Ending Hunger

0:00

The video opens in complete darkness, but our focus is drawn to a faint light in the top left corner. As the light increases in size, we can tell a door is opening – a refrigerator door. This interior shot of the fridge allows us to many personal descriptions of the home. But first a boy, who can’t be older than 13 is peering inside. With the fridge being well-stocked with things like a bottle of milk, apple juice, a burger wrapped in fast food packaging, it seems casually organized. The household seems seems to have an abundant amount of food, to convey to the audience that this scene has a comfortable lifestyle for this boy. With the clean freshly painted kitchen behind the boy to reinforce this motion. Food certainly doesn’t seem like a scarcity for child.

00:01 – 0:02

With the door nearly fully open now, the boy has wandering eyes on his face, as he searches intently for something else, concentrated as he puts his hands on the marinara sauce and milk to push them to side. As he’s looking, there’s a man behind him, likely his father who is watching with a similar facial expression as his (likely) son. All of this food being pushed aside when its so readily available is telling us that it’s actually a secondary part of the video of ending hunger – a part of the background, an obstacle for the boy to look for his actual search.

00:02 – 00:03

As the video continues, the camera suddenly pans downward, and in our direct face is the object of the boys search, a homemade baking soda volcano. With it nearly taking up the whole shelf of the fridge. The fathers seems prideful in his son, despite the fully stocked fridge, the boy reached past all of the food to reach the volcano that seemed to have a “place of honor” in there. Only reinforcing the idea that food is a background element of this scene, than a necessity that they have to scavenge for.

00:04 – 00:05

Just as the boy grabs both ends of the volcano, to remove it from the fridge, the scene suddenly shifts. We see a blue ribbon labeled “1st Place” on a cabinet then the fathers hand reaches out to take it place it on the volcano, giving his son a pat on the shoulder and acknowledgement with a head nod. This is a clear indication of pride from the father to his son.

00:06 – 00:09

As we just finish seeing the father acknowledgement of the son we see a third person in the background, most likely the mother. Showcasing this boys full family and comfiness of lifestyle. The door closes on us, while we were still in the interior shot. Now inside that same darkness we mentioned earlier, we find ourselves inside another interior shot but from inside a double door pantry this time.

00:10 – 00:13

A young woman takes a step in the walk in pantry, her eyes wandering just like the boy earlier. Instead this seems like an average older home, but with at least 4 people behind her. This is clearly a festive get-together in their kitchen with the balloons and ribbons. After looking past all of the cereal and cans of food, her gaze comes to a close after turning on the light, to find what seems to be a blue square object. Her smile widens as she reaches past all of the food, to retrieve it.

00:13-00:16

We realize that blue square shaped object was actually her Cap for her graduation gown. The young woman takes a selfie with what can only be assumed to be her grandmother and sibling, the camera taking a few steps back showing more of their celebration and family and drinks being passed. The fully stocked space of food being overlooked once again to speak on the privilege of focusing on a milestone or accomplishment where having a celebration takes precedence over securing a daily meal shows how food empowers people to achieve more in their lives.

00:16 – 00:18

Focus of the scene shifts again, this time from the interior of a commercial-grade refrigerator with many grocery bags inside. A young man wearing an orange shirt labeled with “Volunteer” opens the door, with a wide grin on his face as he removes a bag to give to one of his many colleagues behind him. I can only assume this is a community center or food bank. This is a clear contrast to the other scenes, where food was the background detail in a life full of leisure and celebration, is now instead the main showcase of happiness. Both holders of the grocery bag being volunteers shows the appreciation of what others may take for granted.

00:18 – 00:23

The camera cuts to the community center of volunteers handing over bags of groceries over the counter to many recipients. Faces lighting up with clear gratitude, with a bag of essentials. The shift from a clearly well-off food-secure family to individuals in need is striking. It’s clear that while some may be privileged to overlook the search of daily food, others are reliant on community support. Both are seen in a positive light, but the smiles given here from the recipient to the volunteers suggests that the audience have a responsibility. Viewers who are able to relate to their oversight of daily food intake are encouraged to takes steps toward ending hunger. (A URL is posted with a white background for the next 6 seconds.)

Afterstudy With Sound – 00:00 – 00:04
Immediately the video starts with a high pitch sound that feels welcoming. It lasts until the boy gets his hands on the volcano. Comparing this to the visual rhetoric from 00:00 to 00:04, it makes it much more clear there’s no sense of concern for this boy and his father, while without sound, the visual rhetoric may mislead the audience with questioning of if there is something to be concerned about.

Afterstudy With Sound – 00:04 – 00:10

As the music becomes more somber, a woman narrator speaks about how the impact of a meal directly effects more than just feeding our bodies. All while the father is congratulating his son. Of course without sound, we can assume that the fathers wide grin, along the fridge full of food represents how they don’t have any worry’s of scarcity. It portrays a similar image as the videos visual shows how the surplus of food was just a background drop, supporting the “arbitrary” ribbon, in comparison to food.

Afterstudy with sound 00:10 – 00:16

When we transitioned to the home with the double pantry doors, continuing the same somber music, she says “Because when people are fed, futures are nourished.” In my visual rhetoric analysis, I make multiple comments during these parts of the video about how the food is a background drop, while it is true, the narrators dialogue pointing out that nourishment is a direct cause for success, is something that may have been harder to pick up. It doesn’t really alter the videos message in my opinion, but it is a very helpful guide to the conclusion they’re about to reach.

Afterstudy with sound 00:16: – 00:24

Narration continues with same tone of music. “Everyone deserves to live a full life, and with your help, together we can end hunger.” Where it leads to a URL of where us, the audience can help. All of this occurred during the food bank part of the visual rhetoric. My takeaway from the addition of sound is that the videos message didn’t inherently alter, it was just a supporting guide, but doees enhance the message. Honestly I am surprised by how much the filmmakers were able to guide us to same conclusion without the need of sound effects or the narration, but of course it is a positive thing for it to not need sound, as it can deliver the same message in a wider group of people.