Sea Sermon
This example brings traditional documentary style together with narrative fantasy in a hybridized stylistic mini doc (short documentary).
P: Plan. Produce.
My fortitude and skills as a producer were truly put to the test during this project. On the second day of production, my mother suffered a massive stroke. I am the one who stepped up to care for her. I had to keep the production moving along while also coordinating all of my mother’s rehab and acting as her sole advocate. I managed to pull it off and keep the project on schedule and to a very modest budget.
This short is one of six. I recruited a number of people to be part of the cast and crew. I coordinated with a number of established organizations and venues to conduct the documentary interviews and shoot the B-roll of the animals. It took a lot of organization and planning to keep all the moving parts in motion.
A: Audit. Make Accessible.
I made it accessible with available transcripts. The majority of the auditing was selecting what shots to keep versus not when re-editing to submit to film festivals as it is strategic to tailor to each one a bit.
R: Revise. Reinvent: Be flexible and persistent
This is just one episode in a series of webisodes that stemmed from a feature. The chapters functioned more effectively as shorts. I did a lot of re-edits and as a result, the project won a Telly Award and was an official selection of the International Ocean Film Festival and the LA Film Festival.
T: Teach. Touch.
This project tells a story to bring the facts to life in an effort to move audiences. The tone of the music is both familiar and spiritual so that audience members can recognize the song and take note that the lyrics have changed and tune in to see how and why.
Preaching to the choir and beyond:
Many conservationists and wildlife advocates will get the message from the get go: save the planet and all of its species; others may not. So in an effort to reach out to as many audience members as possible, this project attempts to move different learning styles (educator background) and personality types (project management training).
Those who need scientific fact to persuade them, will likely appreciate the hard facts revealed in the traditional and familiar style of the live action documentary segments.
Those who are open to having their emotions stirred by the lyrics, music, and characters, will likely be moved by the fantasy world depicted in the sea sermon led by the pinniped preacher.
Of course viewers can witness visual fact and audience members can hear documented facts; this audio-visual experience is true of most videos (or least it should be).
In addition, clickable button to empower viewers to become active users (UX knowledge) with clickable buttons that lead to more information about the marine mammal species and locations featured.
Lastly, to meet accessibility guidelines, I included written transcripts with a timeline for those using reading devices.
Written transcripts (to meet accessibility guidelines)
Narrator (Kamala) 0:04
I noticed that the sea lions struck a consistent pose at the Marine Mammal Center with their nose to the sky that appeared very spiritual to me. The vet tech I interviewed Deb Wickham explained that “they will do his own posture, they’ll put their heads up and they’ll say, you know, like ‘ I’m okay”. So that they look less vulnerable than they really were. I had no idea how many reasons why they ended up at a rescue and rehab center, like the Marine Mammal Center, including sickness from domoic acid, seizures, starvation, even gunshot wounds. This horrified me, inspired me to explore how they maintain the will to survive. I decided to play with the idea of a sea lion version of keeping the faith. So I wrote a pinnipeds sermon with a preacher and chorus, the whole gospel shebang.
Pinniped Preacher 0:55
The bipeds asked the question, why do pinnipeds bleat? When we raise our heads to the sky? What do we mean to say, the biped stand and ponder when we bleep and bark. Sometimes we’re sick and coughing to say that something’s wrong.
Marine Mammal Chorus 1:17
When I’ve been entangled, and when my sea is dirty; when my food leads to sickness. And when gunshots move me…
Pinniped Preacher 1:36
I bleat because I’m happy. I believe because I’m free. My eye is on the ocean ’cause that’s where I’m free.
Marine Mammal Chorus 1:50
I bleat, because I’m happy, I bleat because I’m free. My eye is on the ocean ’cause I know I’ll soon swim free.
Pinniped Preacher 2:10
And if the bipeds asked you “how could you know?” Raise your nose and posture and bleat the whole day long.
Marine Mammal Chorus 2:20
I look up to the skyline and dream of being free. I rest in the warm sunshine; and I know that I’ll be free. My eye is on the ocean, ’cause I know I’ll soon swim free.
Pinniped Preacher 2:49
And when the rehab is over. We’ve all said “amen” in your heart just keep on bleeting and freedom will never end.
Marine Mammal Chorus 3:00
Oh my eye is on the ocean ’cause I know I’ll soon swim free