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      • Hammerhead Love
      • Seal Swims Leisurely Around White Sharks
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      • Criminalizing Natural Behavior
      • Price of Existence Excerpts with Chris Fallows
      • Dr. Neil Hammerschlag Explains Responsible Drum Lining
      • Price of Existence Trailer
      • Global Opposition to the Cull
      • Daniel Wolfe Interview Exerpt
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      • The Bag Boy
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Monsters

Support the film by ordering
the official 'Monsters' shirt

People talk a lot about the need to save sharks...what better way than to go after the largest commercial killer of white sharks on the planet?  Be part of this project.
​
Spending a month in South Africa, a group of friends sets out to learn the origins of the Natal Sharks Board, the psychological effects it has had on the community, and the ongoing effects it has on the marine life of the Kwazu Natal Coast.
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Front
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Back


Having learned the horrors of shark culling in Australia during the making of his documentary, Great White Lies, director Skyler Thomas this time focuses his attention on a culling program that often receives high praise.  Why is this program better? Why is it more effective than other culling programs?  Or is this perception based on false information?  Joined by two friends and shark divers, the three meet in Durban to discover these answers first hand.
Make a direct donation to this film project 
Picture
You can also make a tax deductible donation through PayPal here.  ​
Growing evidence indicates that human interference in nature’s balance not only hurts the ecosystem, but is contributing to negative interactions between humans and sharks. But perhaps more alarming is the fact that this is not new information, but is instead information that governments and special interest groups refuse to recognize or act upon. Why?
The answers will leave you wondering if the real monsters are below the surface or above it.

Following up on the award-winning film, ‘Great White Lies’, the new film, ‘Monsters’ shifts location to the Kwazu Natal Coast where human pressure on shark populations has significantly changed the dynamic of local ecosystems.  This time an international collaboration consisting of White Shark Video film director Skyler Thomas, Understanding Sharks's Dan Abbott, and the team at Sharkservation, head to Durban to focus on one culling organization and the effects it has had.


We're also supporting the fight against gill nets in river systems.  To support that specific cause go here. https://www.gofundme.com/HelpEmil

Donate directly to White Shark Video as a campaign gift with the button on the right
Why do this?
Despite increased awareness on the topic and an ever growing mountain of evidence that culling doesn’t accomplish its proposed goals, rather than culling going away the practice is actually spreading.  Why?  What is the real motivation behind the practice and who benefits from its ongoing existence.  This project hopes to expose those who benefit from shark killing while hiding behind the mask of conservation.

‘Great White Lies’ introduced the audience to the practice of shark culling, what it is, and where it is occurring.  'Monsters' instead focuses on the history of one specific location and the controversy surrounding a self-proclaimed conservation company that is simultaneously one of the biggest threats to the survival of multiple shark species.

What will this Accomplish?
Raising awareness is good, but it is also a very broad concept that often leaves people overwhelmed and wondering what to do next.  We hope that revealing the alternate motivation of organizations that cull will help people make choices about who they choose to support. For example, would you continue to support a "conservation company" that you learned was the leading killer of that region's sharks?  

The Team:
Also joining the effort are several local sharks experts who have been entrenched in this battle for decades.

Dr. Jessica Escobar, a shark scientist who parted ways with the Natal Sharks Board and whose genetics research is creating quite a concern.
Olivia Symcox and the South African chapter of Shark Angels have been battling Shark culling for decades and will help shed light on the lies and challenges they have encountered while trying to bring awareness of the topic to the world.

Shark diving legend Walter Bernardis explains the changes in shark populations he has seen while also taking us diving with these magnificent creatures showing us that man and shark can inhabit the same water without conflict.

The Filmmaking team consists of
Skyler Thomnas - White Shark Video
Dan Abbott - Understanding Sharks
Ollie Putnam - Sharkservation
Amanda Brewer - Sharkservation
Regardless, whales, dolphins and countless other marine animals continue to suffer horrific deaths at the hands of these shark nets.  But educating the public about the statistics of non-target victims fails to drive the point home.  When faced with being forced to witness a baby humpback whale fight for its life from beginning to end in front of its mother, how many deaths is an acceptable price for beach safety?
Significance to cetaceans:
An overlooked part of the history of shark culling in South Africa is the direct relationship to whales.  Although the Natal Sharks Board refuses to include this part of history in their presentations, Durban’s whaling station is likely to blame for the “shark problem” that occurred in the 50’s and 60’s.  With the end of whaling also came the end of the proclaimed shark problem which coincided with the introduction of the Natal Sharks Board’s shark nets.  This overlap of events again is completely left out of the Sharks Board’s history lesson.  
Shark culling is a major issue facing marine wildlife. Despite growing evidence that the negative impacts far outweigh any implied benefits (there are no proven benefits) the practice of shark culling continues to spread. Sadly, some of the most heavily impacted animals are critically endangered and not targeted species.

​This four part trailer is meant to remind audiences that the problem isn't going away. Even though people can be temporarily swayed by an emotional video, it is far to easy to simply move on and forget once the image is no longer before them. Thus, the four part Monsters trailer is meant to be shown over the course of a film block at a film festival. The first three segments introduce us to different species of animals impacted by culling. Taking an anamorphic 1st person narrative approach the audience is reminded that these animals aren't just statistics, they are real, sentient beings who suffer horribly. We are also reminded that these animals aren't just "hanging out in the ocean", but are attempting to carry out important life cycle activities that are interrupted by the presence of culling gear. The fourth and last segment introduces the 3rd person narrator explaining the different stages of realization when learning the truth about shark culling. 
​
​All four segments equal a combined run time of less than nine minutes, intentionally short in order to fit into a film block.

​Credits for Trailer 4:
Living dolphin footage by Skyler Thomas.  Living humpback whale footage (underwater) by Skyler Thomas.  Living white shark footage by Skyler Thomas.  
Aerial footage of humpback whales by Blair Ranford.  Dying footage of tiger sharks by Luke Dbeat and Rowan Sibhon.  Dead whale on ocean floor by Humpbacks and Highrises.  Dolphin in net by Sea Shepherd Australia. Living footage of tiger sharks by Skyler Thomas, Epic Diving, and Jillian Brake.  Music by Matt LaPoint.  Written, directed and edited by Skyler Thomas.
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  • Shark Blog
    • Watching Humans Blog
  • About
    • Monsters - Project Overview
  • Videos
    • Stupid Things People Say About Sharks
    • Racism and Sharks
    • Connection
    • 360s Drones and Sharks
    • Footage Licensing
    • Tiger Shark Vs. Turtle
    • Guadalupe Cage Dive Guide
    • minioncam
    • Guadalupe White Sharks 2018
    • Product Reviews
    • Interviews >
      • Guadalupe 2018 Interview
      • Andre Rerekuru
      • RodneyFox
      • Chris Neff >
        • Cape Cod Cull
      • WalterBernardis
    • SharkMinutes
    • Kid Friendly >
      • Blueprint
    • Feature Films >
      • Monsters >
        • Enterprise Documentary Fund
      • Great White Lies >
        • Film Festivals >
          • Dropbox Links Great White Lies
    • Short Films >
      • Victory Over Sharks
      • Mothers and Children
      • Sentience
      • Elasmo
      • Shark Rescue
      • Balance
      • Shark Affection
      • Purpose
      • To Touch a Killer
      • Swimming In Shark Alley
      • White Shark Behavior: Part 1
      • Connection
      • Farallon Islands
      • Sustainable
      • Fear
    • Quick Bites >
      • Nurse Shark Barbels in Slow Motion
      • Do Sharks Get Cancer?
      • Sydney Harbor Video of White Shark is Fake
      • White Shark Swallows Tuna in One Bite
      • Gentle Biting and Ram Ventilation
      • Hammerhead Love
      • Seal Swims Leisurely Around White Sharks
      • Great White High Five
      • Petting a Nurse Shark
      • White Shark Tail Narrowly Misses Woman
      • Shark Shart ( Great White takes a shit )
      • WSV Preview
    • Elasmo >
      • Elasmo 0
      • Elasmo 1 and 2
      • Elasmo 3
      • Elasmo 3 Short Version
      • Elasmo 4 (Blue Sharks)
      • Elasmo 5 - Great hammerheads
      • White Dream (short)
    • Surf >
      • Surfing With Sharks - Wayne Lynch
      • California >
        • Jetty, Half Moon Bay, 2/16/14
    • The Price of Existence >
      • Criminalizing Natural Behavior
      • Price of Existence Excerpts with Chris Fallows
      • Dr. Neil Hammerschlag Explains Responsible Drum Lining
      • Price of Existence Trailer
      • Global Opposition to the Cull
      • Daniel Wolfe Interview Exerpt
    • Outtakes >
      • Surfer Interview Outtake
      • Avoiding Gansbaai
      • The Bag Boy
    • Samples
    • Videos from Others >
      • Good Vids >
        • White Shark Research in New Zealand
        • The Shark Man (60 Minutes)
        • Baby White Shark Caught
      • Bad Vids >
        • All that is wrong with Discovery wrapped up in one vid
  • Education / Events
    • Guadalupe Shark Trip 2020
    • Presentations
    • Upcoming Events >
      • SHARK-O-WEEN 2018
    • White Shark Cafe
    • Bookings
    • Feedback
    • Past Events >
      • Shark Night
      • Sharktoberfest 2018
      • Surfrider Sharktober 2018
      • Surfrider Foundation (San Mateo Chapter)
      • Night Life 2013 "Killer Personalities"
      • 7 Teepees
      • Great White Lies San Francisco Premiere
      • SF March Against the Cull
      • Great White Night 2012
      • Night Life 2011
      • Gentlemen's Club
      • Scuba Squad Divers
      • Sharks and Beer
      • Launch Party / Fundraiser
      • Of Whale and Man
    • FALSE CONSERVATION >
      • OCEARCH >
        • OCEARCH OVERVIEW
        • Internal Damage
        • Fin Damage >
          • Frodo's Fin Damage Timeline
        • OCEARCH's Pregnant Shark Not Pregnant
        • Science...without the Science
        • OCEARCH Videos >
          • Sinking Away
          • Not Stressed
          • Charlie Rose 1
          • Dorsal Fin Damage
          • PAT tags VS. SPOT tags
          • Tagging Options
          • Message to Australia
  • Store
  • Get Involved
    • Guadalupe 2020
    • Recurring Donation
    • Donations
    • Join the Team
    • News Letter Sign Up
  • Faroese