Last Monday I went to the LUCAP meeting to see a screening of the Defend the Gulf 2011 from the Gulf Restoration Network. The film was really an amalgamation of various short films with very different formats. This allowed me to observe multiple approaches to conveying a message. Having interned for the Gulf Restoration Network, I know that they are very message oriented and intent on delivering information from a certain perspective with a definite slant. Their agenda came through very clearly in the first video which was focused on the BP oil spill. This film was shot with a very documentary style and used lots of clips and pictures from other sources (news channels, newspapers, etc.), the clips chosen made it clear that GRN is not a fan of the clean-up efforts. They were also fairly blatant with their opinions on the government’s involvement in the situation. At one point they even edited a clip of Obama to switch to a black and white color scheme while a voice over accused him of inaction. If the words alone hadn’t been accusatory enough, the filming method definitely villainized our president.
Several of the videos utilized extreme wide shots to give good views of the local ecosystems and remind people of what we stand to lose. A couple of the videos were sponsored by the Cornell Ornithology lab, so there were lots of shots of bird migrations and close-ups of various avian species. Shots such as these are meant to inspire the desire for preservation in those who appreciate nature and wildlife. Of course not everyone possesses an appreciation of these environmental factors; they had methods meant to appeal to other audiences as well. For those who value economics they offer the statistic that the Delta ecosystem provides services that can be valued between $12-47 billion, it’s a pretty wide range but it helps some people to make these concepts more tangible. For people who benefit from visual examples and explanations they explain the rate of wetlands loss as losing a football field of wetlands every 45 minutes. One video also took a satirical approach which used a metaphor of a spilled cup of coffee as a way to mock BP’s handling of the spill situation. This video screening was a good example of how video can be manipulated as a medium to press a message upon on audience, including an environmental message or agenda.
You talked about the different video clips. Do you think that they'll effectively change the way people look at the Gulf? I know that a lot of people see only what they want to see. Some people often go ahead and blame someone else for any oil spills or other malfunctions that occur in the gulf. Do you think that the clips might make a person that is quick to blame others, actually want to get out there and help? I mean, it is the oil that they probably use to heat their home and what not. Would the videos actually change a person's mind about helping? Or do you think agencies are wasting money making video clips, while they should be using that money to better the Gulf?
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Especially when you think that the audience who watches these films are already on the side of the GRN. If that is so, is the Gulf helped by their videos?
I don't think that the videos will really help anything. People will see the videos and not understand the severity of what's happening unless they witness it first hand. Chances are, a person will see the video and have an "OMG that's terrible, but someone else is going to deal with it" type of reaction. When in reality, that's probably what 99% of people say. The gulf is helped by people who cherish the Earth and don't take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteThat's just my opinion though.
The only help that GRN was really looking for was financial. They want to get people who are already on the side of environmentalism fired up to "make a difference" then they present an easy solution for how to go about that. Want to save the Gulf? Great, write us a check.
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