Blog Post #8

Summary:
The Short Game by Josh Greenbaum is a sports documentary that focuses on the 7 and 8 US Golf World Championship. The film focuses on eight particular diverse entrants and their development throughout the tournament. Allan Kournikova, Zama Nxasana, Kuang Yang, Alexa Pano, Jed Dy, Amari Avery, Sky Sudberry, and Augustin Valerie were the diverse group of golfers focused on this film. The film showed the importance that golf had in their lives as it gave them many life lessons like a determined demeanor. The film does raise many questions about these kids like, "Are these kids wasting their childhood?" "How does all this pressure affect these kids later in life?" The director uses many strategies to emphasize the gravitas of this tournament with music and montages. Their may be reason to believe that their is some bias present as this golf film is produced from a person who enjoys the game of golf.



Analysis:

The director used many strategies and tools to emphasize the significance of this tournament. Montages were used to show the excitement of the championship with upbeat music the viewer was captivated by the thrill. Pathos was used throughout the film as it showed these kids, like a typical 7 or 8 year old would, acting silly and naive. It was also heartbreaking to see Jed Dy, aka the Jedi Master who also suffered from autism, be knocked out of contention with the 10-stroke penalty. The film maker made the viewer emotionally attached to these kids and to see them being filled with despair really hurt, but the viewer was jovial when the kids were excited from their success.



Rhetorical Precis:
Josh Greenbaum's sports documentary, The Short Game (2012), he shows the exploitation that golf has on children in this tournament and displays valuable life lessons they learn. The narrator first introduces the eight entrants in this golf tournament. He then shows their play through the three-day tournament. His purpose is to show some of the best young golfers in the world and show the effects that competitive golf has on kids of such a young age. His audience is parents, children and fans of golf.