BLACKFISH

2013, Gabriella Cowperthwaite

 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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 1 2

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.
3 4
• 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 5 6
them by constructing an argument about
Seaworld.
 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.
•
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
1 2
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 3 4

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 5 6
intimidates the audience, as they contemplate
the rising aggression and the potential future
deaths at the park.
 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.
 HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?

2. These recounts are

1. After the initial used to gradually 3. This is backed up by
recounts of Branches introduce the deceased a recount of an Orca
death, the audience are Dawn Brancheau, capture, featuring an
shown positive images where she is presented emotional interview; this
of Orcas at sea world, in as heroic figure. content sways to the
with recollections of the News extracts and audience to view
Ex-Trainers first days at interviews are used to SeaWorld as a cruel
the park; This creates a criticise what happened organisation. The whale
positive light/mood to Brancheau, Tilikum is directly
about the whales. beginning to criticise introduced.
 HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?

4. A recount of Tilikum’s 6. Positive, emotive

life begins, exploring he 5. More actuality footage of whales in the
reason he killed footage is used that wild and Orcas being
Brancheau. This is not a shows SeaWorld being “cute” is contrasted with
criticism of the whale, deceptive and cruel the negativity, to
but instead of the towards Orcas in emphasis what captivity
people who captured captivity. Showing has done to these
and trained him; this is actual footage counties whales; this continues
an important part of to sway the audience to to divert the blame
building up sympathy the argument. away from the animal
for the whale. onto the captors.
 HOW DOES BLACKFISH
BUILD UP AN ARGUMENT?

7. Case
8. A passage about the
9. The tourist video of
studies/recounts of
death of an Orca trainer the last show
other near fatalities at
at another park (Loro Brancheau ever
SeaWorld are
Parque) is then shown to performed is shown to
presented; this shows
illustrate that the create further sympathy
that Tilikum is not the
problem is not exclusive for Dawn; this
only case of Orca
to SeaWorld; The enlightens the audience
brutality, and helps to
message that Orca to exactly how she died
keep the audience
captivity is wrong is and the reasons behind
engaged by shocking
continuously this, engaging them into
them. Actuality footage
communicated to the the brutality of the
further increases the
 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.
 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.