The VIFF has come and gone but we are following up with thoughts on two of VIFF's themes:
Ecologies of Mind (the Environment)
&
Africa Today.
In honour of the Africa theme, two weeks ago we watched some of the great documentary When We Were Kings, and our comments are in the previous blog.
On the theme of Environment, this week we are watching clips from The End of the Line documentary by Rupert Murray (UK), with amazing photography, loads of geeky but endearing Canadian fish scientists, and a mix of several key Doc styles from intense Eisensteinian montage, to Cove-like undercover investigation, to Michael Moore-like confrontational journalism, and an intense score a la Fog of War, to name a few.
Clip 1: Analyze the editing technique (very "Eisensteinian" at points); remember the machine montage in Oktober?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp-VVcYHp0M
Clip 2: What techniques are used to contrast Mitsubishi Corp and other "corporate fishers" with the Senegalese local fishermen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3OZRctd9yE
Clip 3: In "Act 3" of this doc, would you describe the tone as optimistic or pessimistic? Bleak or dynamic? How is this effect achieved?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xrtivcBKwM
What's your favourite environmental Doc?
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Question: In "Act 3" of this doc, would you describe the tone as optimistic or pessimistic? Bleak or dynamic? How is this effect achieved?
ReplyDeleteWe believe the tone is definitely optimistic and dynamic. Some of the effects include: "Inspirational" music is being played. Many interviews from people who have optimistic views on the matter for example: fisherman who agree that even though the quotas are lower, that means that there will be more fish in the future. They use examples of what other countries are doing (Alaska) to regulate the amount of fish that are being caught with an attempt to encourage other countries to follow suit. Visually, we see an abundance of salmon jumping, which shows us that with regulation of the amount of fish being caught, there will be a abundance of fish for the future. Viewers are also ecouraged to buy sustainable fish, and there are shots of an information booklet outlining which fish are sustainable, and which ones that are endangered and should be avoided. There is definitely an optimistic outlook that measures are already being taken to ensure the future of our oceans, and that there are things that the viewer can do to continue to have a healthy amount of fish in the ocean.
- Bellatrix Productions
Friendly Fire
ReplyDeleteEditing Techniques – End of the Line
They build the speakers legitimacy by establishing him studying the water outside then moving to his office.
Music really establishes the evil stigma of the fisherman. Establishing the hunt.
Counter-opinion “totally wrong” well placed to seem like the counter opinion, was less informed and less factual.
Graphics very much sway opinion.
Editing makes viewer empathize with fish.
ALMOST LIVE PRODUCTIONS
ReplyDelete2.
The Mitsubishi Corp was portrayed as an evil corporation. Every shot of them was them using huge equipment and oversized ships. They were shown to be taking all the jobs from the small fisherman. They also showed the Mitsubishi Corp as having cleaner ways of keeping fish, where as they show the small fisherman storing there fish in the heat and in the dirt.
They also showed it from the small fisherman perspectives, showing how the big cops are taking there jobs
Dark Side Productions
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between the Mitsibishi Corp and the Sengalese fisherman is very stark and noticeable. Mitsibishi is setup as very organized, cool and calculated. They are clearly profit based and well organized to achieve maximum efficiency. In comparison, the fishermen are portrayed as being unorganized and frantic, with shots of a frantic marketplace and crowded waters set to intense, drum-heavy music.
The filmmakers add further contrast by cutting between shots of the poor, shabby looking fishermen's boats to fleets of Mitsibishi owned boats relentlessly trawling the ocean, as well as shots of the thousands of pounds of fish that Mitsibishi Corp are bringing in against the measly portions the fishermen can manage. Overall, the doc seems to effectively establish Mitsibishi as a greedy and evil corporation quickly putting the Sengalese fishermen out of work and upsetting their lifestyles which they have relied on for decades.
The doc also