INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH.
I looked at The work of Terrance Malick: Time Based Ecocinema by Gabriella Blais for my individual research. This article commented the ways that individuals reflect on their ethical responsibilities in relation to the environment and encourages critical reflection and a call to action. This relates closely to the aim of my groups final short film as we aim to mainly draw attention to the little things that humans don’t usually notice and the one off actions that can cause landslide effects on smaller creatures.
Scott McDonald states in the text Ecocinema Theory and Practice that “Recent decades have seen the development of a tradition of filming that uses technology to provide cinematic experiences of being immersed within the natural world” This tradition of ecocinema, looks at immersion in the natural world and fosters mindfulness, directly relating to outdoor filming by capturing the beauty of nature in a way that encourages viewers to reflect on their connection to the earth and environment. This relates to our short film plans as we aim to first peacefully introduce our audience to natural environment images before quickly editing jarring uncomfortable shots and audio into the film to shake viewers from their peace and remind them of the dangers of turning a blind eye to the damage humans inflict on the world around them.
Other media works that I looked at mainly consisted of nature documentaries of the sort. I found it interesting to consider the ways that making ecocinema can be detrimental to environments, especially during the filming process. This made me consider the ways that ecocinema can actually be the cause of environmental harm if not undergone carefully.
Blasi, G. (2019). The Work of Terrence Malick: Time-Based Ecocinema. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9789048541515
Rust, S., & et al. (Eds.). (2012). Ecocinema theory and practice. Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203099627