# Mockumentary Concept

> Develop mockumentary film concepts including premise, world, stakes, and satirical targets. Use when user wants to brainstorm mockumentary ideas, develop a documentary-comedy premise, find satirical angles, or establish the "world" being documented. Triggers on mentions of mockumentary concept, premise development, satire targets, or starting a new mockumentary project.

- Skill: `joelborellis/mockumentary-concept` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add joelborellis/mockumentary-concept`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/joelborellis/mockumentary-concept/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: joelborellis (https://skillmd.com/u/joelborellis)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/joelborellis/mockumentary-concept

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# Mockumentary Concept Development

Develop mockumentary premises that balance documentary authenticity with comedic absurdity.

## Core Mockumentary Principles

**Documentary veneer**: The fictional world must feel like it could be a real documentary subject. Ground absurdity in mundane specifics.

**Earnest characters**: Characters never know they're funny. They take their world completely seriously.

**Observational comedy**: Humor emerges from the gap between how characters see themselves and how we see them.

**Satire through specificity**: The best mockumentaries target something real (competitive culture, artistic pretension, workplace dynamics) through a fictional lens.

## Concept Development Workflow

### Step 1: Identify the Satirical Target

Ask: What real-world phenomenon, subculture, or institution is being satirized?

Examples:
- Best in Show → competitive dog show culture / upper-middle-class obsessions
- This Is Spinal Tap → rock star ego and the music industry
- What We Do in the Shadows → immigrant integration / roommate dynamics
- The Office → corporate culture and middle management

**Key question**: What would a documentary crew find genuinely interesting about this world?

### Step 2: Find the Documentary Hook

What makes this world "worthy" of documentation? Options:
- A competition or event with stakes
- A crisis or turning point
- An anniversary or milestone
- Access to a previously private world
- Following a specific journey or mission

### Step 3: Establish the World Rules

Define what's normal within this world:
- What do insiders take for granted that outsiders find absurd?
- What hierarchies, rituals, or jargon exist?
- What are the unspoken rules everyone follows?

### Step 4: Create Stakes

Even absurd stakes must feel real to characters:
- What can be won or lost?
- Why does this matter desperately to these people?
- What's the ticking clock?

### Step 5: Find the Tone Balance

Mockumentary tone spectrum:
- **Grounded absurd** (The Office): Real workplace, slightly exaggerated characters
- **Heightened real** (Best in Show): Real subculture, characters pushed to comic extremes  
- **Impossible real** (What We Do in the Shadows): Impossible premise treated with complete documentary realism

## Output Format

Save concept documentation to: `dev/concept.md`

Include:
1. **Logline**: One sentence encapsulating premise + satirical angle
2. **Documentary hook**: Why a crew is filming this
3. **World rules**: What's normal here
4. **Stakes**: What's at risk
5. **Satirical target**: What real-world thing is being examined
6. **Tone reference**: Which existing mockumentary it's closest to and why
7. **Comic engine**: The repeatable source of humor

## Reference Films

When developing concepts, reference these established mockumentaries for tone calibration:
- This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
- Best in Show (2000)
- The Office (UK 2001, US 2005)
- Parks and Recreation (2009)
- What We Do in the Shadows (2014 film, 2019 series)
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)