asked Bruce whether or not a 'mockumentary' was a valid interpretation of this assignment, to which the response was a semi-enthusiastic "pitch it!" So here is the pitch.

A parody of the audio series 'Serial', the investigation into the murder of a teenage girl that went viral a few years ago. Uncreatively, the title of this parody would be 'Cereal' and it would chronical the investigation into who ate my box of Strawberry Honey Bunches of Oats.

I would 'interview' my family and friends with a ridiculous amount of production and decoration, acting like I was trying to get to the bottom of a murder, but in reality just trying to find out who ate my damn cereal.

This may be too narrative-y, but the climax I image would be a removal of the façade and me attacking my little brother for eating my cereal. Trust me, it's really funny in my head.

But aside from the end, I think I could play all the documentary tropes straight for comedy, and I have many models to draw off of, like Spinal Tap and the like.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 12, 2018 at 11:40 PM

    This would be hilarious, but keep in mind what made Serial so captivating: all of the tiny details. It would be really tough to pack all of the drama and twists and turns that a true crime series takes into 15 minutes, but I would love to see your attempt at this. I recommend you check out "American Vandal" on Netflix, which is a mockumentary in the same vein as what you're suggesting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMarch 13, 2018 at 2:56 PM

    I'll be honest- I'm a bit torn. While I love the idea of a mockumentary, it's also a bit insensitive, to say the least, to compare the consumption of a box of serial to the death and disappearance of another human being. I feel the same way about the HBO dark comedy "Documentary Now!" mockumentary series. I can appreciate your styling, but I think that maybe letting less serious mockumentaries/mysteries (ie: Scooby Doo, the Hardy Boys, etc.) inform your inspiration. But, again, this is my personal take on it. Do as you will!
    I do appreciate your sense of humor, and I'd be interested in hearing something funny from you. So please don't take this as a kibosh on the whole idea. I'd just urge you to be sensitive about it. :) Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 14, 2018 at 3:09 AM

      I’m concerned this thought never crossed my mind. Thank you for bringing it up.

      I hope its clear that I only mean to poke fun at the deliver of the show itself and not the crime depicted in the show.

      That said, it’s undeniable that the showis styled the way it is because of its subject material, so there is probably no escaping problematic implications.

      Delete
  3. BballengerMarch 14, 2018 at 10:06 AM

    Hi Lucas,
    This could be really fun, but one of my concerns is that to work, the who-stole-my-cereal drama would require the willing cooperation of people in the farce. In other words, you would have to find family and friends who are willing to play their bit part in the drama, and do it convincingly. Though comic, even mocumentaries get at some basic truths about their subjects--like any other story they're trying to say something about the world. Here's were Cat's concerns might be relevant. If your intention is to mock Serial--or documentaries that investigate mysterious murders--then you risk making light of serious things, which will come off as flippant or insensitive, and of course you want to avoid that.

    On the other hand, I'm always into encouraging risk--there's so much to learn from it--and if you think you can pull this off, I say give it a shot.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 14, 2018 at 1:56 PM

      Yeah, spinal tap featured actors, but there was a ring of truth to their portrayals. Further, their subject matter was much less offensive. Thanks for the input.

      Delete
  4. UnknownMarch 14, 2018 at 11:23 AM

    Sorry, but: https://www.fastcompany.com/3039135/the-cereal-spoof-of-the-podcast-serial-is-disturbingly-spot-on

    Now, I understand that sometimes the same idea can be explored by multiple people (see: Lillian with the cat/dog divide) but this is the specific situational pun; I like the idea, but you might try to find fresh ground.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 14, 2018 at 1:58 PM

      Bummer. Not surprising. Will listen and compare.

      Delete

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