Doco Basics
What type of text is Blackfish?
A documentary
What attitude does the documentary encourage towards orcas?
Sympathy
What trainer’s death is explored in the documentary?
Dawn Brancheau
What is the main issue explored in Blackfish? What is the main issue explored in Blackfish?
Animal captivity/cruelty
What attitude does the documentary encourage towards animal captivity?
Critical/disapproving
Who was Alexis Martínez?
A trainer who was killed by an orca at Loro Parque.
What is the name of the orca most closely focused on in the documentary?
Tilikum
What technique is used when the documentary shows old SeaWorld footage?
Archival footage
Who was Keltie Byrne?
A trainer who was killed by Tilikum and two other orcas at Sealand of the Pacific.
What is the documentary’s overall purpose?
To challenge the audience’s support for keeping orcas in captivity for entertainment.
What technique is used when sad or tense music plays over emotional scenes?
Non-diegetic sound or music.
What happened to trainer Ken Peters during a performance?
An orca dragged him underwater.
What issue is shown when SeaWorld is accused of hiding or shaping information?
Misinformation and public manipulation.
What technique is used when the documentary cuts between happy SeaWorld shows and distressing information?
Juxtaposition
Why does the documentary include the deaths of Keltie Byrne, Alexis Martínez and Dawn Brancheau?
To show a pattern of danger linked to captivity and challenge the idea that these incidents were isolated accidents.