Central Park Bandit

Sabrena Project 3 from Sabrena Jewth on Vimeo.

Blog Post # 4: Blackfish

Blackfish is a documentary based on the orca whale named Tilikum. The documentary also shows the mistreatment of other orca whales in aquariums,tactics used to capture them, and trainers who have been attacked or killed. This documentary was constructed in a way to give the audience insight from many different aspects. You see and hear stories from whale trainers, whale capturers, and orca whales. The scene starts off showing a close, physical and emotional bond a mother and baby orca whale shared. The trainers discuss the bond between the two. What really made it hard to watch was when the mother and baby orca whale were separated. Here is where the scene transitions.The baby was transferred to another aquarium. As soon as the baby was taken from her mother, the mother whale began to cry, moving around the aquarium in search for her child. Whale trainers that have worked with the mother whale said she was very quiet until the day her daughter was taken from her. The whale trainers brought in a senior research scientist to analyze the long range vocals. According to the scientist, she was looking for her daughter. Another thing that was touching was through out the pain, the other orca whales tried to help console her. An example relationship of the sounds to images would be when the mother whale cries. In that scene sad music is played, as the camera focuses on the mother orca whale. As the camera shoots her in a medium close up for about 6 seconds , you see and hear her grief. Also every time the whales were shown, the color was low key lighting which changes the mood and makes the scene somber. Through out that five minute clip, the director constantly switches from personal interviews to the whales which makes the cuts obvious. The personal interviews from whale trainers talks about the whales behaviors, since they are the ones who personally know the orcas. Also the trainers discuss their anger towards their ex-employer Sea World, since they are the ones mistreating the whales and employees. What is being said by the interviewees, is determined by the length of the shots. Visuals shown, goes to accordance to what is being said. It makes the scenes more powerful. This documentary was perfectly edited because you are able to hear personal stories and the visuals shown went with what was being said. Personally this documentary made me angry and sad to see how immoral and money hungry these large corporations are. They would go any length for money, putting their trainers and whales in danger.