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Published By ITVS

THE FILMMAKER PARTICIPANT RELATIONSHIP UNPACKED: Ethical Responsibility and Impact in Documentary Filmmaking

Author(s):
November 19, 2024

Authorship, Participants, Accountability, Care & Safety, Consent, Compensation

Report

Summary

As documentary films have grown in popularity, with seemingly every streamer now producing nonfiction content, ethical concerns about their production have also increased. A galvanizing question for the field today is: How do filmmakers balance the benefits and risks of sharing participants' personal experiences or perspectives?
In light of the challenges, ITVS conducted a large-scale studyโ€”tapping 678 U.S.-based documentary filmmakers and 195 participantsโ€”to learn from both documentary filmmakers and film participants to zero in on what works and what can be improved as the nonfiction field evolves. This study hits at a time when documentaries are at the heart of national conversations that aim to deepen understanding and drive social change.