According to Parms, what topics do activist documentary films focus on? According to Whiteman, in what ways do documentary films have political impact? Describe two specific examples, one from one of the articles by Whiteman and the other from the "Reports from the Road" about Blue Vinyl.
According to Parms, documentary films focus on “significant human drama and socio-political environments” as their topics. This covers a wide range of subjects, from controversial social issues to environmental problems. The films focus on these issues usually aligns with what the activist is trying to convey. For example, a film on environmental problems would serve a purpose to try to convince the public to try to stop these problems. According to Whiteman, films have a political impact through the audiences that watch them. The more audiences that watch a film usually means it will have a greater impact. For example, Rob Danielson’s “From The Ground Up” presented the social and environmental issues related to mining activities in northern Wisconsin. Activist groups distributed this video to many other groups and organizations. Eventually, the film was shown at government meetings, libraries, schools, churches, and numerous other places. This variety of venues allowed Danielson’s ideas to spread and become present among the general public. Another example of this has to do with the film “Blue Vinyl”, which presented the negative effects of vinyl siding due to the toxic byproducts (dioxin) of PVC. This film was shown on HBO, which allowed it to get across to many different audiences who, after viewing the film, were convinced and refused to buy vinyl siding and other products containing PVC. These two examples show the importance of conveying a film to many audiences in order to have a political impact.
ReplyDeleteParms states that demonstrations against post-9-11 foreign policy, citizen participation in electoral politics, and civil rights issues have taken over the union of film and politics. Overall, film makers want drama and emotion to pull the viewers into their trap. In the case of Blue Vinyl the producers succeeded in their efforts of changing the publics opinions about PVC. There is evidence through emails to the network, “Since the May 2002 HBO broadcast of Blue Vinyl on America Undercover, thousands of consumers have said “no” to vinyl. E-mails have flooded our in- box: ‘I was considering vinyl siding for the trim and fascia, until last night. I saw your film on HBO. The wood stays. Paint is cheaper than lives.’ An energy services director in Ithaca NY offered: ‘I oversee contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. After seeing Blue Vinyl I cancelled an order for 3000 vinyl windows.”
ReplyDeleteProfessor Whiteman says that political impact is felt differently through the groups that watch them. He says it is most likely to occur when at least one element of the issue network puts the documentary to work within the network causing the documentary to approach other elites. For example, the general public is familiar with films such as The Inconvenient Truth and Supersize Me. Each person who watches these documentaries are delivered the same message but how they interpret these messages and act upon them that varies.
According to Parms, the topics that activist documentary films focus on are “significant human drama and socio-political environments”. He brings up that displays against post 9/11 foreign policy, civil rights issues, citizen participation in electoral politics have been overcoming the unification of politics and films in the past years. This indicates how the producers of films are attracted and feed off the drama and feeling that comes from the viewers and traps them in. The producers of Blue Vinyl had definitely accomplished their goal of swaying the opinion of the public about PVC. There is even documented evidence that numerous amounts of consumers have been saying “no” the vinyl ever since the broadcast of Blue Vinyl, in 2002 on HBO.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Professor Whiteman, political impacts have been experienced differently depending on the type of groups that watch the films. Generally, the larger the audience that watches the films, the larger the impact the films will have. What networks issue the documentaries also has impact on how the groups react to the film. Depending on the network the film could be targeting specific audiences, for example airing on Lifetime Movie Network would reach a women’s demographic, while E! Network would reach a normally younger group. Though each person is delivered the same message through the film, the demographic targeted changes on how the message is received and from there acted upon.
Activist documentaries generally have been focusing on short stories of socio-political problems as well as many other controversial topics. The subjects range from foreign policies to stories of abuse and neglect. The issues that these activists decide to expose to society through media are usually issues that can be common to the public or subtle. According to Whiteman, documentaries have a strong political impact by influencing the people that have access to them, and hopefully invoking reactions that were not there before. This potential change in perception is what can have the biggest political impact. In the documentary “The Uprising of 34”, the whole process created an impact that could be considered political. For instance, the fact that the activists have a civil agenda by trying to enlighten the people on issues of morality shows have they had a political impact. The producers of the videos are not producing the documentaries for the financial profits associated with the process, but yet they make these videos to get a change in a field or topics they find significant. Another example of the political impact of these documentaries comes from the organization known as “Blue Vinyl”. Their movement called, My House is Your House was designed to make a difference through reaching out to everyone in society; including policy makers in government positions. The issue that their organization is based off of is the chemical toxic waste(dioxin) that is released from PVC pipe.
ReplyDeleteActivist documentary films typically focus on anything they see as far as controversial issues in society today. Many of these can be found online with widespread videos and short films. Protests and demonstrations take the central role of activist documentary films, as Parms mentions “battles on free speech,” “demonstrations against post 9-11 foreign policy,” and issues concerning child abuse. In Whiteman’s essay, it is mentioned that those concerned with changing public policy with their activist documentary films will be more focused on the issue rather than the effect on the individual in order to examine broader changes in these activist organizations. In order for a documentary to work in conveying its message and inciting action, it must have connections to policy makers at every level. Improving linkages between urban and rural activists is one way in which to spread political influence by using documentaries. According to Whiteman, focusing on local and state agenda setting is one way to go when attempting political impact with a documentary. One way to do this is using an issue network to recruit new activists. This is shown in the Western Prison Project (WPP) campaign to locate the centers of resistance to their plans of prison expansion. Bringing the documentary to every town, the WPP held a discussion with the citizens on their thoughts of the film. After this information was compiled and ideas were formed of the areas with strong opposition versus those with little opposition, action could be taken to form a plan with political influence. Listserv is an example of a community concerned with issues in their area. A screening and conference for the members of Listserv occurs every year, and it is an excellent way to influence policy agenda, especially with all the feedback citizens may provide.
ReplyDeleteIn 1934, seven local workers of Honea Path, South Carolina had been killed in a textile strike. This strike went without recognition (most people did not even know about it) for more than sixty years, and it was only through the medium of a documentary that it started to gain some semblance of recognition. The documentary was titled The Uprising of ’34, and it was the result of the collaboration of two activist film makers. Stoney and Helfand, the two collaborators, kept much in mind throughout the process of making the film. They were concerned about its distribution, its overall impact, how they could relate it to the people, etc. One main contribution to this documentary’s success what that of a “coalition model.” By this, I mean the inclusion of activist groups, scholars, and individual citizens along the way in the production of this film.
One of the Blue Vinyl “Reports from the Road” focuses on the “PVC revolution.” My House is Your House was the title of the film that was produced in an effort to encourage green building and reduce the use of PVC in such materials. They were able to accomplish a political impact through their documentary with great connections of activist groups and professional organizations. Healthcare coalitions and Greenpeace are just two external groups that aided in the credibility and dispersion of this documentary on PVC. Connections with students attending universities that were undergoing major renovations and big companies such as Kaiser Permanente were involved to spread the word about their documentary, helping it attain success in political influence.
According to Parm, activist documentaries are blurring the line between news and film by creating entertaining pieces about foreign policy, electoral politics, activism, and civil rights issues. By focusing on a personal story to detail a bigger picture issue, these films capture audiences to relate with pressing political, social, and environmental concerns. As Whiteman explains though, the documentaries have much larger ramifications than the entertainment of an audience for a couple of hours. They have long- term influence on producers, activists, and policy makers. This issue- centered model of impact works to change public policy and activity among organizations in order to apply the knowledge presented by the documentary instead of casting it aside as a nice conversation piece. They "link" activists with policy makers. The "political elites" reached by the issue- centered model of film catalyze more profound change. AS mentioned in the article, the producer of "Yes, In My Backyard" eventually placed less emphasis on getting her product out to the masses but instead sent it to 10 people she thought would actually use it for reform and education. She now works with the OSI to call attention to the issue of prisons in rural communities. Similarly, the filmmakers of "Blue Vinyl" rallied support for their fight against the PVC industry by gathering activists in Louisiana at a Mormon church so strongly that it eventually reached ABC stations. Satellite coordinators thus began to back the cause and planned hundreds of events and screenings that caught the attention of policy makers thus completing the cycle of film to individual to activist to policy maker.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Parms, documentaries typically cover issues which would be considered controversial or off of the normal in the sense that they are not receiving a great deal of coverage from the mainstream media or the public at large. Parms mentions a number of different issues which are often the focus of documentary films such as gay rights/marriage equality, environmentalism, globalization, and the war on terror/other post 9-11 policies, among other topics. According to Whiteman political films have impact in a number of ways such as influencing policy changes, rallying grassroots public support over an issue, or even by helping to influence the public forum on a regional or possibly even national scale. An example from Whiteman’s article comes from Chapel Hill, North Carolina (only 25 miles from my house!) where local housing advocates showed Maxcine Mitchell’s documentary entitled “Living Conditions in Public Housing” to raise awareness of local public housing conditions which includes cockroaches and peeling paint. The activists used this movie so effectively that it eventually led to officials from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to set up negotiations from town officials in North Carolina over how housing conditions could be improved. Another example of activism through political film is from the organization Blue Vinyl which produced a movie entitled “My House is Your House” which discussed the unknown dangers of PVC pipe; this film and other consumer advocacy films like it make their greatest impact when people often change their purchasing patterns following viewing the film or hearing about it from someone who has viewed it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Parms, activist documentaries usually have a focus on either social or environmental videos. Parms gives examples of social change based on the surge of videos played at the Sundance Festival that had an emphasis on gay individuals and their response to the passing of Proposition 8. in terms of environmental action, Parms cities activist documentaries such as The Beekeepers, a video that explores the Colony Collapse Disorder of bees, and the threatened extinction of bees throughout the world due to the changing environment. It is noteworthy that the producers of this particular film use the documentary form as a method to highlight the mystery aspect in this phenomenon. Additionally Parms cites an activist named Cavanaugh who has been creating short videos for a long period of time and decided to mesh them together to create a documentary called On Coal River that follows 4 different activists in West Virginia protesting against Mountain Top Removal.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Whiteman, documentary films have great potential for political impact and reform based on the audience that the film is able to reach. For example in his article, “Using Grassroots Documentary Films for Political Change” he cities numerous instances where activist organizations utilized documentary films in order to have participants caught “up to speed” on varying issues as well as showing the documentaries in local areas as a means of quickly dispersing information to a large target audience.
According to Parms, activist documentary films focus on many aspects, including gathering their audience during production and challenging and informing the public about an issue. They focus their ideas on what will “bite” the audience so that what they have to say cannot be forgotten easily. They do this by focusing on “the emotional arc of a character”. They really want their audience to somehow be able to personally relate to an issue or to the people directly affected by an issue. According to Whiteman, documentary films have their largest political impact during the production stages of a film and not necessarily once the film is done. During these crucial “journey” stages, people such as producers, journalists, participants, activities, and citizens are educated about the issue at hand and are more so inclined to take action. Political impact is also more widely made in communities and subcultures outside of mainstream media. Therefore, producers of documentaries will mainly focus on advertising their film to groups who’d most benefit and who would most likely be the ones to take action. These subcultures include activists and educators among others.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Reports from the Road” are committed to inspire a toxic free environment, which means a PVC-free habitat. In order to successfully reach their targeted audience, the film producer uses humor to make people laugh and then make them passionate about igniting a change. Making a political impact is all about reaching an audience. Awareness about the effects of Blue Vinyl certainly had a lasting impact on a woman whose mother was going to put vinyl siding on her house. This woman gave her mother the documentary in hopes of changing her mind. This is an example of the first steps it takes to make political change- by making decisions on what we buy and what we use.
Activist documentaries cover different issues, but mostly cover politics, and "continued rights around civil rights issues." A documentary that really sticks out in my mind is one I watched in my economics class in high school. The documentary was about an issue in New York City right beside ground zero. They were wanting to build a mosque right down the street from ground zero, and there was a lot of controversy and of course construction and renovations to build the mosque never happened. But this was a huge issue that involved a lot of political figures in New York. According to Whiteman, the films are viewed different depending on the audience. The hopes are to leave the viewer with different feelings about the issue than they had before. It is all about the "outreach", which is now the key element to social-issue documentaries. Since my mom is from Wisconsin, I thought that "From the Ground Up" was interesting. It discussed the issues both environmental and social of mining. The documentary became known basically by word of mouth and distribution. A few people showed it to others, those people showed it to others, and so on and so forth. The video was then shown in different meetings, libraries, schools, and other places and events. "My House Is Your House" was produced by Blue Vinyl and discusses the hidden dangers of PVC. They gathered activists and together they all collaborated, dispersed, and made the video seen. People who watched the video actually bought other materials instead of PVC and that is really what these documentaries all aim for; they want to make a difference and get viewers support.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Parms, activist documentaries usually focus on a controversial topic, such as environmental preservation,equality, war, and civil rights. Their goal is to challenge a widely accepted belief in society, and show the viewers how they may bevery wrong. They focus on one individuals story so that they viewer becomes attached to the character, and is able to feel the desired emotions. Feeling connected helps the audience feel connected to the peoplein the video. Whiteman says that these documetaries have the most political impact during the films production, and not after publication. Participants in the film such as journalists, producers, and onlookers of activities become very educated during the production, and have a greater desire to take action. After the film is done being made, producers choose to advertise the film tothe groups of people who are most likely to be impacted by it, and thus want to take action. One ecample of this was a video called "Blue Vinyl" which showed to horrible affects of vinyl siding. Because this documentary was shown on HBO it was able to reach a large audience, and a lot of people took action, buying different materials.Another example is Living Conditions in Public Housing. This documentary showed the awful conditions in public housing in Chapel Hill, NC, including cockroaches. This video caused activisim by the Federal Department of Housing, which stepped in and forced North Carolina to improve these situations.
ReplyDeleteThe Conservation Voters of SC work to make the issues in our environment and conservation a top priority among leaders, political candidates, and voters. CVSC is made up of 23 directors both republican and democratic. They are the different from other conservation organizations because they can contribute to political campaigns, talk to voters to inform them of the best fit candidate in their district, and make endorsements. The electoral activities are conducted through PAC which is the Conservation Voters Political Action Committee. A program of CVSC that I was grabbed my attention was the biennial scorecard. The scorecard shows the weaknesses and strengths of CVSC. The scorecards depend on votes and becomes more reliable with more votes. A question I would ask a representative form CVSC: How are you working to better the scorecard and make it more reliable?
ReplyDeleteSustainable Midlands is made up of many organizations that are dedicated to following the ways of sustainable communities. The program I found most interesting under Sustainable Midlands is the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. They work to preserve historical landmarks, conserve natural and cultural resources in South Carolina, and promote being outdoors by keeping up and creating trails and greenways. A question I would ask a representative of Sustainable Carolina: Where does the money come from that funds these different programs?