The First Film That Left Me Shook
Disruption did just as the movie title said it would, it disrupted my everyday thinking about the organizations within the Environmental Justice Movement. I never realized how big this movement actually is and the rich history it has within the United States. I was both surprised and delighted when the documentary told the audience that we only perceive the stuff that appeals to our emotional side, which was kind of like a catch 22. The movie utilises footage, photos, music, and speakers to create an emotional appeal to get the audience out of their seats and to the streets. The entire movie is all about putting us in that emotional state, and I know I can’t be the only one who got literal chills while watching.
The set up of the film was extremely interesting and added to the emotional appeal in an odd way. The film used footage of natural disasters, news reports of marches and disasters, and footage of power plants interchangeably to shock the audience. Humans tend to have short attention spans, and the filmmakers packed an emotional punch by montaging natural disasters together, it gave the movie the much needed shock value that emotional appeals need in order to work. Another footage trick that I thought worked well for the mood of the film was the transitions from scene to scene. They were like Beyoncé, flawless and captivating. They constantly transitioned from scenes that showed marches/the current day to scenes that involved the chaos and destruction. It was a constant merry go round of happy and sad that kept the viewer glued to their screen. The music helped with the effect and emphasized the urgency of the crisis. However, I do think that they overkilled it in parts because it just took away from the scene entirely. It is hard to pay attention to a message when the literal stereotype for intense hype music #38 is playing in the background. If they had chosen to lower the volume or chose a subtler version of the song I think it would’ve made the message even more portant instead of detracting from the seriousness of the issue at hand.
The film also used its speakers to give it both credibility and sound logic. Everyone and their mother was in that film. CNN, WWF, The New York Times, MSNBC, a Democratic Senator, Harvard, NASA, MIT, 350.org, and other grassroots organizations all had a say in the making of this video. I’m going to go ahead and point out what the small southern part of my head is saying; that’s a lot of democratic leaning organizations. The multitude of democratic organizations make sense, because in recent year Climate Change has become a major issue and I do believe that the majority of the intended audience are liberal minded people. However, there were many appeals to the Republican fan base as well; the inclusion of footage from preachers and trade workers dedicating their support to the mission is a classic lets get the Southerners in line tactic. I really liked how they used the woman crying about how she wants to protect the environment for her future kids, even if you have a heart that is three sizes too small kids always manage to hit the heart strings with brutal force.
Overall, I thought the film did a good job getting their ideas across. I definitely would have changed the music, but the images they used and how they transitioned between them was absolute perfection. They definitely gained a follower from this particular viewing, what can I say I’m a mess when emotional appeals are done correctly.
The set up of the film was extremely interesting and added to the emotional appeal in an odd way. The film used footage of natural disasters, news reports of marches and disasters, and footage of power plants interchangeably to shock the audience. Humans tend to have short attention spans, and the filmmakers packed an emotional punch by montaging natural disasters together, it gave the movie the much needed shock value that emotional appeals need in order to work. Another footage trick that I thought worked well for the mood of the film was the transitions from scene to scene. They were like Beyoncé, flawless and captivating. They constantly transitioned from scenes that showed marches/the current day to scenes that involved the chaos and destruction. It was a constant merry go round of happy and sad that kept the viewer glued to their screen. The music helped with the effect and emphasized the urgency of the crisis. However, I do think that they overkilled it in parts because it just took away from the scene entirely. It is hard to pay attention to a message when the literal stereotype for intense hype music #38 is playing in the background. If they had chosen to lower the volume or chose a subtler version of the song I think it would’ve made the message even more portant instead of detracting from the seriousness of the issue at hand.
The film also used its speakers to give it both credibility and sound logic. Everyone and their mother was in that film. CNN, WWF, The New York Times, MSNBC, a Democratic Senator, Harvard, NASA, MIT, 350.org, and other grassroots organizations all had a say in the making of this video. I’m going to go ahead and point out what the small southern part of my head is saying; that’s a lot of democratic leaning organizations. The multitude of democratic organizations make sense, because in recent year Climate Change has become a major issue and I do believe that the majority of the intended audience are liberal minded people. However, there were many appeals to the Republican fan base as well; the inclusion of footage from preachers and trade workers dedicating their support to the mission is a classic lets get the Southerners in line tactic. I really liked how they used the woman crying about how she wants to protect the environment for her future kids, even if you have a heart that is three sizes too small kids always manage to hit the heart strings with brutal force.
Overall, I thought the film did a good job getting their ideas across. I definitely would have changed the music, but the images they used and how they transitioned between them was absolute perfection. They definitely gained a follower from this particular viewing, what can I say I’m a mess when emotional appeals are done correctly.
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