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Blackfish documentary techniques essay
Captive Killer Whales at Seaworld
The effects of captivity on whales
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The controversial documentary named Blackfish was released on July 19, 2013. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the producer and the director of the film shows the controversial lives of killer whales in captivity. Gabriela is trying to show us about how holding these wild animals in captivity, the way Seaworld did it, results in deaths and injuries to trainers over years of time. This really shows with Tilikum and the case of Dawn Brancheau which ended in a tragic death. The emotion and the tone of the film is trying to persuade the viewer to feel like having these whales in captivity is horrible for them, and they would have a much better life in the wild. Having killer whales in captivity has proven multiple times to be a mistake in the past and big corporate companies such as Seaworld, will do whatever it takes to be able to keep them there. Gabriela used many different elements to make you feel the same way she did throughout the whole documentary. With this she had good ethos throughout the whole movie with many of the different professionals …show more content…
A few good examples of logos was when Seaworld said, “25% of whales have the folded fin, and a former trainer says only a 1% have this problem.” Garret said, “And to this day there is no record of an Orca doing any harm to any human in the wild.” In captivity there are multiple reports of orca’s causing injuries and killing people. There was many times in the movie when you thought to yourself, can you actually believe everything you hear from Seaworld and everything they say. For the most part many people would say no they can’t trust big corporations with all of the lies exposed in this documentary. There were many examples where what Seaworld said was very different than the experts. Such examples of these are when Seaworld said female orca’s only live to 25 or 30 years of age, when an expert said that they have lifespans similar to humans and can live up to a 100 years
Logos means the persuading by the use of reasoning. For example, “ No one even knows whether salmon can even survive in the lower San Joaquin, which has temperatures more suitable for bass and bluegill, (McEwen 1).” The quote is clearly a display of logos because the author demonstrates to the reader that the government does not even make sure the salmon can survive in the lower San Joaquin, which then convinces the reader the project is not well thought out and cannot be trusted. I agree with the author’s viewpoint because if the government was really interested in the benefits for people, the representatives would have looked into all the details necessary to be able to succeed with the project. Another example of the author stating logos on his article for the reader to get a better understanding of what the government really cares for is, “Besides, scientific evidence suggests that California’s salmon problems have been caused in large part by oceanic conditions and the environmental mess that is the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta (McEwen 1).” This quote is an alternative representation of logos since it proves a fact. The fact makes the reader extra believable since he uses scientific evidence about California’s salmon problems. It is clear to me the position that is superior to the other one because there have been numerous studies proving this project will
Since whales are normally peaceful in the wild and they only seem to attack while in captivity, the argument is that captivity is wrong and dangerous for killer whales. This argument is supported by detailed facts about how the whales are tortured and agitated by other whales with no outlet. Both female and male whales are confined to a swimming pool where they are in a way being forced to try and mate. The female whales tend to abuse the male whales, which leads the whales to become mentally and physically unhealthy resulting in attacks on trainer. In the interviews with Corinne Cowell and Nadine Kallen, they mentioned that when they visited Sealand of the Pacific that three whales were confined to a “dingy pool”. Another appeal to pathos is when a neurologist that has studied killer whales mentions how the animals are very intelligent and are well-aware of what is going on around them. (SeaWorld) Killer whales have similar brains to humans, but have a bigger part of their brain where emotions are processed. With this, whales are more aware of their emotions and the bonds they make with humans and other animals. (SeaWorld) With the huge amount of raw footage, first-hand accounts, and true information, the film is able to grasp the attention of the viewers with the amount of emotion that is shown from the former trainers and the whales themselves. With these tactics, the film effectively appeals to the
The captivity of large, wild animals is accepted for theme parks all around the world. Tickets are sold for people to come and watch these animals live and even preform in an exhibit that almost resembles their natural environment. It is impossible for parks and zoos that use animals as attractions to provide the same resources and space they would have in the habitat they are usually found in. They can, however, help injured or ill animals that cannot survive in the wild. This is where I believe they should draw the line for keeping animals in captivity. SeaWorld has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years, especially since the Netflix documentary, Blackfish, was released. This film targets the company for the mistreatment of their orca whales. In particular, it told the story of one named Tilikum and shows the problems he and the other orca whales face while living under the care of SeaWorld. Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director
Millions of people come from across the world to visit Seaworld every day without thinking about the lives of the animals behind the scenes. Why would they have concerns? From Seaworld’s commercials to the website, they convince the general public that Seaworld is the place to go to see the happy sea animals perform. If Seaworld is such an ecstatic place, what excuse does Tilikum, their greatest well known orca whale, have for the three attacks on trainers? The documentary “Blackfish” was created by the director Gabriela Cowperthwaite because she questioned herself after realizing Tilikum's odd behavior over time in captivity, and if there was any indisputable parts to animal captivity?
The trainers, along with Cowperthwaite, believe having them in a captivity like SeaWorld is inhumane. I agree with this documentary, Blackfish. This documentary gave a perfect visual representation of why I do not like having animals in a cage or in a small area. Having animals captive, working hard, and hardly fed is wrong, especially when only allowing them in a small area to roam. Watching this documentary made me feel sympathy towards these poor animals that must go through this harsh life style.
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary attempting to elevate public awareness regarding the orca that are being kept in maritime amusement parks, specifically SeaWorld, and the inherent danger of their captivity. The film is effective because it raises a set of important ethical questions for the viewer while presenting with a necessary fact-based style of documentation that does not evoke gratuitous scenes of abuse in order to inspire sympathy, unlike some of the other films that are intended to raise awareness about animal abuse.
When I decided to watch “The Antwone Fisher Story” I wasn’t really sure what I was about to watch. I had never heard about the movie before, but I am up for watching any movie that comes my way. It had a great story about Antwone Fisher’s struggles through life and how it has affected him in present time. How can I use what I have seen in this movie in my future classroom?
Jaws' is the original summer blockbuster, setting the standard by which all others are measured. It's the Michael Jordan of cinema: there will never be another 'Jaws,' simply because the film so profoundly changed the way movies are made and marketed.
"Blackfish" might not make an airtight case against training wild animals for our enjoyment, but it very convincingly argues that those animals remain what they are, no matter how SeaWorld or any other corporation invested in presenting them as cuddly attractions tries to say otherwise.
Mark Twain once stated, “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” (Brainy Quote). Despite the imaginative challenges children are faced with in reality, they are able to cope with the advantage of time and mental resilience. Stephen King in his essay, "My Creature from the Black Lagoon" from the Wake Tech English 111 Reader, compared the idea of imaginative strength in children and in that of adults to see who would better fit the horror genre audience. Stephen King recalls one particular time from his past that sends shivers down even the hardest of spines.
Jaws is a really movie about a lot of suspense. The reason I think that Jaws is a really good movie about building suspense is because of three main things. One of the things that has a lot of suspense is Sound. When Jaws, well the shark is under water and is about to attack something or someone the music starts getting loud. Another thing that is really good about building suspense is the Camera Angle. The reason I think the camera angle is good about building suspense is when the camera is on the boat and it's going with the waves it feels like you're really there. The last thing that really draws my attention in the movie that builds suspense is the picture. The reason that the this really draws my attention is because in the film when something bad or a big part of the movie is about to happen the lighting in the movie also makes it feel like you are really there are have a part of what's actually going on.
John Crowe, one of the hunters, is interviewed and tells the story of “the worst thing he’s ever done”. He appeals to the appalled emotions of the audience by admitting to the inhumane way they captured the baby whales. He uses an analogy when discussing the capturing, claiming it was like “kidnapping a kid from its mother”, which pulls at the heartstrings of any parent watching the film, establishing a sense of relatability. The film uses juxtaposition by examining how Crowe, a tough looking man, can be brought to tears by this horrific act. Blackfish then moves to discussing the reason behind Tilikum’s outburst by running a montage of news reports ambushing SeaWorld on the inhumane treatment of whales. The use of the rhetorical question “If you were in a bathtub for 25 years don’t you think you’d get a little irritated, aggravated, maybe a little psychotic?”, grabs the audience’s attention by creating a scenario they can understand. These events create an accusing tone that convinces the audience that SeaWorld is the antagonist of the film. Along with accusations from reporters, SeaWorld has fought many lawsuits against OSHA- the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, due to the way SeaWorld treats their animals. A court hearing is held regarding Tilikum’s behaviour due to pulled video footage of Tilikum lunging towards one of the trainers
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, about the captive orca, Tilikum. The documentary chronicles Tilikum’s life in captivity while examining the conditions that SeaWorld’s orcas live under. Cowperthwaite argues that SeaWorld mistreats their Orcas and intentionally misinforms both their employees and the general public. Rhetorical analysis reveals that Cowperthwaite uses emotional appeals and juxtaposition to sway the viewer to her perspective.
Kirby, David. Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2012. Print.
This paper will include the analysis of the movie Hope Floats. It will start with a short summary of the movie describing the characters and the plot. It will then discuss the family dynamics that are shown in the movie based on the class discussions and the readings. It will also include a variety of issues that are shown throughout the movie. This paper will discuss three key family system’s issues that includes the family concepts, assessing one from Bowen’s concepts, one from Minuchin’s concepts, and one from General Systems Theory/Anderson and Sabatelli concepts. There are many different scenes and examples in this movie that will give a better understanding of the many different family dynamics, family issues, and family system concepts.