Shooting Range

In reviewing footage from the news media about the Blackwater shoot-out, I've noticed the role that surprisingly crude computer simulations play in depicting the events in which Iraqi civilians died as a result of the trigger-happy U.S. security contractor. Although Reuters showed footage of the charred, bloodstained cars in the real-life urban landscape, NBC's clip on "Blackwater Under Fire" relied on a mix of 3D computer animation, stock footage, and info-graphical maps to depict the incident. (See this posting for more about computer re-enactment graphics in the case of school shootings.) To the credit of this Los Angeles local news channel, they also had original investigative reporting about the firm's planned expansion into Southern California.

For those interested in a more subversive take on the carnage, see how Mark Fiore's War for Profit uses animation to mock the embattled security firm.