Chapter 5Documentary Ethics and Legal Issues
A documentary film production involves an intense and often intimate interaction with the real world. It is an encounter with other human beings, many times in complex and difficult circumstances. And it is an attempt to represent aspects of that world to a larger audience. In addition, documentaries often incorporate the creative works of others, which forces you to confront issues of ownership and authorship. All of these circumstances offer particular ethical and legal challenges.
Why do we need “ethics”? In the largest sense, ethics suggests some kind of common code of conduct for morally correct behavior. Documentary filmmaking involves real people who can be misrepresented, exploited, or otherwise ...
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