Boulder, CO (October 24, 2008)–Sound Devices 722 and 744T digital audio recorders, supplied by Boulder’s Wind Over The Earth, helped bring to light the suffering and killing of wild dolphins in Taiji, Japan for a new documentary by the Oceanic Preservation Society.
The film follows the annual roundup of dolphins in Japan to be sold to the captive dolphin industry or inhumanly killed, disguised and sold as more expensive whale meat to school lunch programs and as part of the general food supply around the country. The film will also stress the health effects and environmental causes of the high levels of mercury found in the dolphin meat being sold and consumed.
An essential element of the story was, sadly, the audio, which captured the sounds of the dolphins screaming and thrashing as dolphin hunters banged poles to frighten them and drive them into a secret cove where they would be hunted and killed. In order to acquire all that was necessary, the crew required recording devices that could hold up under a variety of harsh conditions. For instance, some recorders were set up underwater or outdoors in areas protected by steep cliffs and high razor wire barricades to keep the public out. With their setup features and adaptability to any production condition, the Sound Devices recorders were the right tools for the project.
“With this kind of operation, you don’t really get a second chance,” explains assistant director Charles Hambleton. “All of our audio was recorded in real-time, so it was important to get it right the first time. Sound Devices 744Ts were easy to setup and operate. They were sturdy enough to capture the dolphins’ reactions under water and easily interchangeable for any audio setup. The sounds we captured were amazing and are being analyzed by the top marine mammal researchers—very disturbing stuff.”
Sound Devices, LLC
www.sounddevices.com
Oceanic Preservation Society
www.opsociety.org
