When I read books multiple times, I get something new out of them each time. This especially happens as I age; for instance, I have read The Great Gatsby many times and continue to pause in thought or surprise every so often.
I watched Chasing Coral for a third time tonight at a screening hosted by the Geology club, LEAP, and PAW. I watched it twice this summer, but I found myself just as, if not more, mesmerized watching it tonight than either time before.
There were many aspects of documentary filmmaking that I newly appreciated. Mainly, these were struggles, challenges to be overcome. During the first few rounds of attempts, divers and filmmakers experienced countless frustrations. These brilliant people were attempting to film a documentary and affect change in an environment for which no equipment is truly built. It was hard and painstaking, but people were driven. Parts were custom made for the project. Mass amounts of time were spent brainstorming and creating parts that would allow for these underwater timelapses to be perfect. Data came back, and was blurry. Troubleshooting began.
The team had to adapt to their environment not just underwater but in quickly changing water, with unpredictable storms and harsh currents. When an opportunity arose to shoot somewhere else, they had to make moves to do so; they handled these times with intense motivation and grace. I found that while watching, I thought that I could only hope to learn to handle unexpected situations in that manner.