Criteria
For a film to be based on a true story, it is assumed that there would be criteria which it must follow. Though not every film can obtain this status, there is very little which is reviewed and it is very easy for a filmmaker to pawn off a film as true. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the organization which reviews all American produced films, their organization “does not determine whether a film is designated to be based on true events.” MPAA's online source further explains that this designation is to be "in the digression of the producer or film-maker" (2015). The MPAA merely reviews and rates films based on the appropriateness of their content, but neglects to review the historical accuracy of the films overall message. Matilda Battersby also explains in her online journal that this term is “overused” and is “overall meaningless” due to the fact that film makers want to “mold viewer’s perceptions” of real life events (2012). Impressionable viewers so often today come out of theaters believing that films are true, yet this is not the case. Christina Halmett also supports these claims in stating that “there are several obvious downsides with this overused catch-phrase” which may not be evident to viewers after viewing films (2013). In all, viewers should be made aware that only producers and benefactors of films determine how true cinemas truly are.
For a film to be based on a true story, it is assumed that there would be criteria which it must follow. Though not every film can obtain this status, there is very little which is reviewed and it is very easy for a filmmaker to pawn off a film as true. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the organization which reviews all American produced films, their organization “does not determine whether a film is designated to be based on true events.” MPAA's online source further explains that this designation is to be "in the digression of the producer or film-maker" (2015). The MPAA merely reviews and rates films based on the appropriateness of their content, but neglects to review the historical accuracy of the films overall message. Matilda Battersby also explains in her online journal that this term is “overused” and is “overall meaningless” due to the fact that film makers want to “mold viewer’s perceptions” of real life events (2012). Impressionable viewers so often today come out of theaters believing that films are true, yet this is not the case. Christina Halmett also supports these claims in stating that “there are several obvious downsides with this overused catch-phrase” which may not be evident to viewers after viewing films (2013). In all, viewers should be made aware that only producers and benefactors of films determine how true cinemas truly are.
Ethics
Any filmmaker who sets out to create a documentary faces multiple challenges, one of which is a set of ethical issues which are key to the process. How to portray the subjects of the film? What to shoot and what not to shoot? How to edit so that the film is true to its topic and subjects, yet also works as a compelling story for the audiences? If a filmmaker is working in a foreign country or culture, how to represent people with dignity and sensitivity to that place and time? Most people not involved in film making are not entirely directly aware of the power of the camera and editing to structure events in ways they would never expect. At the heart of documentary production is the relationship between filmmaker and subjects. Documentaries and films may represent the world in the same way a lawyer may represent a client’s interests: they put the case for a particular view or interpretation of evidence before the audience. In this sense, documentaries do not simply stand for others, but rather they more actively make a case or argument; cinemas of this type assert what the nature of a matter is to win consent or influence opinion.
When creating a film, there are many choices and options for filmmakers. Filmmakers must determine what clips to include, what people to film, and how to represent the film participants. Therefore, it is important for filmmakers to realize the repercussions of these decisions. Filmmakers should strive to do no public harm or shame to the people who are being filmed, and should strive to represent them in the best way possible, or otherwise inform them of how the participants will be presented. In addition, though filmmakers typically create a film to represent a point of view, a constant effort should be made to avoid creating one specific viewpoint.
Any filmmaker who sets out to create a documentary faces multiple challenges, one of which is a set of ethical issues which are key to the process. How to portray the subjects of the film? What to shoot and what not to shoot? How to edit so that the film is true to its topic and subjects, yet also works as a compelling story for the audiences? If a filmmaker is working in a foreign country or culture, how to represent people with dignity and sensitivity to that place and time? Most people not involved in film making are not entirely directly aware of the power of the camera and editing to structure events in ways they would never expect. At the heart of documentary production is the relationship between filmmaker and subjects. Documentaries and films may represent the world in the same way a lawyer may represent a client’s interests: they put the case for a particular view or interpretation of evidence before the audience. In this sense, documentaries do not simply stand for others, but rather they more actively make a case or argument; cinemas of this type assert what the nature of a matter is to win consent or influence opinion.
When creating a film, there are many choices and options for filmmakers. Filmmakers must determine what clips to include, what people to film, and how to represent the film participants. Therefore, it is important for filmmakers to realize the repercussions of these decisions. Filmmakers should strive to do no public harm or shame to the people who are being filmed, and should strive to represent them in the best way possible, or otherwise inform them of how the participants will be presented. In addition, though filmmakers typically create a film to represent a point of view, a constant effort should be made to avoid creating one specific viewpoint.