2. CONTEXT
• Blackfish is a 2013 animal captivity
and cooperate documentary
detailing the renowned marine
theme park SeaWorld.
• The film was made in the aftermath
of a trainer fatality: the death of
senior trainer Dawn Brancheau in
2010 sparked an OSHA lawsuit that
revolutionised the marine mammal
performance industry by prohibiting
trainers from entering pools.
• The film has sparked much
controversy and debate; animal
activists are demanding the park be
shut down, whilst SeaWorld officials
have counteracted their claims with
promotional campaigns.
3. WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM
THE DOCUMENTARY?• The reason I decided to analyse this documentary is because it is
effective at putting across a point of view to the audience and
swaying them to a certain opinion; this has been shown in
SeaWorld profit margins, which have fallen considerably after the
documentary broadcast.
• I also chose this because it uses actuality footage effectively to
create a coherent narrative, as well as using extracts from
interviews to create a narration rather than just an added voice
over; this provides for a unique and more engaging documentary.
• For my documentary, i will seriously consider the use of editing in
the film, as this will help me to put across my argument to the
audience.
4. TITLE SEQUENCE
• The documentary begins with a real life audio
recording of 2x911 calls, with an inter-title used
to set the context of the date and location. This
sets a dark tone for the rest of the documentary
as well as introduces the focal theme of
Bracheau's death.
• The dark background of the text graphic
connotes the idea of the ocean, with the
glimmering text representing the killer whale; this
connotes mystery surrounding their true strength
and their lifestyle, as we are unsure of how they
truly feel in captivity (Barthes Codes of Engima)
• The phone calls cuts to home video footage of a
whale performing a trick, with a positive and
celebratory tone conveyed; this creates a binary
opposition ( Strauss) with the serious nature of
the phone call, connoting how the fantasy world
of SeaWorld shows shrouds the dark activities
behind the scenes.
5. INTERVIEWS
• Interviews with experts are a key aspect of
Blackfish; Cowperthwaite uses ex-SeaWorld
trainers to provide experiences about their
careers in order to construct the argument
that having orcas in captivity is wrong,
• The frame employs the rule of third to
construct the shot in a way that fully
represents the subject; The interviews use a
mid shot, close-up and extreme-close up of
the subject. The shot switches to a closer shot
as the subjects word become more
dramatic/important to the argument, enforcing
the issue via the Hypodermic Needle Theory.
• The interviews often cut to actuality footage
that supports the content of the interview,
such as when Carol Ray is recounting the
story of a mother loosing her calf; this makes
the content of the interview more believable
and helps keep the audience’s attention.
6. NARRATION
• Despite being an expository documentary,
Blackfish does not employ the Voice of God.
Instead, the narration is built up using the
dialogue from interviews.
• This is important in enforcing
Cowperthwaite’s argument, as the words
being spoken are truthful and straight from
the mouths of the experts, rather than being
influenced by the film makers. This could be
seen as a form of Cinema Verite.
• The narration is further backed up by
accompanying dialogue with supporting,
graphic images that reinforce the issue via
semiotics. For example, when John
Hargrove is talking about whale-on-whale
attacks, footage of a whale bleeding from
the side is shown, appealing to both the
audiences auditory and visual responses.
7. ACTUALITY FOOTAGE
• Actuality footage is further used to enforce
the argument about Orca captivity; using
Cinema Verite conveys the truth about Sea
World’s agenda by displaying raw, amateur
footage.
• Fig. 3, 4, and 5 show tourist's video footage
capturing captive Orca attacks in order to
exemplify to the audience how aggressive
captive Orcas can be; this footage is
intriguing and shocking for an audience,
leaving a lasting impression that attempts to
sway their viewpoint.
• Fig. 1shows footage of a past news report
prior to Brancheau’s death; by featuring
footage of the deceased, the audience feel
sympathy for the trainer’s death, causing
them to subconsciously take her side and
seek the reason why she has died in
employment. Cowperthwaite provides this to
them by constructing an argument about
Seaworld.
1
5
2
6
3 4
8. SOUND/MUSIC
• Blackfish employs the use of Aural signifiers when Tilikum is
mentioned; this creates an association for the audience regarding
the whale, causing them to feel a mixture of fear/anxiety.
• The soundtrack varies between a score that is deep and malicious
in tone, to tracks that are postive and upbeat.
• The deep track is sued during serious situations where critical
content and options are made about SeaWorld and Orca captivity,
while the positive music is used during positive representation of
the whales. This creates Binary Opposition between the beautiful
animals and the cruel captivity.
9. GRAPHICS• Blackfish makes use of a number of
animations in order to satisfy the audience’s
visual needs when actual footage is not
available/suitable.
• In Fig. 4, an animation is used to represent
Seaworld Head Trainer Kelly Clarke giving
testimony at an OSHA trial; by using text and
not showing her face, Cowperthwaite
constructs a persona around the trainer that
she is vindictive and uncaring, causing the
audience to take a negative view on her.
• The graphics using text help to reinforce the
words that are being said in the narration to
the audience; putting things in black and white
text is an effective method for affirming the
opinion of the viewer.
• Fig. 5 illustrates how the killer orca, Tilikum,
has a huge bloodline through Seaworld; this
intimidates the audience, as they contemplate
the rising aggression and the potential future
deaths at the park.
1
5
2
6
3 4
10. EDITING
• Binary opposition (Levi Strauss)is used
explicitly throughout the documentary;
this can be after the recount of the wild
orcas capture, where an appreciation of
wild orcas is shown, as seen in the
above images.
• The juxtaposition of shots is used to
emphasise the fact that wild Orcas are
beautiful and intelligent creatures; it is
captivity that causes them to be violent
and aggressive.
• Binary opposition is also used when a
sign about how “Captivity Kills” is
juxtaposed with the footage of Shamu
dolls; this emphasise show so much
money has been made via the cruel and
vicious treatment of Orcas.
11. HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?
1. After the initial
recounts of Branches
death, the audience are
shown positive images
of Orcas at sea world,
with recollections of the
Ex-Trainers first days at
the park; This creates a
positive light/mood
about the whales.
2. These recounts are
used to gradually
introduce the deceased
Dawn Brancheau,
where she is presented
in as heroic figure.
News extracts and
interviews are used to
criticise what happened
to Brancheau,
beginning to criticise
3. This is backed up by
a recount of an Orca
capture, featuring an
emotional interview; this
content sways to the
audience to view
SeaWorld as a cruel
organisation. The whale
Tilikum is directly
introduced.
12. HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?
4. A recount of Tilikum’s
life begins, exploring he
reason he killed
Brancheau. This is not a
criticism of the whale,
but instead of the
people who captured
and trained him; this is
an important part of
building up sympathy
for the whale.
5. More actuality
footage is used that
shows SeaWorld being
deceptive and cruel
towards Orcas in
captivity. Showing
actual footage counties
to sway the audience to
the argument.
6. Positive, emotive
footage of whales in the
wild and Orcas being
“cute” is contrasted with
the negativity, to
emphasis what captivity
has done to these
whales; this continues
to divert the blame
away from the animal
onto the captors.
13. HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?
7. Case
studies/recounts of
other near fatalities at
SeaWorld are
presented; this shows
that Tilikum is not the
only case of Orca
brutality, and helps to
keep the audience
engaged by shocking
them. Actuality footage
further increases the
8. A passage about the
death of an Orca trainer
at another park (Loro
Parque) is then shown to
illustrate that the
problem is not exclusive
to SeaWorld; The
message that Orca
captivity is wrong is
continuously
communicated to the
9. The tourist video of
the last show
Brancheau ever
performed is shown to
create further sympathy
for Dawn; this
enlightens the audience
to exactly how she died
and the reasons behind
this, engaging them into
the brutality of the
14. HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?
10. The news reports and
cover ups of the incident are
then put forward to illustrate
SeaWorld’s corporate greed;
After all the footage they have
beens shown, this is the last
piece of evidence put forward
that convinces the audience
that SeaWorld should be
shutdown, and all Orcas
released.
11. The documentary is summed up by an
insight into Brancheau’s legacy charity
and an emotive scene in which the
trainers interviewed in the film see wild
Orcas first hand. This summarises the fact
the whole documentary is about
honouring Dawn’s death, as well as the
beauty of Orcas. From the point of view of
Blackfish, the best way to do this is to
release the Orcas and shutdown
Seaworld.
15. DECEPTION
• Whilst the majority of Blackfish’s content is
true, there are some instances of deception
within the film.
• For example, in the top image, the trainer is
presented as being one of the ex-trainers
providing an interview in the film, when in
fact the trainer in the footage is current
seaworld employee. This may be
considered unethical.
• Furthermore, the wound that the trainer
received in the bottom image is implied to
be caused by a whale attack, when it in fact
was caused by the trainer slipping on the
surface.
• This raises the question about whether a
documentary is designed to be truthful and
informative, or requires some form of
entertainment.
