My group has developed a dominant creative idea for our major project. We will create a short film from the perspective of an animal or insect and use this to explore the impacts of climate change. Additionally,w e have discussed that we would like this piece to encourage action and confront viewers with a powerful message, not just with audiovisual techniques. 

So far this semester, I have been inspired largely by numerous works of ecocinema we have viewed in class. However, a less obviously environmentally conscious film I have seen recently, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Camp, 2021), has prompted me to consider ways of embedding a playful tone within our final work. The film follows an animated shell, Marcel, who lives in an Airbnb and seeks to reconnect with his family and community. The film is shot in a documentary style with various comical moments, but the storyline is framed mostly within the adventure genre. I would like to draw on the stylistic elements of this film, an animated character in an otherwise human world in order to raise awareness for non-human perspectives, even if they are highly anthropomorphised.

In the research paper, Assessing the ecological impact of industrial noise pollution on wildlife behavior in Okomu Forest Reserve, Nigeria., Ajibola-James et.al. note how industrial noise pollution disrupts animal communication, affecting vocalisations and scent signals. They write about how this leads to decreased population and breeding success, ultimately jeopardising their survival and food availability (Ajibola-James et.al., 2024, pp.9). Drawing on the impacts of noise pollution on animal welfare is a subject I would like to explore within our short film. The particular research points this paper covers could be great foundations to ensure our work is backed up by scientific information. 

Finally, I would like to draw on the tactics of emotional engagement when creating ecologically conscious media works that Harriet Rivo speaks to in Chapter 2, Visualizing Extiction in Animals, Plants and Afterimages : The Art and Science of Representing Extinction (Bienvenue, 2022). By anthropomorphising the creatures in the imagery and drawing on the animals’ existing human qualities, Rivo believes viewers are more likely to mourn their extinction. Similarly, I would like to create human attributes in the creature we represent to manipulate audiences.

Ajibola-James, O. O., Awotoye, O. O., Sonibare, J. A., & Oroboade, J. G. (2024). Assessing the ecological impact of industrial noise pollution on wildlife behavior in Okomu Forest Reserve, Nigeria. DISCOVER ENVIRONMENT, 2(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-024-00092-8

Bienvenue, V. & Chare, N. (2022). Animals, Plants and Afterimages : The Art and Science of Representing Extinction. Berghahn Books, Incorporated. ProQuest Ebook Central, pp. 77-78. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=6882402

Camp, D. F. (Director.) (2021). Marcel the Shell with Shoes On [Film]. A24.