The ethics of documentary film making

Below is a link to a very good read on the ethical aspects of documentary filmmaking;

http://www.indiewire.com/2014/10/the-ethics-of-documentary-filmmaking-69007/

In this blog post I will be talking about some of the ethical factors that can restrict a documentaries success.

When creating a documentary style that involves people you must take into consideration some of the social and ethical aspects that surrounds the filming of a human subject. For example, if you were to film someone and you make them seem like something they are not / something different to what you told them you were going to do then they can sue you for making them look like something that they are not or someone who they do not wish to represent. There are many factors that you must take into consideration before conducting your video.

If you take a look at the link at the top of the page you can see some quotes from some professional videographers/documentary makers.

This quote above is a very important one as it shows that you have to give everyone the chance to step out of the shoot if they feel as if they do not/should not be there. It is very important to try and keep your subjects happy as they may not always feel comfortable and safe. One of the biggest restrictions with the ethical treatment of subjects is if they have a disability. This can cause many problems as you can't always predict how someone with a disability may react. My first idea of filming at the skatepark may involve filming some children with disabilities as some of the children that get lessons have learning disabilities. I must ensure that I am cautious of these children and make sure that they are comfortable with being in front of the camera and being filmed. If they get to a point where they do not want to continue I must give them the chance to leave or have a break. If I do not allow this to happen it may cause many more problems for me and the subject. I could get sued for mistreating a person with a disability and holding them against their rights. The child in question could also be deeply affected as they may gain a negative association with cameras and being filmed which could affect them in later life as they may remember the experience and not want to be in front of the camera again. Before I begin filming anyone for one of my projects I must ensure that I explain fully what I am going to be doing and what the work is for. I will also approach the parents of the children that may be included in the film and get them to complete a waiver that shows me that they have given permission for me to film their children.

I completely understand the ethical restrictions associated with filming documentary styles and understand that I must put the subject first before anything else. I will comply to all rules associated with filming people with disabilities and filming people in general. I do not want to cause any problems whilst completing this project and I want it to go as smoothly as possible.