Who is it and how they are using it is also important, because as a small independent [filmmaker] you are personally accountable. Above all, Breyer said, accept that it's OK to walk away without a solution to the problems a film presents. For instance, filmmakers also regularly used re-creations (re-staging of events that have already occurred, whether in the recent or distant past), although they widely believed that it was important that audiences be made aware somehow that the footage is recreated. The felt power differential also led them to protect their subjects when they believed they were vulnerablenot, however, at the expense of preserving their own artistic options. 25 \sqrt { 3 }\ m ^ { 2 } } \\ {B. Indeed, any subjects withdrawal of affection may result in denial of access to material in which the filmmakers have invested heavily. Filmmakers felt frustrated that stations did not always honor the agreements they had made with their subjects. But ultimately it has to be our decision. In some cases I will say, If there is something that you cant live with then well discuss it, we will have the argument and real dialogue. . We want to build him up as a hero and show the fall.. If you abuse this, then you wont get access to people for the next project.. How much do their own reasoning processes correlate with existing journalism codes? Even producers working for large outlets, such as Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS, are typically independent contractors. if the regular price od the book is $25, how many books could be bought at the sale price if a shopper spent $105? I have to be careful not to abuse the friendship with the subject, but its a rapport that is somewhat false, said one. In relation to subjects, they often did not feel obliged to protect subjects who they believed had themselves done harm or who had independent access to media, such as celebrities or corporate executives with their own public relations arms. Another argued that letting subjects, especially celebrities or other people with social power, have input would threaten the credibility of the final product: I dont think the film stays credible if subjects are approving their sound bites, said filmmaker Maggie Burnette Stogner. an hourly worker whose wage is 15 per hour will be paid how much for an 8 hour shift, which of the following is the. It made the film better. The interview team consisted of Center for Social Media fellow and filmmaker Mridu Chandra and American University School of Communication MFA graduate student Maura Ugarte. In both situations, they used deception to keep someone with the power to stop the project from doing so, and they regarded it as entirely ethical because of an ends-justifies-the-means argument. In the case of viewers, they believed that they were obligated to provide a generally truthful narrative or story, even if some of the means of doing that involved misrepresentation, manipulation, or elision. Guy Clark Music Documentary Looks to Get Its SXSW Due, One Year Later "Without Getting Killed or Caught," which also deals with the legacy of singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, faces a very . For the most part, however, when it comes to standards and ethics (and even independent fact checking), documentary filmmakers have largely depended on individual judgment, guidance from executives, and occasional conversations at film festivals and on listservs. Where institutional standards and practices exist, as in the news divisions of some broadcast and cablecast networks, filmmakers felt helpfully guided by them. The movie's lesson is brutal, sad, and inescapable: Elvis Presley was a man who gave joy to a great many people but felt very little of his own, because he became addicted and stayed addicted until the day it killed him. This DPA may be amended and the observance of any provision of this DPA may be waived . I wasnt comfortable with it but I did it. Finally, some filmmakers believed that deceit was appropriate in the service of their work with vulnerable subjects and their stories and with powerful subjects who might put up obstacles. Its not increasing anyones knowledge. Budgets demand efficiencies that may be ethically troubling. an. Its a moral decision not to enter their lives to only show how poor they are, said one. They believe that their viewers are dependent on their ethical choices. . They widely shared the notions of Do no harm and Protect the vulnerable., They usually treated this relationship as less than friendship and more than a professional relationship, and often as one in which the subject could make significant demands on the filmmaker. Dixon suggests viewers beware certain hallmarks designed to sway them. Documentary clients have included Sonia, Power Trip, Afghan Women, Trembling Before G*D and Blacks & Jews. This second relationship became primary in the postfilming part of the production process. Gallup reports that just 40 percent of Americans trust media outlets to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. Amid dwindling trust in the press, documentaries with strong, emotional points of view can feel more authentic by comparison. The keenly felt power differential between filmmaker and subject led some filmmakers to make unilateral storytelling decisions, usually to omit material, with empathy for the subjects. In one case, Sam Pollard asked a subject to redo an interview in order to get a more emotionally rich version of a painful moment when he had been abused by police in prison. Steven Ascher said that revealing a subjects weaknesses or positions that the audience is likely to find laughable or repellant can be justified when they are taking advantage of other people or when they are so completely convinced of their own rightness, they would be happy with their portrayal. And it wasnt, so we had to take it out. In London, people expect fees for interviews, etc., anytime you take up someones time. . Still another grappled with this issue in the editing room: I was complaining to someone [that] I feel some allegiance to them, and the person said that at this point your only allegiance should be with the audience. What hes done isnt quite documentary filmmaking, but it certainly isnt fiction either, Slate Magazine film critic Dana Stevens wrote of Oppenheimers work. Class 12 Class 11 Class 10 Class 9 Class 2 Class 1 A Practice Book of English Class 11 English Medium NCERT Class 11 English - Hornbill High School English Grammar and Composition Book by Wren & Martin They had fewer qualms about lying to public officials or to representatives of institutions than about lying to subjects. The larger truth is that this conversation is going to happen in this city, at some point, and so it doesnt matter that it doesnt happen at this moment. The decision to share material in advance with subjects was, typically, an informal decision. Luc Jacquet 3. Symbolic tribunals?. Some filmmakers, however, did give subjects the right to decide whether or not their material should be included in the film. A documentary goes the other way, Breyer said. . This survey demonstrated that filmmakers generally are acutely aware of moral dimensions of their craft, and of the economic and social pressures that affect them. Filmmakers resolved these conflicts on an ad-hoc basis and argued routinely for situational, case-by-case ethical decisions. " Free Chol Soo Lee " charts the . In still another case, an HIV-positive mother addicted to drugs asked filmmakers not to reveal where she lives. I want you to sign the release, but we will really listen to you. Her reasons were goodshe did not want her son to grow up and maybe have a family, and 25 years from now have his kids find out he was arrested for attempted murder. The filmmaker allowed the family to consider; eventually, the kid himself spoke up and said that he was ok with it . an=(4.5,2,0.5,3,5.5,)?a_n=(4.5,2,-0.5,-3,-5.5,\ldots)? It summarizes the results of 45 long-form interviews in which filmmakers were asked simply to describe recent ethical challenges that surfaced in their work. Another filmmaker said that while she would not show subjects the current work, she would show previous films she had made, as a way of gaining their trust. In thinking about their subjects, filmmakers typically described a relationship in which the filmmaker had more social and sometimes economic power than the subject. SMEs are especially in high demand in workplaces requiring a technical approach to operations and culture. . We said, We cant let this happen. We stopped filming and stopped this from happening. One filmmaker who made a documentary about a company that employed illegal immigrants simply left that fact out of the film and did not report it, either: We didnt call the policewe felt like that would be a breach of trust. Another filmmakers subject told a story about trying to bring her son across the border illegally. This filmmaker decided to take the story out altogether: the harm that we could potentially do overwhelmed our [broadcasting rights] . You have to condense, but you cant manipulate., Dixon used the popular documentary Blackfish, about the quality of life of SeaWorld orcas, as another example. But that doesnt mean that I dont bend the truth. But for us to inflict pain to get a better shot was the wrong thing to do. Gordon Quinn recalled, I made a film in the 70s about an 11-year -old girl growing up. . Most of those makers had experience both with nonprofit outlets, such as public TV, and with cable or commercial network television. We are spending $500 on a dinner for 5 people. They also lacked support for ethical deliberation under typical work pressures. Here this guy worked for five days and they get no glory, they go back to their regular jobs. The producer noted that the filmmakers work for a for-profit venture, and were making our money based on these peoples stories . It spoke to the possibilities as well. This study provides a map of perceived ethical challenges that documentary filmmakersdirectors and producer-directorsin the United States identify in the practice of their craft. Sophie says that (7c2d+12cd2+3)+(5c2d2cd28)=12c2d+10cd25\left(7 c^{2} d+12 c d^{2}+3\right)+\left(5 c^{2} d-2 c d^{2}-8\right)= 12 c^{2} d+10 c d^{2}-5(7c2d+12cd2+3)+(5c2d2cd28)=12c2d+10cd25. That, Oppenheimer said, may be one of the reasons why films like his are becoming a larger part of the American movie business: At a time when the news industry is struggling financially and the focus is often on shorter articles, nonfiction and documentary films offer audiences the depth and detail they crave. . A.253m2B.25m2C.103m2D.53m2\begin{array} { l } {A. . the perilous cliff filled the hiker with___________________, but her companions urged her to _______________ her fear, upon entering the ________________ home, police officers were disgusted to see its rundown state, a group of numbers has an average of 11. the first three numbers are 16, 3, 10 what is the other number, an investor purchases shares in a company for $20 share. When documentary filmmakers do have to make their own ethical decisions, how do they reason? Its a powerful story, and its important plot-wise. The awareness of a power differential also leads filmmakers sometimes to volunteer to share decision-making power with some subjects. Because investigative journalism has been cut in American media, nonfiction filmmakers easily take on the duty of going out and pursuing deep investigations, Oppenheimer said. One filmmaker said that she tries to be as authentic as possible, down to the year and the place. By Justin Sayles Jul 9, 2021, 6:30am EDT. You always have to be aware of the power that you as a filmmaker have in relationship to your subject. At the same time, they recognized that professional obligations might force them at least to cause pain. There are purists who would feel thats not right. The problem is, its not hard to convince people something is truthful. If Americans substitute documentary film for hard news reports and daily journalism, it could have major implications for journalism and for how Americans view the world around them. Clockwise from top left: Casting JonBenet; Homecoming, Dirty Money, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead; Miss Americana; Jim & Andy. a dentist can complete a tooth canal in 1.4 hours. That kind of authenticity shook the tree of trust.. They also blurred the line between traditional documentary, reality, and hybrid forms. Observational Documentaries Observational documentaries aim to observe the world around them. Filmmakers repeatedly referenced problems with using historical materials, which document specific people, places, and times, as generic references or in service to a particular and perhaps unrelated point. Washington, DC 20016-8017, SUBJECTS: DO NO HARM, PROTECT THE VULNERABLE. Some filmmakers were adamant that only precisely accurate images should be used. 5 7 11 17. 25. an automobile factory produces 75 cars in an hour. By not including a perspective sympathetic or understanding of SeaWorld's position even perhaps their attorneys, who could explain their side of legal cases included in the movie the film stops trying to tell the entire story. In Egypt, I had a fixer who paid everyone as we went, thats the way they do things there. what is the average number of book sold per month during the five month period, which of the following is the largest value. M. Night Shyamalan decided to make the 2017 horror film, Split, on a budget of only $9 million, which proved to be a fantastic decision. I used it, and Im sure 99 percent of the people who watched the film thought it was him and his family. Filmmakers also asserted a primary relationship to viewers, which they phrased as a professional one: an ethical obligation to deliver accurate and honestly told stories. Here are the best documentary films of all time. We want to have a human relationship with our subjects, said Gordon Quinn, but there are boundaries that should not be crossed. When the facts of a film are up to a single filmmaker, the truth, too, can become subject to style choices. Not everyone who paid did so in recognition of social inequality. In the edit room . An independent filmmaker said that his financially strapped subjects could see that we had money to make the movie, and we were making money ourselves off their tragedy, at a time when they could not work because of dealing with [a difficult situation]. In this regard, many found institutional rules against payment to be arbitrary and even counterproductive. We are a respected educational program provider, [and] we would have looked bad, disgraced by it., Filmmakers expected to get to truth via the vehicle of a story and held themselves responsible for its implications. We consume news in very small bites now like on Twitter, but we naturally tend to want to be able to sink our teeth into something, whether 8,000-word magazine piece or big documentary, Woelfel said. if both individuals start working at the same time, and each works 56 hours completing tooth canals over the course of one month, how many tooth canals will they have completed, taking issue with media reports, the president_____ that she had no plans to step down and ____________ claims that her office was guilty of corruption. The Economist reports that documentaries now make up 16 percent of the Cannes Film Festival slate, compared to about 8 percent in 2008. The terms of these releases are usually dictated by insurers, whose insurance is required for most television airing and theatrical distribution. If the tables were turned, God forbid, said Joe Berlinger, I would never allow them to make a film about my tragedy. That paradigm isnt going to stand any longer.. Notably, this attitude does not extend to celebrities, whom filmmakers found to be aggressive and powerful in controlling their image. Why? Our code of ethics is very different. in one month a farmer produces 1200 pounds of potatoes in the following mont the amount of potatoes it produces increases by 15 over the previous month how many potatoes does it produce in the second month? Its important to lift up people who tell their stories, as opposed to making them victims. All interviewees were provided with a consent form that had been approved by the American University Institutional Review Board, and all were offered anonymity. . He said, I didnt have a [moral] dilemma. Perhaps because the terms of these releases were not their own, filmmakers often provided more leeway to their subjects than the strict terms provided in them. a home goods stores sells 385 lamps in the month of July. In general, documentary filmmakers tended to volunteer few comments about audio elements. . Many even see themselves as executors of a higher truth, framed within a narrative. The differing styles of documentary and injection of cinematic elements that arguably make them more interesting has made it harder to define documentary and its goals even among professionals, no two definitions of a documentary are quite the same. The growth of commercial opportunities and the prominence of politics as a documentary subject also produced tensions. A June 2020 article in The New York Times reviewed the political documentary And She Could Be Next, directed by Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia. Co-director, Center for Media & Social Impact, American University, Peter Jaszi, A story of loving impossible loves and the torture of self-discovery in a world of demagogues and uncompromising hate, it has a tragic immediacy that makes it as contemporary as ever. He said, Its a rotten thing to have done journalistically. Those are pretty boring, Woelfel said. One featured his typical bodyguards, in street clothes. (Documentaries) can offer in-depth, detailed looks at what the news media will only superficially cover, but theyre more and more opinion based and less fact based, said Wheeler Winston Dixon, Ryan professor of film studies at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. In the end, if I cant convince you then well take it out., Some also believed that seeing material in advance helped make their subjects more comfortable with the exposure they would encounter, thus avoiding problems in the future. Filmmakers often felt that subjects had a right to change their minds (although the filmmakers found this deeply unpleasant) or to see the material involving them or even the whole film in advance of public screenings. In one of the most intense moments of director Joshua Oppenheimers acclaimed film, The Look of Silence, viewers are treated to an unflinching, discomfiting shot that gives the film its title: A former militiaman and mass murderer, now elderly, stares into the camera, his eyes eerily magnified by optometrists testing lenses as he searches, with the audience, for an answer to his horrendous crimes, the silence as penetrating as his gaze. We make the films we make because of these relationships we build. A great documentary doesnt give you an answer, Breyer said. Shes a real person and you cant imply something about her that never happened. , However, filmmakers balanced this concern with the need to resell their footage to make a living and considered appropriate decision making part of maintaining their professional reputations. What are their concerns? Were no longer seen as an institution thats fair and balanced. It was awkward for them but I did not want to set a precedent.. Some of these outlets may ask filmmakers to observe standards and practices, and/or ethics codes derived from print journalism and broadcast news and developed in conjunction with journalism programs in higher education. Who is correct? The trouble is, most viewers dont know the difference. . Up until 1960, with (director Robert Drews) Primary and the work of some others, documentaries were just lectures on film. Filmmakers need to develop a more broadly shared understanding of the nature of their problems and to evolve a common understanding of fair ways to balance their various obligations. They said it will be upsetting for children, and that the films point is solely to talk about material science. At the same time, they themselves are vulnerable in a wider media system. Great journalism shouldnt, either., Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Cross and Breyer contend that as journalism appeals to niche audiences, truth itself has become a more slippery and relative concept than it once was making the nuanced, emotional approach of documentaries more appealing. One subject when drunk revealed something he had never revealed when sober, and in the filmmakers opinion probably would not. how many employees both work with customers and work in the warehouse, in an upcoming election 75% of the landlocked voters will vote for candidate A, while the rest will vote for candidate B; 20% of coastal voters will vote for candidate A while the rest will vote candidate B. which of the following represents the lowes percentage from all voters combined (landlocked and coastal) that must be landlocked (not coastal) in orderer candidate A to win, the graph show the number of book a book store sold per month. However, even filmmakers who work with television organizations with standards and practices may not benefit from them because the programs are executed through the entertainment divisions. In one case, a filmmaker decided to withhold information about a public figures drug addiction in order to create the strongest cinematic experience. One diagnostic was whether the filmmaker found the subject ethically lacking, for instance, because of politically or economically corrupt acts. I always decide not to use that moment, said another. Filmmakers also try to prevent material featuring their subjects from being reused by other filmmakers in ways that might misrepresent them in new contexts. We discussed it with her, and then she felt comfortable. Only one respondent, Jennifer Fox, said that she offered fine cut approval in a legal document, with the caveat that the subjects couldnt object to the film because they didnt like the way they looked but could object to things on the grounds of hurting their family. My test for these things is, Does the audience know what its getting? . That could be good or bad, depending on the story being told, Cross said. Watch documentaries that dont align with your opinion, Breyer said. Adi Rukun, left, questions Commander Amir Siahaan, one of the death squad leaders responsible for his brothers death during the Indonesian genocide, in Joshua Oppenheimers documentary The Look of Silence. Courtesy of Drafthouse Films and Participant Media. Would you believe an interview with Dick Cheney if you knew he was paid a hefty honorarium? They eschew conflict of interest. . Vietnam veteran and biker Ron " Stray Dog " Hall is the subject of "Winter's Bone" director Debra Granik's documentary debut "Stray Dog," which follows Hall's bike club on a . time of the drinks were $1 each and the rest $3 each. how much money did she generate in drink sales during this time? It was so powerful. After discussion with his team and with professional historians, he decided for the atypical shot, because it communicated his point (that Long used bodyguards) more rapidly. One filmmaker sometimes paid because it was the easiest way to get the work done. You use [the photo] with the knowledge that ultimately its not important if its your guy or not, whats important is the story. Another recalled: [One subject] talks about his childhood, his family all died . At the same time, documentary television production was accelerating to fill the need for quality programming in ever-expanding screen time, generating popular, formula-driven programs. 25\ m ^ { 2 } } \end{array}\quad \begin{array} { l } {C. 10 \sqrt { 3 }\ m ^ { 2 } } \\ {D. 5 \sqrt { 3 }\ m ^ { 2 } } \end{array} It is a powerful moment in the film but I felt bad to push him to that point when he broke down., This perception of the nature of the relationshipa sympathetic one in which a joint responsibility to tell the subjects story is undertaken, with the filmmaker in chargedemonstrates a major difference between the work of documentary filmmakers and news reporters. This study explores those questions. I have come around to believe that a small honorarium is OK, that we should cover the subjects expenses and lost work, and that we sure as hell should share profit if we can. In some ways, Michael Mann's Ali, starring an Oscar-nominated Will Smith in the title role, plays like When We Were Kings stretched out into a moody, ambient-leaning slow motion. At a time when there is unprecedented financial pressure on makers to lower costs and increase productivity, filmmakers reported that they routinely found themselves in situations where they needed to balance ethical responsibilities against practical considerations. Documentary filmmakers typically are small business owners, selling their work to a range of distributors, mostly in television. This distinction accords with filmmakers sensitivity to the power differential in the relationship. [30] He wanted us to interview someone else as a precondition [for using his own interview], Nelson said. legally I could have put it in [without the familys approval], but hey, I want to sleep at night. Hopefully you do it in a way that ultimately, with the finished product that I had a clear conscience. I sacrificed a little bit of accuracy. They sometimes deal with hostile gatekeepers or powerful celebrity subjects. The interview was important for the film, Nelson said, and he believed the request was motivated by desire to control the film. On the next take, they then asked, Should we break its leg again? . One said that as long as the activities they do are those they would normally be doing, if your filming doesnt distort their life there is still a reality that is represented. Another recalled asking her subjects to stage an annual event earlier in the year than it would happen in real life: I would not want to put words in peoples mouth, or edit them in a way thats not leading to the larger truth.
Gilbert Artemus (Artie) Darrell