Documentary

[|Of Broccoli and Pelicans and Celery and Seals]
 * __Documentary Review__**

The nature film, //Of Broccoli and Pelicans and Celery and Seals,// is based on a book published in 1969 called //Our Vanishing Wilderness// by Marie Louise Grossman, Shelly Grossman, and John Hamlet. It was turned into a documentary a year later, directed by Shelly Grossman, and narrated by John Hamlet becoming the first environmental TV series in the U.S. The film, pertaining to the title, is about wildlife vanishing because of human pollution. In this episode, the narrator explains the elephant seal and the brown pelican, which mate on an island near Santa Barbara and how they are threatened by DDT and other synthetic pesticides.

Many of the aquatic species ingest these pesticides that are washed into the ocean through rivers, and it can cause serious harm to their wellbeing. The documentary stresses the wellbeing of the animals, saying that DDT can affect the seals mental health, and hormonal imbalances. This can lead to mothers killing their pups, unintentionally. Seabirds that eat the fish with DDT, produce eggs that have incredibly thin shells, and only one chick was born to a bird population of over 600.

Many of the things said in the film were very controversial for they brought to light the problems dealing with pollution. Some of the material is dated, although the facts were true at the time. DDT now has a worldwide ban, thanks to the research done at this period in time. My opinion of this film is that I find it informative but somewhat obvious and boring. They stressed many key points repeatedly, and my attention was not captured. Definitely not the first short documentary I would recommend, nevertheless, quite an important impact on the aspects of nature.

Nice work Hannah. I like how you offer an update to the information provided. 22/24

__**Notes**__ __Fifty People, One Question__
 * Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?
 * different answers
 * usually places that have some sort of connection
 * on the same street corner in New York City
 * a lot of people unsure
 * answers went from simple to complex
 * interesting people
 * some places imaginary
 * cut back and forth between responses
 * music holds it together
 * music has dreamlike quality
 * music stops in the middle of the last person's answer, person answers, then music comes back in with singing.
 * soft focus
 * slow panning

__Last Minutes with Oden__
 * soft focus
 * slow motion
 * music really loud
 * person describes his feelings
 * the music gets more strained near dog's death
 * first person omniscient
 * hard to hear his voice
 * seems like you are actually there
 * story about the connection him and his dog share and the dog being put down
 * taught dog to love
 * very emotional
 * soft speaking makes you listen more

__The Black Hole__
 * not really documentary
 * short story w/ message
 * abusing power
 * greed
 * zooming and camera shots help with foreshadowing

__The Bully Project__
 * message about bullying being a problem
 * shows different POV including bullies, victims, and parents
 * camera can be a POV
 * close up shows facial expressions better
 * trying to get rid of bullying
 * some stories will turn out well
 * cuts between shots
 * trailer