In Blackfish, many film techniques are used. The film begins with haunting music and a dark screen while various calls to the police are being made about a trainer being eaten by one of the killer whales at SeaWorld Orlando. During the phone calls, the camera uses a cross–cutting technique between a dark screen and underwater video of a trainer and a killer whale. Due to the darkness, music and the tone of the callers and the dispatcher, the film starts off by putting the viewer on edge. With help of the underwater video, the viewer is led to believe that the whale is attempting to attack the trainer, but we soon find out afterward that it is a video from one of the successful shows at SeaWorld. The dark, emotive atmosphere created in the introduction of the movie, was quickly turned into a happy and enjoyable atmosphere when we see the whale and the trainer are performing a trick and the music is that of the show being put on in SeaWorld.
Throughout the film, past trainers, whale hunters and many other people who were involved or related to events that occurred at SeaWorld, were interviewed. In fact, the only types of video clips used in the movie were that of interviews that were actually filmed by the filmmakers, video clips from shows and after park hours in the parks taken by members of the audience or cameras in the tanks or aquariums, and they used video clips from news broadcasts about unfortunate events occurring at SeaWorld. At the beginning of the movie when the trainers were first interviewed they were talking about how excited they were when they started their jobs at SeaWorld to work with the orcas. While the trainers were describing this there was music in the background that could be described as happy and magical. Then they got into the subject of Dawn’s death, a friend and fellow trainer killed by Tilikum, a twelve thousand pound killer whale. The music immediately turned sad. At any point during the film when the person being interviewed was speaking on a sad subject, like when the whale hunter was describing how they hunted them and that he was ashamed of it, the camera cut to a close up of the person speaking.
Animation is another film technique used in the documentary entitled Blackfish. At the beginning of the movie the whale hunter being interviewed described the events that he and the other hunters pursued to capture Tilikum. Along with the description, the viewer was given an animated diagram showing the whales trying to separate into two different groups so that the baby whales would not be caught. Eventually though, they were. Another form of animation used was when explaining what happened during various court sessions. Instead of showing videos or talking about what went on in court, the filmmakers decided to use sketched figures of people drawn on line paper. Whatever dialogue was spoken during court, it was typed out in front of you and the only sound was that of the clicking of typewriter keys and intense/haunting music. During the movie they also showed images of documents about Tilikum and of trainer attacks.
Another film technique that was strongly used in Blackfish was the use of music. The music helps focus in on the listening aspects of the film rather than on the visual aspects. Music in this film was used to evoke intensity, sadness and happiness of the viewer. An example of this was when the baby whale (Kalina) and it’s mother (Katina) are being separated and moved to two different parks. In the background there was sad music playing to help enhance the sadness during the scene. Another example is in the last few minutes of the movie when they were showing healthy killer whales in the wild with nothing but hopeful and happier music playing in the background. After a long and relatively sad and intense movie, the filmmakers ended the movie on a happy note using the happy music and hopeful scenes of the free whales.
Animation is another film technique used in the documentary entitled Blackfish. At the beginning of the movie the whale hunter being interviewed described the events that he and the other hunters pursued to capture Tilikum. Along with the description, the viewer was given an animated diagram showing the whales trying to separate into two different groups so that the baby whales would not be caught. Eventually though, they were. Another form of animation used was when explaining what happened during various court sessions. Instead of showing videos or talking about what went on in court, the filmmakers decided to use sketched figures of people drawn on line paper. Whatever dialogue was spoken during court, it was typed out in front of you and the only sound was that of the clicking of typewriter keys and intense/haunting music. During the movie they also showed images of documents about Tilikum and of trainer attacks.
Another film technique that was strongly used in Blackfish was the use of music. The music helps focus in on the listening aspects of the film rather than on the visual aspects. Music in this film was used to evoke intensity, sadness and happiness of the viewer. An example of this was when the baby whale (Kalina) and it’s mother (Katina) are being separated and moved to two different parks. In the background there was sad music playing to help enhance the sadness during the scene. Another example is in the last few minutes of the movie when they were showing healthy killer whales in the wild with nothing but hopeful and happier music playing in the background. After a long and relatively sad and intense movie, the filmmakers ended the movie on a happy note using the happy music and hopeful scenes of the free whales.