Documentary Pitch:
“The Manic Pixie Dream Girl”
That bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life; and its infinite mysteries and adventures. A pretty, outgoing, whacky female romantic lead whose sole purpose is to help broody male characters lighten up and enjoy their lives.
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl hides in many popular films and television series and portrays women as objects in which to inspire men rather than human beings with issues and lives. Films like Elizabeth Town (2007), Garden State (2004) and Almost Famous (2000) feature this trope profusely and follow the male protagonist who falls in love with a two dimensional and shallow portrayal of a girl who teaches him to live again (Avclub.com, 2008). After she has changed the male protagonist for the better, The Manic Pixie Dream Girl disappears like she was never there.
The themes and ideas present within this documentary are relevant to most of western society, so therefore this film will be targeted at the public. The millennial generation of film and television industry consumers will benefit the most from viewing this documentary as they are the future of the film industry. This documentary aims to engage and delight the audience while also informing and warning the viewer of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
One of the integral elements of this documentary is the voice over and direct narration by the presenter. This documentary technique makes the presenter become an authoritative figure, forcing the viewer to believe that the statements made in the film are legitimate and accurate. The narrator will have an inviting and upbeat tone and use humour to seem more relatable to the audience. The upbeat tone and humour will engage the viewer while the high modality of her vocabulary will position the audience in favour of the documentary's position. A mix of colloquial and formal language will also be used to further enhance the friendly nature of the presenter while also making them seem educated and authoritative about female tropes in media. The use of voice over and direct narration will assist audiences in accepting the ideals and values of the documentary as truth.
Dramatisations are another important documentary technique that will be used to add humour and engage the audience. Although dramatisations are typically used to recreate events, the re-enactments within this documentary will instead mock the trope of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl in a humorous way; therefore, positioning the audience to accept the views of the documentary. One example of this within The Manic Pixie Dream Documentary will be the opening of the film. A satirical and mock scene from a movie will play out with the girl playing the Manic Pixie Dream Girl stating how her sole purpose within the film is to be the male protagonists muse. This will show how ridiculous thisrepresentation of women...
