By Nicholas Ihli
Despite an uphill battle to get the first “mockumentary” based on Mormon cinema made and distributed, the filmmakers of “The Work and The Story” are excited about the DVD release.
The film is a mock documentary about the disappearance of the “Father of Mormon Cinema,” Richard Dutcher. Three amateur filmmakers decide it is their time to step up and become the next “Mormon Spielberg.”
A mockumentary is a different kind of film. The style of filming is like a documentary but with staged scenes, everyone is an actor and the result usually ends in comedy. A well-known mockumentary filmmaker is Christopher Guest who made mockumentaries such as “A Mighty Wind” and “Best In Show.”
Quentin Casperson, a co-producer on “The Work and The Story” said mockumentaries are a niche market in and of themselves. Adding that niche to LDS viewers creates a smaller niche market.
“Not many people are used to that style of film,” Casperson said. “When people find this style they usually find it to be very funny.”
Because of the prejudices to mockumentaries and LDS films, encouraging theaters to carry this film and get people to see the movie has been a battle for Nathan Jones, director, co-producer and writer of “The Work and The Story.”
Jones said he received a lot of opposition from the distributors that normally release Mormon films. At first, they showed an interest but then steered clear.
“Art house theaters turned their back because we are too Mormon,” Jones said. “For Mormons we are too much of a mockumentary.”
Jones describes it as being between a rock and a hard place and the battle of the underdog.
The filmmakers ended up releasing this film independently on a low budget, but it did not last long in theaters.
“Many times I felt a big sense of walking off a plank into darkness,” Jones said. “Sometimes I”d fall for a bit but then some money would come in.”
Jones” friends starred in and helped with the movie. He said they believed in what he was doing so they assisted. Kirby Heybourne, known for his many roles in Mormon cinema, plays himself, as does Richard Dutcher. Richard Moll, Bull from the TV show “Night Court,” also stars.
The DVD of “The Work and The Story” found its way into stores a few weeks ago. Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video now carry the newly released DVD along with Deseret Book and other smaller stores. Jones said about one fourth of Blockbusters are selling the DVD, mostly in Mormon areas.
Brendon Porter, another co-producer and graphic designer for the film, said they put a lot into the DVD.
“We may have more features than most other DVD releases,” Porter said.
The DVD includes bonus features such as dialogue bubbles that pop up over the characters explaining more about the film and adding comedy as the movie plays, about 30 minutes of deleted scenes and many other features.
Casperson said people who enjoyed the film in theaters will love the DVD and those that discover it for the first time should enjoy it also.
Casperson also said what sets the film apart from other comedies is that the jokes are not spoon fed to the viewer.
“People are really hungry for a different kind of comedy,” Casperson said. “They want something that is more sophisticated or layered.”
