Filming a Mockumentary Promotional Short

"President Meng, if the ultimate goal of the game is for the players to escape the facility, and the secondary goal is to find out the cause of the Control Failure, then I suggest that the two goals be combined directly."

"This makes it easier to design a main storyline that runs throughout the entire game. The ending remains the same: the player escapes the facility. However, during the escape, the player performs tasks that the secondary objective requires, learns the reasons for the facility's malfunction, and allows the anomalies to appear one by one."

"The advantage of doing this is that it integrates the objectives. The key is to design reasonable tasks that players are motivated to take action, and to interweave optional side quests within them."

"I need some time to design the task flow for each stage, and I also need to discuss the performance effects of the storyline with Brother Xu. Please give me some time."

Inside the office, Meng Shu kept smoking as she recalled her conversations with Chen An and Xu Hong.

As expected, Chen An's role as the task designer was not wasted.

At the time, I only explained the gameplay and objectives to him, and then directly suggested merging the objectives and organizing them into a single main storyline.

Afterwards, he said he would put together a storyline as soon as possible, which made Meng Shu very satisfied.

Although the game "Control Failure" is essentially what Chen An said, in the process of escaping the facility, you gradually understand the cause of the failure.

However, because it is too free, players can act arbitrarily, which leads to them missing many anomalies.

If Chen An could design a main storyline that connects all the anomalies, and then create some interesting side stories, that would truly be a remarkable achievement.

Development of the VR version of "Dark Forest" has been suspended, and work on "Control Failure" has been arranged.

Then the next plan can begin.

Looking at the unusual PowerPoint presentation on her computer, Meng Shu picked up the phone and contacted Infinite Network Entertainment.

When the other end answered, his first words stunned the other person.

"I want to make a short film to pave the way for my next game."

Three days later, on the outskirts of Shencheng, at the foot of a three-story dilapidated building slated for demolition.

Meng Shu took out cigarettes and offered them to the members of the Magic Shadow Studio in front of her one by one.

He then turned around, looked at the three-story abandoned house in front of him, and puffed out a cloud of smoke.

Magic Shadow Studio is a film production company recommended by Infinite Network Entertainment.

He is said to be famous in the industry for shooting advertisements and is a professional at shooting promotional videos for various industries.

The business is extensive and has a large number of customers.

For some reason, for more than 20 years since its establishment, it has been developing in the film and television advertising industry.

I never thought of entering the real film and television industry.

Perhaps the water is too deep.

As Meng Shu thought this to himself, he had already smoked half of the cigarette in his hand.

At this moment, a middle-aged man with a towel wrapped around his head stepped forward, holding a script and frowning.

"Mr. Meng, we've reviewed the script you provided. Are you sure it doesn't need any revisions? We're a professional team; we've shot game promotional videos, numerous commercials, and even produced movie trailers, but..."

The man hesitated for a moment, looked at the script in his hand, then at the excessively young Boss Meng, and immediately voiced his doubts.

"I've been in this industry for over twenty years and I've never heard of the term ' Mockumentary.' According to your explanation, isn't that just something you can film with any mobile phone or DV camera? Aren't all those outdoor live streamers on the internet doing that?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu took a drag of her cigarette and chuckled softly.

Under the scorching sun, he gazed at the abandoned building before him and spoke calmly.

"That's absolutely right, Director Lin. You're absolutely right. Isn't Mockumentary just like some of these outdoor live streams these days?"

"However, they are not as professional as you. And they don't have professional technical support. Live streaming is just about making money and having fun. Everything the camera captures is basically what they see with their own eyes, or what they want to show the audience. But it's different for you. If you were to film it, with some special effects added, it would be hard to say whether what's real or fake."

Meng Shu took another drag of her cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and smiled.

"Director Lin, I know your and your team's level, and I know your works and cases are outstanding. I will not question your professionalism, but I think that if anything can reflect 'realism,' it must be Mockumentary."

"I don't understand film, nor do I know how to make films. But I hope to shoot it the way I want. For your level, isn't this shooting method simpler and more convenient?"

Director Lin, a middle-aged man, hesitated for a moment and then sighed.

"Mr. Meng, to be honest, I have never heard of this kind of personal entertainment filming technique being treated as a film. From the beginning, I thought your ' Mockumentary ' was more like a live screen recording than a short film."

"Because, as you requested, the entire short film only needs to show the faces of four people, and the rest of the time is mostly spent holding a camera and going down the stairs, with dialogue interspersed to advance the story. I'm sorry, but I personally think that's a bit boring."

"Going down the stairs is not a problem, but I suggest using conventional filming techniques to show more of the facial expressions of people exploring the stairs."

As he spoke, Director Lin picked up the script in his hand and glanced at it, feeling only a little regretful.

As someone with experience in the industry, he had to respect his profession and explain things clearly to Mr. Meng.

To avoid the situation where the finished product doesn't meet his expectations and he refuses to pay the final payment.

He has encountered far too many clients like this.

So he learned his lesson and now explains the key points and potential issues to the client before filming begins. Only after confirming everything is correct will filming start.

But now, this young boss, who looks only twenty-three or twenty-four, immediately told him about a ' Mockumentary,' which completely baffled him.

Having worked in the industry for over 30 years and been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, I've never heard of anything like Mockumentary.

He thought it was some kind of internet slang and was afraid that Mr. Meng would be fooled. So he patiently explained it to him in detail, just to ensure that the work went smoothly and without any worries.

Hearing Director Lin's suggestion, Meng Shu nodded slightly and chuckled softly.

"I knew I hadn't made a mistake in choosing you, Director Lin. You are truly a highly skilled person. Your advice has been a great help to me in making other short films."

"However, I have my own ideas about this short film. I considered it for a long time before deciding to use the ' Mockumentary ' format. Indeed, there are many documentaries in the film and television industry now, but Mockumentary are unheard of."

"The key word in my short film is 'authenticity.' If we use the conventional third-person shooting method, we can indeed show more of the actors' facial expressions and details. But this would also put the audience out of the picture, making them watch the short film from the perspective of 'spectators.' That would make it ordinary, which doesn't match the 'authenticity' I want."

"But Mockumentary are different. Their unique first-person perspective allows the audience to feel directly immersed in the story. The shaky camera and limited angles give them the feeling that they are actually in the film. This shooting technique allows the audience, separated by the screen, to immerse themselves in the protagonist of the short film, becoming one with him, which greatly increases the sense of presence and elevates the entire short film."

"Furthermore, Mockumentary also allow you to see the main characters' expressions. The camera is held in the hand, not worn on the head. Actors can film themselves at any time, showing their faces or something. This can also give players a sense of camaraderie."

"So, the conventional third-person shooting technique is like a theatrical performance on stage, with the audience sitting below, separated by a distance. You might say there's some immersion? Maybe, but not much."

"The first-person shooting technique of Mockumentary is like the audience in the audience also going on stage to perform, like a joint performance, with a sense of participation and presence."

"So this is the effect I wanted, Director Lin."

Upon hearing what Boss Meng said, Director Lin opened his mouth, but then hesitated to speak.

He seemed to want to refute, but didn't know what to say.

Because the current film and television industry is indeed as he described.

The conventional filming technique is third-person perspective. When the audience watches the movie, it's like sitting in the audience watching a theatrical performance on stage—distant and lacking a strong sense of immersion.

The first-person Mockumentary filming technique described by the young boss in front of me does indeed seem to be breaking the current industry pattern.

Etc!

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Director Lin.

First-person shooting technique

Mockumentary

A new type that doesn't exist in the industry.

At this moment, Director Lin discovered a new path that was never before seen.

At that moment, Meng Shu exhaled a smoke ring, smiled, and said something profound.

"Most documentaries are based on real events and facts. But Mockumentary, use the guise of reality to tell fabricated stories."

Oh, right!

This is it!

The contrast between reality and illusion!

Most of the things in documentaries are true. Even with the dinosaur era documentaries produced now, how many people would dare to deny what's in them?

Apart from those celebrity autobiographical documentaries that are somewhat exaggerated, most nature and geography documentaries are quite authentic!

And what Mr. Meng called Mockumentary is a film that uses the guise of a true documentary to tell a false story.

It gives people a feeling of extreme contrast!

Imagine someone knowing they are watching a movie, but because the filming technique is so similar to a live broadcast, they get a sense of déjà vu, as if it's half real and half fake.

Genius!

Director Lin's gaze toward Boss Meng was now filled with fervor.

This young entrepreneur.

He's really capable!

They actually provided a new filming technique that could change the landscape of film and television!

The crucial point is that he doesn't even do it himself!?

It's just a short video for a game, and that's it?

As far as Director Lin knew, the handsome and dashing young boss in front of him was in the gaming industry.

So it seems he probably doesn't have time to pay attention to the film and television industry.

No wonder he's someone praised by Infinite Network Entertainment; he's truly talented!

Director Lin glanced at the script in his hand, and an idea began to form in his mind.

Mockumentary

The budget for filming should not be too high compared to that of a regular film.

Furthermore, there aren't any films like this on the market right now, so if I were to make a mockumentary like this...

If successful, it will be groundbreaking!

And now, there just happens to be a script that allows me to gain some experience.

This is like a godsend delivered right to my doorstep!

"Thank you, Mr. Meng! You've given us at Magic Shadow such a novel experience and opportunity! Thank you so much!"

Meng Shu waved her hand, said nothing, and walked towards the abandoned house.

After expressing his gratitude, Director Lin shouted loudly to his team behind him.

"Everyone, get ready! Group leaders, take your positions and start setting up the scene! Let's rehearse before sunset."

Director Lin paused, glanced at the script in his hand, confirmed the title on it, and then continued.

"A line from ' The Anomaly Stairwell '!"

This game needs ample pre-release promotion, such as letting players know what containment objects are, so that when they play, they'll have the same curiosity and anticipation as we do, instead of treating it as just another unfamiliar new game.