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SONIC SEA

Film Info

61 minutes
Discovery Channel presents a film by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Diamond Docs
Available for Free AND Ticketed events
Synopsis:
Everywhere on Earth songs of life can be heard. This is even more apparent deep down in the darkness of the sea, where whales and other marine life depend on sound to mate, find food, migrate, raise their young and defend against predators. Yet, their symphony of life is being disrupted by the industrialized noise that has become commonplace in our oceans today—with tragic and deadly costs.  Created in partnership with NRDC and IFAW, Sonic Sea travels beneath the ocean’s surface to uncover the damaging consequences of increased ocean noise pollution and what can be done to stop it.

Filmmaker Q&A

● What inspired this story?
Sonic Sea was inspired by the devastating impact that ocean noise pollution is having on whales, dolphins, fish and other marine life. Intense noise from naval sonar, airguns used in oil and gas exploration, and heavy ships are destroying the ocean’s delicate acoustic habitat, threatening the ability of whales and other sea creatures to prosper and even to survive. We made Sonic Sea to raise awareness about this problem and to propel solutions before it’s too late.

● Describe some of the challenges faced while making this film.
The biggest artistic challenge we faced is that Sonic Sea a film about sound. And sound that most humans never hear. That meant coming up with a visual vocabulary to depict the complex acoustic world of the ocean, and creating a score and sound design that completely immerses the audience in this rich and unfamiliar soundscape.

● How do you approach storytelling?
Sonic Sea tells a complex scientific story, but we knew it had to be grounded in human narrative and emotion. We structured the film around the story of Ken Balcomb, a veteran Navy acoustics expert and whale scientist who worked heroically to prove to the Navy that it was killing whales with sonar.

● What impact do you hope this film will have?
We are deeply gratified to see that Sonic Sea already is making a difference. The film helped spur the release of NOAA’s long-delayed ocean noise strategy; helped convince the Canadian government to commit to reduce shipping noise in key habitats; was instrumental in General Electric collaborating on an industry consortium to reduce shipping noise; led to a partnership with Maersk, the world’s second largest shipping company, to launch a pilot project on vessel retrofits and noise reduction; and was widely used by grassroots advocates in last year’s successful fight—now renewed during the Trump administration—against seismic blasting off the mid-Atlantic and southeast coasts.

● Were there any surprising or meaningful experiences you want to share?
One of the most meaningful experiences in making Sonic Sea was to see the emotion that drives some of the world’s leading marine scientists and ocean explorers. Their personal stories about interacting with whales were so moving that we built a whole sequence of the film around them.

● Anything else you would like people to know?
The ocean is an acoustic environment. Sound travels fast and far in salt water. Much farther than light. That’s why so many life forms in the ocean use sound to communicate, navigate, hunt, and raise their young. We need to respect that. Which means making a lot less noise. We have the technology to be much quieter. It’s just about making the choice. Let’s allow all of the singing voices of the planet to be heard.

● What next?
We’re hoping to make a film that looks at climate change in a new way: through the eyes of America’s soldiers.
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307-200-3286

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SITEMAP

  • Home
  • About
    • Get Involved >
      • Donate
      • Become a Partner
      • Volunteer
      • Internships
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Council
    • Our Team
    • News Room
    • Shop
    • Contact Us
  • Summit
    • 2022 Summit >
      • Summit Photos
      • Program & Schedule
      • Transportation >
        • Airport Transportation
      • Speakers
      • 2022 Partners
      • About Burgenland
    • Summit Archive >
      • 2021 Summit >
        • 2021 Summit Sessions
        • Program & Schedule 2021
        • Speakers
        • 2021 Partners
      • 2020 Virtual Summit >
        • Speakers 2020
        • 2020 Partners
      • 2019 Summit >
        • 2019 Program & Schedule
        • 2019 Session Recordings
        • 2019 Programming
        • 2019 Exhibitors >
          • Exhibitor Workshops
          • XR Demos
        • 2019 Partners
      • 2017 Festival & Summit
      • 2015 Festival & Summit
      • 2013 Festival & Summit
  • Awards
    • Media Awards >
      • 2022 Media Awards
      • 2021 Media Awards
      • 2020 Media Awards
      • 2019 Media Awards >
        • 2019 Judges
      • Media Awards Archive
    • Special Jury Recognitions >
      • 2022 Special Jury
      • 2021 Special Jury
    • World Wildlife Day Film Showcase >
      • Conservation Heroes
      • Recovering Species
      • Forests
      • Biodiversity >
        • Biodiversity: Final Jury
      • Living Oceans >
        • Ocean Finalists & Winners
        • Living Oceans Final Jury
      • Big Cats
      • Elephants
    • Legacy Award
    • Rising Star Award
    • On Tour >
      • Films
      • Schedule
      • Host an Event
      • Tour FAQ
  • Frontiers
    • Media Lab >
      • 2022 Media Lab Fellows
      • 2021 Media Lab >
        • 2021 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2021 Media Lab: South Africa
        • 2021 Media Lab Mentors
      • 2020 Media Lab >
        • 2020 Media Lab Fellows
        • 2020 Media Lab Contributors
      • 2019 Media Lab >
        • 2019 Media Lab Fellows
    • Summit Fellowship >
      • 2022 Summit Fellows
      • 2021 Summit Fellows
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      • 2019 Summit Fellows
    • Cinematography Lab
    • Partner Labs >
      • African Conservation Voices >
        • Kenya
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      • 2020 Wild Women Media Lab: Africa
      • 2020 Summit Kenya Lab
  • Collective
    • Narration Writing Masterclass
    • Action Coalitions >
      • 2021 Action Coalitions
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    • Gear Hub
    • Virtual Event Details
  • Blog