Rules of Documentary Filming

Ofcom Rules

In order to create a successful documentary thats ready for film festivals as director I must make sure that whilst making our documentary we must follow the Ofcom Rules such as;

Rule 2.2 Material Missleadingness: It is very important that our documentary misleads the audience causing offence or harm. We may also have to be careful when interviewing people or in editing as if something is said that may cause harm or offence to the audience.

Rule 2.3 Context and Information/ Offensive Language: We must be aware that if the content of our documentary contains offensive language, scenes of a sexual nature or discriminating treatmeant towards issues relating to age, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender or religion from anyone we are interviewing we must inform the audience prior to viewing. However, if we as documentary makers were to show discrimination towards any of these issues we would be braking ofcom rules and our documentary could not be broadcast or entered into film festivals. As it possible that we maybe focusing our documentary on a person whose has been effected by his race and religion (Day in the life of a taxi driver) we need to be fully aware of this rule.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/section2.pdf

Rule 5.9 Alternative view points: this rule states that different view points may be achieved in different programme, therefore this means that if an interviewee expresses an alterative oppinion we are allowed to show it, however we must consider and refer back to rule 2.3.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/section5.pdf

8.22 Persons under the age of sixteen and vulnerable people: If we interview a person thatis underage or a vulnerable person, as a production team we must ensure that we recieve the correct signed permission forms .eg pernet or gaurdian.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/section8.pdf

Other rules we need to be aware of:

only 30 secs of archinve footage can be used
cannot entrap interviewees as it breaks ofcom rules
Right to Reply - to be seen as unbias (don't have to do it)

How We Need To Focus This into Our Documentary

As our documentary is primarily about racism towards the British Pakistani community, it is very important that if any racist terms are used that we abide by the Ofcom rule 2.3 as if we do not give a warning to the audience about the language used in our documentary before we show it.

As well as this because our primary has a strong Pakistani we may have to consider using subtitles as some audience members may not be able understand. However, we need to consider carefully how we approach this as we do not want to offend our primary.

Music Rights

As we would like to use music within our documentary it is very important that we receive confirmation in terms of a confirmation email. By doing this it will also allow our documentary to be entered in to not only U-Doc but also other film festivals.

Above- (Hipbone by Vondelpark) Preferred music that we would like to use within our documentary. We feel that this piece of music is the most suitable for our documentary as it not only has an urban feel to it, but it also links with our primaries up beat personality.

Release Forms and Video Concents

In order for our documentary to be show in festivals it is highly important that we have either signed release forms or video footage from every one we interview giving us permission too use the footage of them within our documentary. If we do not do this then our documentary will not be able to be shown at film festivals.

However, as we hope to film inside our primaries cab whilst he is at work, it is vitally important that receive conncent from his passangers as well if we wish to film there view on our subject. Therefore, before our shoots we must ensure that we are highly organsied and have plenty of rlease forms.

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