# Mockumentary Structure > Structure mockumentary screenplays with documentary framing, talking heads, and comedic beats. Use when user needs to outline a mockumentary, plan act structure, place talking heads, design documentary sequences, or pace comedic escalation. Triggers on outlining, structure planning, act breaks, sequence design, or pacing discussions for mockumentary projects. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/mockumentary-structure` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/mockumentary-structure` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/mockumentary-structure/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/mockumentary-structure --- # Mockumentary Structure & Outlining Structure mockumentaries to feel like documentaries while delivering narrative satisfaction. ## Documentary Framing Decisions ### Why Is There a Camera? Establish early and maintain consistency: - **Fly-on-the-wall**: Crew is invisible, characters rarely acknowledge camera - **Direct documentary**: Characters know they're being filmed, give interviews - **Meta-documentary**: The making of the documentary is part of the story ### What Is Being Documented? Common documentary frames: - **Event coverage**: Competition, production, project with deadline - **Access documentary**: Inside look at closed world - **Profile piece**: Following one person or group - **Crisis documentary**: Something has gone wrong ## Three-Act Structure (Mockumentary Style) ### Act One: Establish the Normal **Documentary goal**: Introduce the world as if viewers are learning about it for the first time. Required elements: - Introduce key characters through interviews - Establish the stakes/event/situation - Show what "normal" looks like in this world - Plant the comedic premises that will escalate **First talking heads**: Characters explain themselves, reveal gaps between self-image and reality. ### Act Two: Escalation and Complication **Documentary goal**: The situation develops, tensions emerge. Mockumentary-specific beats: - Characters double down on their approaches - Side conflicts between ensemble members - Documentary catches moments characters wish it hadn't - Talking heads reveal conflicting accounts of same events **The comic engine repeats**: The same character flaws create new problems in new situations. ### Act Three: Crisis and Resolution **Documentary goal**: Everything comes to a head; we see who these people really are. Resolution types: - **Earned small victory**: Character grows enough to achieve modest goal - **Pyrrhic victory**: Gets what they wanted, it's empty - **Noble failure**: Falls short but has changed - **Comic tragedy**: Learns nothing, we love them anyway **Final talking heads**: Characters reflect (with varying degrees of accurate self-assessment). ## Scene Types (Mockumentary Toolkit) ### Talking Head Interview - Character speaks directly to camera - Reveals internal state, often contradicted by action scenes - Place after key events for reaction/spin ### Verite/Fly-on-Wall - Documentary observes without interfering - Characters caught behaving naturally - Often contradicts what they said in interviews ### Documentary Setup - Crew asks character to show/explain something - Character performs for camera - Performance often goes wrong ### Caught Moment - Camera captures something unexpected - Characters forget they're being filmed - Masks slip, real feelings emerge ### B-Roll with Voiceover - Footage of location/activity - Character narrates (often unreliably) - Gap between what we see and what we hear ## Pacing Talking Heads **Rule of thumb**: Talking heads should comprise 15-25% of a mockumentary screenplay. **Placement strategy**: - After major events: Character reaction/spin - Before major events: Character prediction/intention - Between scenes: Transition/context - To break tension: Comic relief through character obliviousness **Avoid**: - Too many talking heads in a row - Talking head that says what scene just showed - Interview that reveals information better shown ## Output Format Save outlines to: `script/outline.md` Include: 1. **Documentary frame**: Why crew is there, what they're capturing 2. **Act One beats**: Normal establishment, character intros, stakes 3. **Act Two beats**: Escalation sequences, key conflicts, comic escalation 4. **Act Three beats**: Crisis, climax, resolution 5. **Talking head placement**: Where interviews punctuate the action 6. **Scene type breakdown**: Which mockumentary tools each scene uses Save more detailed treatment to: `script/treatment.md` --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/joelborellis) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.