LARP does seem to be an increasing topic for doccumentaries.
This casting call just came through my work today:
That’s a mockumentary.
Someone should really make a mockumentary about people who make mockumentaries. The director would be an insecure film geek who makes fun of others in order to feel better about himself. To add colour, there would be recurring scenes where he has nightmares of being molested by Stanley Kubrick.
Blegh, a mockumentary. Mocking geeks is soooo passe.
[quote=“Ryan Paddy”]That’s a mockumentary.
Someone should really make a mockumentary about people who make mockumentaries. The director would be an insecure film geek who makes fun of others in order to feel better about himself. To add colour, there would be recurring scenes where he has nightmares of being molested by Stanley Kubrick.[/quote]
Right. Mocumentary…
I still think it’s intersting to note when the LARP profile is raised, even in a manner such as this. Means more mainstream people not associated with the hobby hear about it - and that might steer a few new people to do their own research on it. Which is why I see the NZLARP website as so valuable. In a best case scenario even the worst, most trashy mocukmetary or tabloidy docucmentary on LARPing will get the genuinely curious to head to the web to learn more.
In a way, it’s almost like thinking about doing pre-emptive damage control against any dodgy reporting…
If you did a recursive mockumentary about yourself making mockumentaries, it might almost be art!
almost
A mockumentary works because it takes a realistic setting and creates parody by taking various aspects to their logical, extreme conclusions. And it works best if it’s done with subtlety - like the bit in Spinal Tap where Nigel Tuffnal explains how his Mashall goes all the way to 11.
This Aussie short film is nothing of the sort, it’s simply playing to prejudice, ignorance and stereotype, where all the larpers are hopeless and their characters are all heroes. Yawn.
I mean, I’d love to see a proper larp mockumentary. Larp is ripe with opportunities for send-up.
e.g.
Location - Crew Room
GM: So, how did the players go ?
CREW MEMBER #1: FAIL !
GM: What ?
CREW MEMBER #2: I know. We gave them ALL the information, from multiple sources too. They just couldn’t put 2 and 2 together !
GM: But we were practically handing it to them on a silver platter !
CREW MEMBER #1: Yeah, I stood there for, like, 10 minutes, waiting for someone to come up with the magic phrase. But there were just, like, totally guessing.
GM: Players ! They never get ANYTHING !
INTERVIEWER: What are the players trying to do ?
GM: They need to get the Chalice of Healing, to save one of them from dying at sunset.
INTERVIEWER: How were they expected to do this ?
GM: Oh, it’s really easy.
[GM draws a convoluted diagram on the whiteboard, showing relationships between a plethora of PCs and NPCs, all the time point out who knows what and when, and how the players could have pieced it all together to get the magic pass phrase.]
GM:…so, you see, there’s at least 4 different ways in which the players could have worked out the pass phrase. And we gave them a generous 10 minute window, too. Oh well, one of them is toast.
[GM TURNS TO CREW]
GM: Who is it, anyway ?
CREW MEMBER #1: Bridget of Bardot, you know, she’s played by your girlfriend ?
GM: This no good, they’ve GOT to save her !
CREW MEMBER #2: Too late, they’ve screwed it up. She’s SO dead !
GM: OK, what if a band of Orcs have come across the chalice and they attack the players…
CREW MEMBER #1: Um, there AREN’T any orcs in this game.
GM: Whatever, we’ll use bandits instead. What are you waiting for, go get kitted up, take the chalice - but don’t hide it, I want them to see it. Oh, and make sure you die nice and easy, this is REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE GAME.
ugh what a wanky mockumentary, all the characters a guys too. soo off the mark. yuck. throw it back.
And people with cameras wonder why some of us have a “fuck you” attitude towards them…
particularly as we all know that the majority of larpers in NZ are female (its true)
It’s being made by an Aussie - need I say more…
Besides they activly discurage anything in any way violent or that may encourage participation in violence due to their fear of re-awakening their criminal gene.