The Art Of The Prank Analysis

On September 14th, 2016, The Art of the Prank was shown in WIlliams Hall at 7:30pm, as a part of the Southern Circuit Film Festival. The film was a documentary based on the founder and self-appointed master of the modern-day media hoax, Joseph (Joey) Skaggs. It was produced by Judy Drosd and directed by Andrea Marini. The Art of the Prank highlights Skaggs’ upbringing, career choices, and the specific successes and failures that shaped him to be the great hoaxer he is today.
Joey Skaggs began as an artist, attending visual art schools during his high school and college careers. His specialities lie in sculpting and painting, though his passion is social activism. Surrounded by propaganda and war in the 1960s, Joey began using his art to make
Throughout the film I gained respect for the producing team and supporting cast. Though they were not the main feature, Marini showed behind the scene clips during production that displayed just how vital and collaborative they were in making the film. In addition, the director noted that the entire production lasted four years. I was personally unaware that a film required that level of time. I also believe this fact is often overlooked by society. Films are a major part of pop culture, though to many they are seen as frivolous and for entertainment purposes only.
The Art of the Prank was a multi aspect film that highlighted the life of Joey Skaggs, and the significance of his hoaxes. Newspapers, television, and other media publications are flooded with ludicrous stories that take away from relevant events. Marini shows that through his career, Joey has been able to shine light on the misuse of the media to persuade the public into believing information that may not be true. I do not see Joey as a prankster. Rather, he is an activist that believes in factual, relevant, truthful, and unbiased reporting. The reality however is that this does not exist in our media