This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Filmmaking is quite powerful when you think about it, it can change perspectives and provoke emotional responses. With that power, as they say, comes responsibility. In this article we’ll look at some considerations of ethical film making, how filmmakers might navigate sensitive topics well, avoid doing any harm, and make sure everyone is informed and able to consent to what’s going on.
Understanding Ethics: What Does Ethics Mean?
To apply it to filmmaking, we need to understand what ethics actually means, first. In a broad sense, it’s a type of philosophy that looks at what is morally right or wrong, good and bad. The idea of ethics is to give us a framework of principles and values that we can judge our decisions or actions by, and think about the intended (and potential) consequences. Ethical considerations in filmmaking usually centre around discussions about documentary films, and that makes sense because they're handling real-life and often delicate, topics and people, but good ethical filmmaking practices apply right across the spectrum of movie production.
Situation Ethics
Situation (or situational) ethics takes into account the context rather than just judging something on absolutes. This means it’s a bit more flexible and pragmatic, not to mean you can disregard morality, but instead, to consider intent and take on some personal responsibility for the consequences of actions.
Some Ethical Considerations in Filmmaking
Handling Sensitive Topics
You might be making a film that has delicate content in it, and that needs handling with empathy and sensitivity. This means doing thorough and thoughtful research, consulting with experts (if required) and also understanding any potential impact on either the subjects or audiences.
Informed Consent in Filmmaking
Getting consent is more than just you having someone sign a form. You need to make sure they know what they’re agreeing to. If it’s a minor, you may need to get a parent or guardian’s consent. Consent isn’t a finite thing either, it’s an ongoing part of the filmmaking process. Can someone withdraw their consent once they’ve given it? This may not be a legal question, but an ethical one. Large production companies will have their own rules on this, usually with some flexibility. For example, the BBC says:
'Generally, no contributor who has given properly informed consent has the right to withdraw it. However, we should listen carefully to any reasonable objections and, on the rare occasions where such a request is granted, we should be clear of the specific and distinct circumstances that have made withdrawal appropriate'. BBC Editorial Guidelines
The editorial guidelines also have some good information on informed consent in filmmaking (and general production), risks, and good practices like note taking, so they're worth a read for a more in-depth look at consent.
Documenting Children
We mentioned minors just now, but there are additional considerations with children. If a parent consents, you may be covered in a legal sense, but what about any long-term implications for the child that they may not be able to consent to? What is the responsibility of the filmmaker here? Again, these are all questions to ask yourself, there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer, but using Situation Ethics will help you to reach the best decisions you can.
Cultural Sensitivity in Films and Representation
It’s really important to be aware of cultural nuances or sensitivities when you’re portraying diverse communities. For example, you should avoid using stereotypes and tropes (that aren’t part of a wider plot) and it may be helpful to consult with cultural advisors or community representatives to make sure you’re being respectful and accurate.
Privacy
Privacy is a little different to consent. You should make sure that you consider any implications of filming in a public space and how that might impact bystanders; will they be in shot for example? Will you blur out or remove registration plates on cars? There’s also privacy in the sense of you telling a story based on real people – you should make every effort to change important details so that those real people can’t be identified and targeted.
This is a very timely point because of the discussions around Netflix’s Baby Reindeer at the moment, where a fictional portrayal of real life events was filmed in such a way that viewers were able to track down the person involved. At the time of writing, this is ongoing, but it will be interesting to see what implications there are in terms of the responsibilities of the writer and of Netflix. This is an ethical consideration, but also a legal one.
Funding
This doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, but the source of funding can significantly impact its ethics. Some funding streams – governments, corporations, interest groups etc – sometimes come with conditions that can impact the content or message of a film. When someone is offering to fund a film it can be hard to say no to that, but filmmakers should think about whether they’d be compromising ethical standards or even their own creativity, to do so.
'[...]when filmmakers did not empathise with, understand, or agree with the subject’s concern, or when they believed the subject had more social power than they did, they overrode it.' American Documentary
Why Do Ethics in Filmmaking Matter?
Ethics and how you handle them can impact creators, consumers, and even the wider public.
Building Trust and Credibility
Making ethics a part of your work builds trust and credibility. We know that stories will be represented truthfully, and with integrity and respect. This kind of reputation can’t be bought, it has to be earned through actions.
Avoiding Harm
The point of ethics is to avoid doing any harm. In a film, this could be physical, emotional, or psychological. Responsible filmmaking can help avoid relying on harmful stereotypes, invasion of privacy, and other negative consequences – like those we mentioned with Baby Reindeer.
Social Responsibility
Films and filmmakers can have quite a bit of influence when it comes to public perception and discourse. If you’re making films ethically, that encourages social responsibility, perhaps even meaning future filmmakers will consider good ethical practices in their own work.
Transparency and Accountability
If you’re asked a question about your filmmaking practices, you should be able to answer it truthfully, and you’ll be able to do that without fear of reprisals if you’ve done everything properly and with due care and consideration.
'Documentary filmmaking is an ethicist’s playground. When is it acceptable to alter the chronology of your material? How about introducing non-diegetic sounds to a scene? Can you turn a blind eye to your protagonist’s flaws? This is all murky territory that gets decided on a case-by-case basis.' International Documentary Association.
How Can Ethics be Built into Filmmaking Work?
Educators probably play a huge role in this. If we’re taught ethical awareness/responsibility while learning about filmmaking practices, then we start with a strong foundation before even beginning to actually create movies. This would involve workshops and seminars on things we’ve mentioned already like informed consent and cultural sensitivity, but then also case studies of films that came up against ethical dilemmas. I imagine classrooms of the near future will be citing Baby Reindeer as an example, but one that’s also been discussed recently is Super Size Me which was the documentary about the guy who ate only McDonald’s for a month. Things have since come to light that shed doubt on his findings, like not revealing his medical history, not keeping detailed records, and so on. The documentary resulted in real life changes, not all of them necessarily positive or needed; if they were decisions based on biased information, is that ethical?
Professional development is another important part of ethics in film, like having crew members take part in courses and get up to speed and certified in programmes that have high ethical standards. Mentorship could be part of this too, experienced filmmakers helping newbies to think about ethics at each stage of their development.
One great way to highlight ethical practices (or those that aren’t!) is to encourage discussion about it. There could be panels or discussions at film festivals or conferences where experience is shared, and ethical issues are debated. These may even result in new solutions and ideas collectively. Engaging with the public is also a good way to get people talking, and this might be through things like Q&A sessions, social media, or even community outreach projects.
Technology and Ethical Considerations in Filmmaking
The rapid advancements in technology have really meant great leaps in filmmaking, but they’ve also presented some new ethical challenges. Digital filmmaking, social media, and the use of AI all bring up new questions, problems, and potential dilemmas. If we can use AI to recreate actors (either in voice or in vision) that have died, is that ethical? Is making AI content at the expense of human jobs ethical? Is presenting true crime as drama and letting social media pore over the details and doing their own ‘investigation’ ethical? Could it cause harm? Who decides that?
Conclusion: What is the Future of Ethics in Filmmaking?
It’s safe to say that the continuing evolution of technology, changing audience expectations, and social trends will all have an effect on ethics in filmmaking. There will likely be more developments when it comes to protecting privacy, increased transparency, and informed consent, including more emphasis on potential implications of being involved in more sensitive projects.
Sustainability is another ethical consideration. People are becoming more aware of environmental issues and it makes sense that film production needs to be considered along those lines too and adopt more eco-friendly practices. That could be generally reducing the carbon footprint of shoots, as an example, as well as the greater issue of the long-term impact of films on the environment.
Like so many things, ethics in filmmaking is a balance, which is why situational ethics is usually the approach filmmakers take. By considering our ethical responsibilities and committing to making something with integrity, respect, and social responsibility at its heart, we can absolutely create more meaningful films that are entertaining, but that also make a positive contribution to society.
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About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Marie Gardiner | Sciencx (2024-05-21T13:34:51+00:00) The Ethics of Filmmaking. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/05/21/the-ethics-of-filmmaking/
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