Documentary Glossary presentations
HW: Quiz Friday on documentary filmmaking techniques
Using Documentary Film as Rhetorical Analysis Worksheet
Pick a segment from the list below:
Theme: Dawn Brancheau's Death - February 24, 2010
Opening 911 calls from SeaWorld Orlando
Emergency response audio
Introduction to the central tragedy
Brief glimpses of Dawn performing with Tilikum
Sets the documentary's investigative tone
Theme: Becoming a SeaWorld Trainer
Former trainers describe their childhood dreams of working with orcas
Interviews with John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Carol Ray, Mark Simmons, Dean Gomersall
The allure and excitement of working at SeaWorld
Training process and first experiences with killer whales
The emotional bond trainers form with the animals
Introduction to Dawn Brancheau as an exemplary senior trainer
Theme: Wild Orca Captures in the 1970s-1980s
John Crowe's testimony about capturing orcas in the Pacific Northwest
Dramatic descriptions of capture methods: aircraft, speedboats, bombs
The separation of calves from their families
Emotional accounts of whales' grief and resistance
Discovery of three dead whales weighted down and hidden
1976: SeaWorld banned from Washington waters, moves operations to Iceland
Tilikum's capture in Iceland in 1983 at age 2
Theme: Tilikum's Early Captivity and First Death
Tilikum arrives at Sealand in Victoria, British Columbia
Description of the inadequate facility ("net hanging in a marina")
Food deprivation as training method
Whale-on-whale aggression: two females constantly rake Tilikum
Nighttime confinement in a 20x30-foot metal box for 14+ hours
February 21, 1991: Death of trainer Keltie Byrne
Eyewitness accounts (Nadine Katilin, Corinne Cowell) of Tilikum pulling Keltie underwater
Sealand closes; Tilikum available for purchase
Theme: SeaWorld Acquires Tilikum Despite His History
1992: Tilikum transferred to SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld needs him as a breeder
Trainers not given full details about Keltie Byrne's death
Told it was "trainer error" or that females were responsible
Continued aggression from other whales at SeaWorld
Tilikum kept isolated for his "protection"
Incident where Tilikum lunges at trainer Liz; videotape ordered destroyed
Jeffrey Ventre's account of being told to destroy evidence
Theme: SeaWorld's Misinformation Campaign
Trainers describe repeating "party line" information to guests
Lifespan lies: SeaWorld claims orcas live 25-35 years; reality is 50-100 years
Dorsal fin collapse: SeaWorld claims 25% of wild orcas have collapsed fins; reality is <1%
"Family" claims: SeaWorld presents mixed pods as families; they're actually from different cultures/languages
Whale-on-whale violence in captivity vs. virtually none in the wild
1988: Kandu rams Corky, severs artery, bleeds out
Trainers begin to question what they've been told
Theme: The Trauma of Breaking Up Whale Families
Carol Ray's account of Kalina being separated from mother Katina at age 4½
Katina's overnight screaming and grief
Takara separated from mother Kasatka
Kasatka making "long range vocals" never heard before, searching for her calf
Scientific evidence: orcas have highly developed emotional centers in their brains
Dr. Lori Marino on orca neuroscience and emotional complexity
Theme: The Intelligence and Nature of Wild Orcas
Historical shift from viewing orcas as monsters to understanding their intelligence
No record of wild orcas harming humans
Orcas live in matriarchal family groups; offspring never leave mother's side
Each pod has unique vocalizations (languages) and cultures
Brain structure reveals extraordinary emotional lives
Dr. Lori Marino: sense of self distributed among the group
Footage of wild orca hunting techniques and coordination
First Nations perspectives on orcas as spiritually powerful beings
Theme: Pattern of Violence and Concealed Information
70+ killer whale trainer accidents at SeaWorld
1987: John Sillick crushed between two whales at SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld blames "trainer error"; video evidence shows otherwise
Tamarie attacked by Orkid; rescued only when gates opened to threaten whale with dominant Kasatka
Ken Peters dragged underwater repeatedly by Kasatka; nearly drowns
Peters' calm demeanor and diving knowledge saves his life
SeaWorld presents these as successes of training protocols rather than near-fatalities
Trainers kept uninformed about the history of incidents
Theme: Daniel Dukes - July 6, 1999
Man found dead, draped over Tilikum's back
Official story: drifter, hypothermia, stayed after hours
Medical examiner report: body stripped, genitals bitten off, bite marks throughout
Questions about night watch procedures and surveillance
Tilikum retained despite second death because of breeding value
Tilikum breeded extensively; 54% of SeaWorld's orcas have his genes
Theme: Alexis Martinez's Death - December 24, 2009
Four young SeaWorld orcas sent to Loro Parque in Canary Islands
Inadequate facility and undertrained staff
Whales eating the pools; dental and stomach problems
Alexis Martinez, the best trainer, tells fiancée the night before: "Maybe tomorrow something might happen to me"
Brutal attack; chest burst open
Initially called "accident"; autopsy reveals it was an attack
SeaWorld's responsibility for whales and training methods at Loro Parque
Theme: February 24, 2010 - What Really Happened
Main show that day was chaotic; whales not cooperating
Dawn performs "Dine with Shamu" session with Tilikum in back pool
Video analysis: Tilikum initially responsive
Missed whistle cue on perimeter pec wave
Three-second neutral response (no reward)
Dawn running out of fish; Tilikum can hear ice at bottom of bucket
Frustration builds
Dawn lies on rocky ledge for relationship session
Tilikum grabs her left forearm, barrel rolls, drags her in
"Completely mutilated that poor girl"
Emergency response; Tilikum won't release her arm, swallows it
SeaWorld's shifting narrative: first "slipped and fell," then "ponytail"
Evidence suggests ponytail story is false; likely grabbed her arm
Theme: Legal Battle and SeaWorld's Response
OSHA vs. SeaWorld court case
Dave Duffus testimony: same pattern as Keltie Byrne 20 years earlier - "We have not learned a damn thing"
SeaWorld blames Dawn: "it was her mistake"
Former trainers outraged at blaming the victim
OSHA ruling: trainers must stay behind barriers, separated from orcas
SeaWorld appeals the decision
Debate over whether captivity causes psychosis vs. "trainer error"
Mark Simmons (SeaWorld defender) vs. trainers and scientists
Theme: Where We Go From Here
Tilikum floating lifeless in pool for hours
Performing limited shows (a few bows) before returning to isolation
Graphic: "Tilikum remains at SeaWorld Orlando, performing daily"
Former trainers call for end to captivity and performances
Proposals for sea pens for whales too old/sick to release
"In 50 years we'll look back and go, 'My God, what a barbaric time'"
Final graphic: SeaWorld declined to be interviewed for this film
Closing tribute to Dawn Brancheau from her sister Diane Gross
Dawn's legacy and the human cost of captivity
DUE: Rhetorical Anaysis worksheet ?'s 1-7
Quiz- documentary filmmaking techniques
HW: Second page worksheet