Navigating visual ethics in impact documentaries - a toolkit for documentary filmmakers

What is this toolkit?

This toolkit is designed as a series of recommendations for filmmakers and content creators of any size platform and production.

The intention behind this toolkit is to encourage discussions on visual ethics and how visual ethics can be incorporated into documentaries, especially those that have an impactful purpose. This is not a step-by-step instruction manual on how to make an “ethical documentary” but a guide for filmmakers to consider their creative decisions. There is no intention on gate keeping and deciding what is and is not ethical but to encourage a deeper thinking of the creative choices for your documentary.

All research is constructionist and available in the exegesis.

“Visual ethics is the study of how images and imaging affect the ways we think, feel, behave, and create, use, and interpret meaning, for good or for bad. Visual ethics includes the study of how we create and use images in communicating with others and ourselves.”

— Newton, 2004

Measuring impact

There is a purpose for your film. You have intention. So how do we measure the effectiveness? We must be clear on what the film is doing, what is its purpose. We can look to these questions:

  • Are you distributing it where it will attract the desired audience?

  • Who is it for?

  • Have you maximised your resources? I.e applied for impact funding, submitted to film LABS, etc.

Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process

Graham’s work has been described as introspective, however used to develop a deeper understanding into the psychology of creativity (Amabile, 2019, p. 15). It has become a model that is utilised to uphold the process of creative thinking but not a blanket model to explain every creative’s process (Amabile, 2019, p. 15). If you’re a creative, you may or may not have heard of Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process. And that’s OK, because I am going to lay out what exactly this process is and why it was incredibly helpful for my constructionist research.

Fig. 1 Wallace's Creative Thinking Process
Preparation Incubation Illumination Verification
Researching and Gathering information and material Stepping away from 'habitual thinking' “The stage during which the problem was investigated in all directions…” (Graham, 1926, p. 80) Contemplation Removing yourself from the issue to mentally explore “…he was not consciously thinking about the problem…” (Graham, 1926, p. 80) When the idea comes to you 'Eureka' “…consisting of the appearance of the ‘happy idea’ together with the psychological events which immediately and accompanied that appearance…” (Graham, 1926, p. 80) Build upon your illumination Test the idea “…both the validity of the idea was tested, and the idea itself was reduced to exact form.” (Graham, 1926, p. 81)

Incorporating Visual Ethics and Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process

Research and Development

As I spoke about earlier, Visual Ethics is a concept best practiced early on in your production process. If we follow Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process, you are letting go of old habits and opening up the opportunity for exploring new ways of thinking creatively. For each stage there is the 4 categories that Wallace claims creative thought travels through during your project. Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and finally, Verification. So to implement your research and visual ethics, we will separate from habitual thinking, allow ourselves to explore and reflect, have our Eureka, and finally have it verified. Here is a summarised list of ways you can implement these recommendations into your research and development to ensure you are keeping consistent.

  • When finding material, consider if archival is necessary in your film. What would the purpose be for the material? For research, go for community archive over news archive. Personal archive is generally more in touch with the story. This gives you a deeper inside perspective of the issue.

  • Join community groups and spend time speaking with members of the community WITHOUT an agenda. This could be going to events, talking to people online, visiting local areas and understanding the history, speaking to local journalists, etc.

  • Once you’ve spent time in community, you should have ideas for direction, even if it isn’t set in stone. If not, consider point 2 again.

  • Discuss with key and trusted creatives who you may want to collaborate with. This is not a pitch but simply allowing for your idea to be verified.

You may find that these may continue to bleed into your next stage of production, however, Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process is cyclical; you will return to stages in the process multiple times throughout your project. Research and Development will open the doors to reflection and consideration when you are in pre production and as you begin to start making more and more creative choices for your film.

You may find yourself repeating categories as you progress. It is important to keep in mind that you are not going backwards when this happens. You are simply following the natural cycle that is Wallace’s Creative Thinking Process. This stage of your film is incredibly important and where trial and error may occur as you make your way to the next stage of your film production and where you may start top consider the borders of your story.

In the research and development stage you will reflect time and time again on why you are making this film. Allow yourself to reflect on these questions:

  • Do I want to create impact or do I want to shock people? If it is shock, why do I want to do that?

  • Who is the best person to tell this story?

  • Why me? Why do I need to make this film?

  • How will the community respond to a film about this issue?

Pre-Production

We are now at the stage where we are needing to take reflection to the next level. As I mentioned in my exegesis, I used the concept of borders to make sure that my story was contained. The borders analogy helps to decide on what your film is going to be, you can conceptualize your primary themes and secondary themes, your hero of the story, and your supporting characters, and WHEN your film is set. It can also be a guide in what we are going to see visually in the film. For myself, the borders helped me decide on omitting any archival material in the film ands to focus on the present tense. It meant that I wasn’t searching for impact from visuals of the disaster. I let the current situation of my participant and the still devastated community show us the impact. It came directly from those that are still living it.

To apply this concept of borders, take the following into consideration:

  • When is this story set in? Archival material can take us back into the past but how is that visually impacting the story?

  • Is our participant/s current situation enough to show us what had happened in the past?

  • Map out your film into the borders. Once you start to see the themes come together, it can be easy to see what will not fit, what is starting to split into many stories, and WHO is telling the story

  • The borders will keep your story specific and contained meaning you can take a deeper dive into the issue and not be surface level.

As discussed in Research and Development, you will find yourself revisiting your borders throughout the production process. And you may be thinking “But Michelle, what if I’m not doing as doco on a disaster? What if it’s a biography or specifically a history film?” I would say that you can still develop the borders concept to focus on your primary themes. And instead of choosing to opt out of archival material (say it was a doco on WWI or something of the like), you can still decide in what capacity you are using archival and what it is doing there.

I am not by any means saying not to use archival. In fact, I encourage it. However, it is imperative to consider what that piece is doing and if it is enhancing the story, assisting in the throughline of the film, and if it is in fact exploitative (of participant or audience). By that I mean that if the material is being used for an emotional response and if that emotional response is merely for shock factor or because it is necessary to highlight the issue.

    • Considering using archival? What would be the purpose of using this material?

    • Can I tell this story without using potentially traumatic visuals?

  • How can I involve myself in the conversation?

  • What are the borders of my film?

    • How do my participants feel about having their archives included in the film?

    • What is the greater conversation I, as a filmmaker, can have regarding the inclusion of archival material?

Production

You are finally in the thick of it. After using these past considerations in the development of your film, you are on location, presumably doing interviews of filming observationally. This is where the visual responsibility of your film is coming to light. As you are in the moment, consider what place in the narrative this shot or scene has. What is it telling you and is it connecting to your original story?

You are still developing your relationship with your participant, so consider how that relationship can assist in telling the story. If you have developed an ethical considerations list in pre-production, this will be where it will be heavily implemented. If the opt out has been used by your participant, it isn’t the end of the world. You have options. Consider filling in time with other scenes and shots but ensure that your participant isn’t experiencing a mental health crisis. You are not a psychologist, but certain measures will ensure that you, your crew, and your participants are safe.

  • Does the means justify the ends? (AKA, if your participant is opting out and you continue filming, you are putting your participant at risk and damaging your relationship with them. Is it worth it?)

  • Do you need to be continuously ethically motivated for your film to be considered ethical? I would investigate whether you are exploiting your participant and if you are then why.

  • Are you maintaining consent with your participant? If not, extremely consider adjusting your approach.

    • Keep a diary of reflections each day post shoot to ‘brain dump’ ideas and notes into. This could also be a debrief with the crew after each shoot.

    • Approach your participants as people and leave the camera out sometimes. Spend time with them outside of the motivations of your film.

  • Consider how your participant and their community could get used to a camera being around. A camera suddenly appearing in their lives may be disruptive and confusing and your relationship and story can be compromised.

  • Put what you have learnt and designed to the test and apply your knowledge.

Post Production

I’ve heard it said over and over again that the story is built in the edit when it comes to documentary. You spend hours in the edit suite watching rushes, connecting scenes, and trying to make the story follow it’s original intention and purpose. Here is where your set borders will be challenged the most. You have all this footage, how many different stories can you tell? The greatest challenge here would be to decide.

  • Will you continue to follow your original intended purpose? Or will you allow the story to develop organically?

  • What imagery do you need in order to tell that story? And you have it all?

The challenge about this is that if your desire is to create impact, are you doing it for the right reasons? There are many questions in this section but this is where your film is being created, shaped, and moulded to fit your vision whether that be to help the cause you are following, or to win accolades and awards; it all comes down to this.

If your decision in this stage is to incorporate visuals that may shock the audience, at what point is this for shock value for the sake of drama and views instead of highlighting an issue.

This may be a good time to conduct a small focus group survey screening session to see if the impact points are hitting and the information in your film make sense especially if you are doing an awareness piece, you want to ensure that it all makes sense. It is very easy to get so close to your story that you lose sight of what flows and what doesn’t.

You can read how I did my own early screening survey here.

  • Your standard paper edits and mind maps would work well here, however, how has the story changed since the start of the production process?

  • Consider breaking your film down Act by Act to see if each is supporting the narrative

  • Have your choices been for the good of the participant and community/cause?

  • Are you hitting those emotional/impact points you are aiming for?

Distribution

Congratulations on finishing your film. You’ve developed a story that’ll hopefully make positive changes in the world and improve the lives of your participants. It’s time to make a game plan; how will you distribute? The options for distribution is great which has its pros and cons. Distribution can be messy and expensive. Making a plan on where and how you want to do this is going to be your best bet.

A decent strategy can be broken down into four parts:

1.       Film festivals

2.      Film Development LABS and Impact Producing LABS

3.      Self Distribution

4.      Streaming

For submitting to festivals, put those that are relevant to your subject matter at the top of your list. You will want to prioritise them over all others as you have a better chance of being considered. The same can be said for film development LABS. Stick to and prioritise those that are relevant to you but also can provide the most regarding resources. LABS are run by mentors who are experts in their subject matters so in order to maximise the benefits, apply for those that you can really see yourself getting the most from

When we say self distribution we mean community screenings, advocacy screenings, screenings for government officials and lawmakers, as well as potentially making it available online. We don’t necessarily streaming it yourself. The benefits from these is that you are making sure that communities feel represented, those with power may be influenced, and making the film accessible to maximise reach.

  • What forms of distribution are relevant to your film’s purpose? I.e Film festivals about your film’s key themes

    • What resources would your film benefit from obtaining?

    • Why are you choosing to distribute in the (XYZ) manner?

  • What are the borders of my film?

  • What has been said about your film so far?

Filmmaking is not an easy feat. There are a variety of complicated challenges to navigate and  when it comes to documentary, the list of considerations grows. We have an ethical obligation to the story and to the purpose and the decisions we make can influence how the story is perceived. Remember, visual ethics is not a broad ethical subject matter. It sits under the ethical umbrella but focuses on the choices we make visually for our films. Are you more interested in shocking over educating? Why? Can there be a balance?

The key is to continue reflecting on the choices and decisions you make during the production of your film. Unpack the exploitation and have your participants involved in the telling of their own story.