The Best Shark Dive in the World!: Cinematic Storytelling- The Heart vs. The Head!

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Cinematic Storytelling- The Heart vs. The Head!

Source.

Great talk!

Posted for you David.
No pressure!

(And no, this does NOT mean that I agree with the bit about going cage-less with GWS!)

11 comments:

I have $25, rather give it to David said...: Ugh, nothing but regurgitated shark talking points circa 2004-5-6-7-8-9-10.

We're way past shlock shark shock folks, this is 2014.

Trying to sell a film?

You bet.

Sorry, trying to get funding for a film - read the synopsis.

www.devilsteethmovie.com/story.htm; 2:01 am
DaShark said...: Dang - I had no idea! :(; 6:48 am
Megalobomb said...: Is this not the same left brain/right brain argument I made earlier (in his case, heart vs. mind)?? Where's the criticism DaShark?? :); 8:30 am
DaShark said...: No it isn't - quite the contrary!

He does not divide humankind into "scientists" and "others", he obviously knows that everybody disposes of both aspects (= I hear that brainy scientists fall in love, too!) but says that when telling a story, one should appeal to the emotions!; 12:59 pm
Meh, with a side of Meh! said...: Bah!

When telling a story, especially one that is charged with emotion,(said video clip of said shark being gutted and whacked by nincompoops with accents)one should present facts and allow individuals to express emotion.

THIS is the problem with shark conservation messaging.

It is designed to elicit raw emotion - NOW, usually Facebook emotion.

It's a one trick pony. Watch, get angry, post, end.

The metrics for success are the number of likes and the individual presenters gravitas.

Here is of a MASTERFUL handling and example of an emotionally charged subject with animals that resonates to this day.

I challenge you to remember Sharkwater and pot smoking Mini-Watson in the same way 5 years from now:

Grizzly Man
Werner Herzog

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3dTuA69sdg; 3:35 am
DaShark said...: Challenge not accepted - much as anticipated years ago, nobody gives a shit about the guy and even less about his latest movie.

I also agree that the shock therapy is totally misguided - Love not Loss, remember?

But still, the general message is valid, i.e. that it is more effective to appeal to one's emotions rather than one's rationale.; 7:39 am
Hoisting La Petard said...: Force feeding out of context eco-drivel to waiting masses designed to get them excited is a poor substitute for allowing them to emote based on a cognitive understanding of the issue.

It's sloppy enviro work vs the good stuff. The current media effort leans towards sloppy with precious few standouts. (Mr Tedx there)

Simply put, how many 'effing dogs with hooks in their faces and the title "dogs used as shark bait" are effective vs a clear understanding of the why's, where's, and how's of a particular issue?

Sigh, let's stay away from emotional, or at least guide those with real conservation talent into the mainstream.

Leave the Green Fox News crowd to self implode on their own emotional/hype/petard.; 8:20 am
DaShark said...: It's sloppy enviro work vs the good stuff. The current media effort leans towards sloppy.

Could not agree more.; 12:48 pm
Petard here... said...: It's why I like you Sir, and few others like you.

Standing tall and proud in a hip deep shit pile of others ignorance.

Onward, onward I say!

Cry havoc and let lose the Dogs of Sanity and Truth!; 1:20 pm
DaShark said...: Do I know you? :); 1:24 pm
OfficetoOcean said...: Finally got around to watching this...

It's a good talk with some great points, especially the very modern thing of dumbing down the content to ramp up the emotion and if there is none, just make it up. Look at the more recent shark related films that aren't the BBC level productions, shallow personality vehicles that don't really say anything, offer up absolutely nothing new and which have zero creativity in them.

As an industry guy told me a couple of years back, "all these things are is wrapping around the commercials, nothing more, if they can create a celebrity then great, they can make a series, if not, who cares as long as their sponsors sell their shit?"

You can have emotion and intelligence together in the same film, it just appears that the people making these films these days either don't have the ability to do it, or just simply can't be arsed.

Fuck it, let's just feed a watermelon to a shark instead...; 3:19 am