Things to be considered are:
- Allowing people to have some control over how they will be portrayed
- Negotiating the permission to film
- Does the presence of the camera affect what is being filmed
- Is the camera acknowledged or hidden
- What, who, when and where to shoot all crucial choices and may affect the viewers opinion on those filmed
- How will the contributors be perceived by the public
- How can informed consent be obtained under the influence of drugs, alcohol or mental health issues
- Why might people agree to be filmed
One of the things that I am most cautious about is how the presence of a camera may affect the way that people act and behave. When filming this documentary we want the contributors to feel as relaxed as possible so we can get the most true and honest footage of them as a person. One way that could help this problem is by having the camera at a long distance but zoomed in. This way the camera will still capture the same footage but it won't be in view of the people being filmed.
Great that you have considered your responsibilities towards the people you intend to film. Using long lens filming is risky in that it is like to have shallow depth of field causing difficulties in controlling focus and may give a distance voyeuristic feel to the footage. I am glad you went for a more personal approach. The best way to build trust is to interact and hang out with people so they begin to get used to your presence and begin to feel relaxed while the camera ids about. The longer time you have with people the less inhibited they feel about the presence of the camera.
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