How to make an AI mockumentary
Brief for AI Create: A mockumentary about the volunteer committee of a tiny lighthouse museum preparing for its first ever visitor; six episodes, talking heads, a very serious chair.
Two kinds of shot
| Shot type | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Talking head | Medium close-up, the character facing the camera, seated in the same spot every time, speaking to an unseen interviewer |
| Observed scene | Wider framing, slightly off-centre, characters not looking at the camera |
| The glance | A character looks at the camera after something absurd; no line |
Keep each person's interview spot the same: a chair, a window behind them. It becomes their location. How to write one shot.
The joke is the gap
| Beat | Shot to adapt |
|---|---|
| The claim | [Shot 1] 4s: Talking head. @Gerald in a tweed jacket, seated by the window. @Gerald: I would describe myself as calm under pressure. |
| The cut | [Shot 2] 3s: Observed. @Gerald on a ladder, frantically re-hanging a sign that says WELCOME upside down. |
| The glance | [Shot 3] 2s: @Margaret holding the ladder, looks at the camera. No dialogue. |
Give the glance its own seconds; the pause is the punchline. Shot seconds and timing.
Setting the stage
Mockumentaries live in small, ordinary places: an office in Corporate Cold, a town in American Small Town, a village hall. Pick Digital HD for the documentary look. The sample De Vuurtoren van de Fjord has a lighthouse and a wooden barn that would suit it. Sitcoms and skits.
A narrator, or not
A deadpan documentary narrator can open and close each episode in voice-over. Or leave it to the interviews. Either way, keep the real-people rule: invented subjects, not parodies of real public figures. Content rules.
Make it in SceneMixer, start to finish
- Script: paste your own on Upload Script, or write the brief above in AI Create and let it draft the episodes.
- Step 1: Type TV Series; Scene Style American Small Town, Corporate Cold; Costume Style Smart Casual, Soft Everyday; Visual Style Digital HD; Target Region; dialogue language; 16:9 Landscape. Then read the script.
- Step 2: a small cast with specific faces; each person's interview spot as a location; the museum or office as the main set. The first 15 setup images on an account are free.
- Storyboard: generate episode 1 first (free on your first drama) and read it before you render anything. One place per segment.
- Video: render on the default tier at 10 credits a second, fix single shots instead of whole episodes, then put the episode together and post.
| Episode | Event | The gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meet the committee | Everyone claims to be in charge |
| 2 | The sign | Calm under pressure |
| 3 | The leaflet | Three typos, one is the name |
| 4 | The rehearsal | Nobody plays the visitor well |
| 5 | The visitor | He is lost and wants the toilet |
FAQ
How do I make a mockumentary with AI?
Write talking-head interviews to camera and observed scenes, keep each interview spot fixed, and time the joke with silence.
Can characters look at the camera?
Yes; write it into the shot.
Which look suits a mockumentary?
Digital HD for a documentary feel.
Can I parody a real person?
No. Real people's likenesses are refused; invent your subjects.
How long should episodes be?
Two to five minutes.
Can there be a narrator?
Yes, as a voice-over character.
How do I keep the interview set the same?
Make each interview spot a location; it is drawn once and reused.
Is there music?
A score is added automatically; switch it off for a drier tone.
Updated October 31, 2026