I had this whole post mapped out about the Localore website and the way it organizes disparate stories into a cohesive whole…but…I can’t get Bear 71 out of my head. Perhaps this has to do with my existing environmental interest, but it drew me in from the first moment the page loaded, and held my rapt attention until the narration was complete. I’ve been thinking about how the creators pulled that off, since I usually have a short attention span when media is unstructured (even with sites as digestible as The Interview Project).
I would agree with others that the narration was crucial. I think it was smart to write the story from the point of view of the bear, and I appreciate that this point of view was very heavy on the anthropomorphization. I know that many–particularly biologists–frown on this sort of thing; however, I do believe we empathize with those we understand, and pretending like an animal has human thoughts is perhaps the most effective way to get there. In any case, I constantly see examples of where we try not to anthropomorphize, but have no idea whether we’re actually pulling it off. Who understands, really, how an animal interprets the world? The only thing we know for sure is that they are sentient, but differently. I loved the balance in Bear 71: there is frank discussion about how animal realities are different from human ones, but by lending the bear a human voice we are invited to imagine life on the other side. Beautiful.
I also appreciated the flow of this piece. I think twenty minutes is too long to be left completely on your own, so it was critical to interject our wanderings with structured video clips that emphasize the narration. As an audience I do expect and desire a certain amount of hand-holding, so I think that by guiding us along at certain moments, Allison and Mendes kept the momentum of their work progressing at a forward clip. Conversely, I think the grainy camera footage might have been a bit much for an extended 20-minute period, so it worked well to have the chance to move around the map and track the bear…kept things interesting.
Hi Allyson,
I totally agree with your opinion about Bear 71. Wow! What an amazing mulitmedia documentary. I found Bear 71 was fascinating and troubling at the same time. However, (as I mentioned on Scott’s post) I was not able to finish watching it because as a 9 month pregnant woman, my sensitivity level is sky high and hearing of Bear 71′s plight for survival I just could not watch. Effective storytelling? Yes. Something that I could wrap my brain around? Yes. High interest? No, not at the moment. Perhaps after I deliver I can watch it, again.
I appreciate your subtle reading of the piece and how it is unfolding for the viewer. Can you imagine how it would play in a room of environmentalists/journalists who would be on their IPads viewing it intimately alone, and then engaging in a round talk discussion with people sitting next to them?
What would that experience be like?