Student documentary shines a light on shark nets
A group of passionate Western Sydney University students have launched a short documentary exploring the impacts of shark nets on marine life and the role emerging technologies could play.
Produced as part of a screen media assignment, the students behind Submerged: The Hidden Truth About Shark Nets are Ella Southwell, Siobhan Cowles, Tiffany Kabriel, Aaron Waite, and Brigette Halpin.
As part of the documentary, the students conducted a number of interviews including with highly respected marine and estuarine ecologist Dr Peter Scanes, Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, and several activists.
Ella, who is studying the Bachelor of Screen Media and directed the film, said the idea for the documentary came about after she saw a video of a dolphin that was killed in shark nets at Bronte Beach.
She said the team had previously worked on projects together, however, they had never worked on a project with so much importance behind it.
“I, like so many others, was oblivious to the impacts these nets have on marine life, including turtles and dolphins. I knew that I wanted to spread awareness of this issue, so more people, like me, can become educated and aware,” said Ella.
As well as exploring the effectiveness of shark nets and their impact on marine life, the documentary shines a light on alternative methods, including emerging drone technologies.
“We discovered the alternative methods to shark nets, the major one being drone technologies, which not only can detect sharks and alert lifeguards but have the additional benefit of detecting struggling swimmers,” she said.
“We hope that the audience learns about the outdated shark meshing technologies and learns about their false sense of security. We hope they also learn about the new technologies and actively encourage the removal of shark nets.”
Maryella Hatfield, Lecturer, Communication, Creative Industries and Screen Media within the School of Humanities and Communication Arts said the impactful short documentary was an example of the hands-on learning students participate in as part of their studies.
“Students are encouraged to explore real-world issues that are important to them during their studies at the University to develop their skills as the next generation of creatives,” said Maryella.
“This was also an important opportunity to gain practice in interviewing scientists and people with expertise in the area. This adds great value to the student's experience and the quality of their work.”
The students plan to continue to work together to produce documentaries and projects through their company, Sunny Side Up Productions.
They believe screen media and other creative technologies can have a large impact on our world, whether it is through entertainment or education.
Submerged: The Hidden Truth About Shark Nets can be viewed on YouTube (opens in a new window).
ENDS
4 October 2023
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