Reflection

Reflection

Truly as ridiculous as it sounds, my film is an infomercial for marine pollution. A parody of the overly chipper and animated tone of television advertisements, “1-800-MARINE-POLLUTION” uses comedy to bring light to climate change. Loyal to its infomercial composition, the main purpose of the video is to educate the audience about marine pollution—its causes, facts and impacts—but does so using satire, irony, and a nearly dystopian point of view. The video portrays marine pollution as a product, while plastic and chemical pollutants become subcategories. The opening line, “Are you tired of the deep, blue sea; the fresh oxygen; the mesmerising aquatic life…? We’re sick of it too!” is simultaneously a parody of infomercials’ desired relatability as well as a commentary on our attitude towards the ocean. Perhaps the film’s dramatisation is not as far off from the truth as we would like to believe, since the company “Hugh Manatee” is only a mirror of humankind. In the video, however, Hugh Manatee soon realises its own mistakes and becomes a climate activist. I crafted this character development as a representation of hope or even an optimistic manifestation of our future.