Snake Food - Doc Mode 3

Snake Food

The participatory mode is defined by the filmmaker's active interaction with the subjects of the film. In this mode, the filmmaker becomes an integral part of the documentary's narrative, either playing a minimal or significant role that influences events as they unfold. By appearing as a character within the film, the filmmaker allows the audience to hear or see them throughout the documentary. This approach invites the audience to experience the film through the filmmaker's perspective, enabling them to engage more deeply with the filmmaker’s emotions and reactions in real time. As a result, viewers can analyze and compare their own responses with those of the filmmaker, creating a more immersive and reflective viewing experience. 

For my documentary, I chose to focus on my roommate’s snake, Booples. The film opens with a panning shot of the snake in her container, where she observes the viewer. In this case, we are aware she is also observing the filmmaker. The next shot shifts to the snake sliding across a rug, with an abrupt transition to the following scene: my roommate attempting to dismantle the bathroom cabinets. As the film unfolds, we realize that the snake has managed to slip into one of these cabinets, and we resort to using a dead mouse to lure her out. This unexpected development becomes the central focus of the documentary.

The documentary mode is heavily shaped by the editing. Initially, I intended to create an expository documentary centered on the snake. However, the snake going inside the bathroom cabinet wasn’t planned. While I was preoccupied with deleting videos to free up storage space on my phone, the snake found a small hole and slipped inside. Seeing an opportunity, I decided to capture this moment and shift the focus of the documentary to this consequential situation. 

I felt that the participatory mode would be the most effective way to capture this experience, as it placed me, the filmmaker, directly within the narrative. At this point, my role in the film became more prominent than originally planned, so I made the conscious decision to make my presence even more noticeable. Throughout the video, you can hear me apologize, saying things like “I’m really sorry about this,” since the situation was my fault. This aspect of the documentary perfectly embodies the participatory mode, as it allows the audience to understand my thoughts and emotions in real time.

The experience became a two-person job, and had I removed or muted my parts, the documentary would have lost its authenticity. It would have filtered out the reasons behind the snake’s situation and made the climax of us getting it out less exciting. In this way, the participatory mode enhances the emotional depth of the experience, making it feel more genuine and complete. Additionally, this approach provides insight into my relationship with my roommate and highlights the differences in how we interact with the snake. It’s as if the documentary has layers, and the audience can choose whether to interact with the subject or the filmmaker’s experience.