Documentary Post 2

         The film makes the claim that relationships have changed because of the internet.  Social networking sites have created a new foundation for how people can connect, but in some cases, the people we meet are not who they seem.  New (potential) danger has been brought into the world because of how easily people can create false identities.  Regulations should be enforced on these websites to ensure the safety of all who use them. 
          In 2009, Philip Markoff committed three robberies, killing one victim.  He became known as the Craiglist Killer as he met these women through Craigslist.com.  Using websites to give meet people on false pretenses is wrong, especially if there violent. But, the formation of these websites allows this to happen.  It’s becoming more common for bad guys to connect with people on these sites.  More often, assaults are connected back to a social  networking site.  For years, young people have been educated on “stranger danger” but today that stranger, it seems, has changed his/her form.  This stranger can appear to be attractive, kind and intelligent.  But it could be all a lie, as in Yaniv’s experience.  As a society, we trust the Internet to inform us, to let us share our opinions, to connect.  But that trust can not and should not extend to every use of the Internet.  People need to be informed on the importance of privacy.  If social networking site users keep their profiles available only to friends and family, they won’t be at risk.
         The film Catfish is an example of a best case scenario for social site abuse.  But too often, people are being harmed for meeting people who are not who they appear to be online.  Technology has changed the way we communicate and connect, but bad guys will always remain.  It’s important to move cautiously towards online relationships as not everyone will be as fortunate as Yaniv Shulman

Documentary Post 1

          Catfish, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman, follows Yaniv Schulman as he builds a relationship with a woman on the social networking site, Facebook.  Yaniv Schulman is a photographer and receives a painting done by Abby Pierce, an incredibly talented eight year old painter.  He soon becomes in contact with the rest of the family and starts a romantic relationship with Megan, Abby’s older sister. They keep in touch through Facebook and phone conversations, but soon Schulman starts to sense there is something unusual about Megan.  She sends him MP3s of her music, but Schulman finds the same songs on you tube.com, sung by a different artist.  He determines that she lied about being a singer.  Next, she tells him that Abby has sold many pieces at an art gallery downtown.  Schulman discovers that the art gallery doesn’t even exist.  Joost, Ariel and Yaniv Shulman decide to travel to Michigan to confront Megan.  They arrive at Angela’s house (Megan’s supposed mom) and suspect that Angela has been the mastermind behind the Megan and the collection of lies.  She affirms their suspicion.  Angela is Megan.  In fact, there is no Megan.  Angela used photos of a model!  For months, Angela had been posing as 16 different characters on Facebook.  She created a circle of friends and made Yaniv believe she was someone she really isn’t.  This film has much to say about the dangers of social networking sites.  It’s easy to create a false identity for yourself and who you come in contact with, may not be who they seem.  The film makers never criticized Angela for what she did, they instead sympathized with her.  Angela stated, that the personalities she created were just fragments of herself: who she was, who she wants to be, who she’ll never be.  The film emphasizes how easy it can be to create your own fantasy world, but reminds the audience, all actions do have consequences.
          Most of the film is shot with eye level composition, which is the most natural camera position.  Most footage is candid.  As Yaniv makes all these discoveries about who Megan really is, the audience is right there in the moment with him.  There is no formal interview.  Because it is eye level, it’s as if Yaniv is telling us his thoughts.  This makes him seem personable.  It’s like the audience is on the journey with him.  The documentary also uses a point of view shot composition, meaning the camera reveals what a character is actually seeing.  As Yaniv messages Megan, the audience often sees the conversation.  We see the pictures on Facebook, the you tube videos . There is also a lot of footage of maps and roads and GPS routes.  This element of travel emphasizes distance and how far apart Megan and Yaniv are, yet how close a friendship they had.  Despite being thousands of miles apart, Yaniv and Megan (actually Angela) were able to make a unique connection.   There was a relationship between the title and something Vince, Angela’s husband, said.  He stated, “This guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes.”  This speaks to one of the themes of the movie.  Without the people who “keep you guessing and keep you thinking” everyone would be boring and dull.  Angela proved to be a catfish.  At the end of the film, there was a sequence of follow ups.  It ended with the phrases: “Nev is on Facebook. He has 732 friends. Including Angela.”  The audience is left with a good impression of Yaniv.  It establishes ethos.  He appears to be an understanding and empathetic young man. The mood of the film was incredibly informal, but usually online dating is just that.  The way they edited and produced the film was appropriate and fitting for the subject.