Blackfish Analysis

Animal cruelty is one of the themes that I have never tolerated. Thus, Gabriela Cowperthwaite's acclaimed documentary “Blackfish,” released in 2013, manages to champion the rights of animals by telling the story of Tilikum. This killer Orca whale was held in captivity by SeaWorld (Traker V). She narrates how the sea park industry hides the reality and risks of working with these emotional and intelligent mammals, especially Tilikum, which has killed three of its trainers, one of them being Dawn Brancheau, in the summer of 2010. The film was also directed to educate the public regarding how the sea park industry is a multi-million dollar firm that exploits these sea mammals. In this paper, a textual analysis will be conducted regarding the documentary to comprehend the message that Cowperthwaite is trying to convey, how she uses the interviews effectively, and how she addresses her target audience.

Characters and Interviews

Cowperthwaite interviewees are mostly young people, probably in their late 20s and 30s. I believe this is one of the reasons why the film appeals to the young audience since they are being spoken to by people of the same age range. They also wear casual clothing and are not overdressed, thus making them seem ordinary, which is critical in communication with the audience.

Graphics

Throughout this film, the director uses different shots to ensure that the audience views it from various perspectives. She uses zoom-out techniques, for example, to show the viewer how the documentary plans to paint a bigger picture of what happens behind the SeaWorld industry and expose its secrets regarding animal cruelty. Also, in the interviews, they are all shot in a close-up position to make the audience focus on the first-hand information regarding the proof against injustice being carried out on the mammals.

Sound

The documentary employs both non-diegetic and diegetic sound. In the opening scene, the director uses non-diegetic sound to evoke anxiety and anticipation in the audience regarding what will occur next, thus engaging them more in the film. For instance, when one of the credit shots is on, the audience can hear some water sounds, and suddenly, the next caption that comes up is an underwater shot of a huge whale swimming. Cowperthwaite’s clever alternation of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds in the opening scenes creates more interest in her film. Nonetheless, most of the sounds that are utilized are diegetic. The director uses voice sounds from the recordings with no music playing in the background. This shows that she needed the audience to listen and understand what was being said without the background music diverting their attention.

Nevertheless, in some scenes, she uses music to establish ambiguity in the minds of the audience, thereby making them uncertain of what is going to happen next. She uses music in particular scenes, such as when the whales are onscreen or in the real-footage videos, to make the audience link the music to the whales and the attacks, which the interviews discuss.

Target Audience

I believe that this documentary targets a young audience, probably in their mid-20s. That is primarily because young people always tend to stay up to date with social media, and with SeaWorld promoting their firm online, they will be able to find out about their cruelties. Some adults have already visited the firm before knowing their harmful acts; however, after the documentary, the young people who may not have attended SeaWorld’s events will be able to resist associating with them. The film also does not have a gender target since it is appropriate for both males and females. However, age restrictions should be applied since they depict scenes where that portray the cruelties that the mammals underwent.

Text and narrative

The director uses a range of voice recordings and interviews with real people, thereby convincing the audience that the information presented is not fabricated. The director’s use of text throughout the meetings offers the audience the needed clarification of the interviewees' background; thus, the viewers can easily connect and relate to their statements. The fonts are also medium-sized; therefore, the audience can read the details of the interviewee and information regarding specific incidents.

Images and Color

In this documentary, the director has used a lot of bright and beautiful colors in the backgrounds where she interviews the characters, which signifies hope and positivity. The director’s bright colors depict a significant change that is bound to happen in the film ("The Power Of Colour In Film: Storytelling Through Chromatics"). The characters had undergone difficult points whereby some of them were former workers of SeaWorld who had participated in the capture of the whales while some were affected by the actions of the firm; thus, the colors show how they regretted their past, and they aim for a better future where they will fight for the mammals' rights.

The colors utilized throughout the documentary are classically white, blue, and grey, representing SeaWorld and the sea where the whales were being captured. The dark colors, especially deep blue, represent the tragedy and sadness caused by SeaWorld.

Structure

The documentary’s structure is disorderly; for instance, it commences with a phone call being placed after a tragedy occurred in the Sea Park industry. At this moment, the audiences have no idea of what is happening but are just thrown deep into the story with the emergency. The disorderliness is even shown in other scenes where the characters are being interviewed. Since there was more than one tragedy at SeaWorld, the director interviewed different people who had worked there before and those who were affected by their actions; however, she kept jumping from one interviewee to another back and forth with different storylines; hence, the flow of the story was interrupted. She uses real footage shots of the interviewees, thereby alternating them every time she interviews them, which makes the audience confused. I believe every story should start with a proper introduction that will enable the audience to follow and understand the plot. A structure should be symmetrical in which the transitions of the story or characters from the beginning to the end need to be shown (Hauge). However, in spite of the film’s causing disarray in its structure, the ending is definite with the interviewees pointing out how they are going to move forward in saving the lives of the whales and fighting against animal cruelty. It ends with the interviewees spotting the sea mammals in their natural habitat, water, thus, evoking an emotional feel of the film, which appeals to the audience on the significance of fighting against animal cruelty.

Conclusion

Blackfish is an educative documentary highlighting the animal cruelties that sea park industries impose on mammals, with SeaWorld being the primary focus. In the textual analysis of the film, the director uses different styles to communicate to the audience. She uses bright colors in images to outline the change and hopes that former workers of SeaWorld have in their minds toward fighting animal cruelty. In graphics, she uses different shots, mainly zoom out, to prepare viewers for the big reveal that she will tell them about animal cruelty, which would change their perceptions of SeaWorld. She also targets the young audience, primarily by interviewing young people. However, her structural development of the film is poorly organized, especially in the opening scene, where she starts with a phone call being placed regarding a disaster at SeaWorld.

Works Cited

Hauge, Michael. "STORY STRUCTURE: 10 Simple Keys to Effective Plot Structure - Michael Hauge's Story Mastery". Michael Hauge's Story Mastery, 2014, https://www.storymastery.com/story/10-simple-keys-effective-plot-structure/. Accessed 1 Dec 2018.

"The Power Of Colour In Film: Storytelling Through Chromatics". Film Inquiry, 2018, https://www.filminquiry.com/power-colour-storytelling/. Accessed 1 Dec 2018.

Traker V. “Black Fish Documental completo en español.” YouTube, 10 Nov 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oroflo9QyZ4