Hawaii is known worldwide for its active volcanoes. Hazlett’s documentary Volcanic Island Life Cycle elucidates Hawai’i’s naturally occurring volcanoes and their impacts on the surrounding environment. The documentary tells about the peculiarities of the Hawaiian territory, describing the processes of eruption, solidification, the transformation of lava, and the formation of new lands, which are distinguished by their fertility due to the presence of a large number of nutrients that saturate the soil (Hazlett, 2018, 00:02:19). This short documentary is educational, as in the style of popular science storytelling, without detailed deepening, natural processes are described in general terms, mainly using the example of the Hawaiian Islands. The intended audience for this film can be high school students or students who are beginning to be interested in this problem.
The purpose of this film is to acquaint those interested with the natural processes of vulcanization and the formation of fertile soils. The main message of the author is to arouse the viewer’s interest in the problem. The appeal may be scientific, implying further study of the chemical and physical processes of the formation of lava and new islands. In addition, interest can be aesthetic, attracting new tourists, photographers, and artists to Hawaii.
Before watching this video, I was superficially familiar with the process of volcanic eruptions. I expected to see just a popular science video telling specifically about the Kilauea volcano and the features of explosions in this region. There were no questions about what he saw since any further research depends entirely on the viewer’s interest. This video is not intended to provide complete information on the issue since a deep analysis of this problem requires preliminary preparation.
In brief, the video details the eruption at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai’i, one of the largest volcanos in 200 years. This video focuses on the formation of fertile soils after a volcanic eruption. The shooting is carried out directly on the Hawaiian Islands; however, in general, the film’s visual component is a compilation of animations, and videos reflecting the main thoughts of the voiceover.
Sound effects are classic for such films, which accompany the voiceover, trying not to interrupt it. Moreover, you can hear music in the background, which creates a good experience for the events described. Videos and pictures are selected as effectively as possible. A film that tells about such global, beautiful and dangerous natural events should be filled with the best shots that reflect the beauty and severity of the surrounding world. The volcano is filmed from different angles, changing every few seconds, but the most exciting and exciting are filming from a sufficiently high altitude (Hazlett, 2018, 00:00:32). The interview in this film was introduced quite successfully, but in my opinion, they are necessary to reflect other points of view, if the film is an author’s one. The diversity and polarity of ideas will allow a broader view of the problem in a short time. No special effects were noticed in this film.
From this documentary, I learned about the process of vulcanization and soil formation in the Hawaiian Islands. Most of all, I liked the breathtaking footage of the eruption and nature. In my opinion, this film has no drawbacks since it serves only informational and inspiring purposes, implying further independent actions of the viewer in the study. I would recommend this film to friends interested in geography, photography, and physics, as well as those who like to spend time usefully and learn something new.
Reference
Hazlett, D. (2018). Volcanic island life cycle | Kīlauea: Hawaiʻi on fire. [Film]. Nova.