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Beat Takeshi

Beat Takeshi

Two-Hip Shakur
Hi all,
Let me just say... I HATE THE BACK BUTTON ON MY MOUSE RIGHT NOW!!!!!
I just wrote a long-a$$ rant that I'm about to write over and I touched my back button back accident >:( >:( >:( and lost everything I wrote. GRRRR. Now if I can only remember everything.

Ok, back to the subject.
Heres what I want to say to all film makers/documentarians (is that a word?) out there that film underground stories. I have a friend that is a well known graffiti writer from back in the 80's and he still keeps up with it. He just got arrested for something he did on a film a few years ago that the authorities saw a few weeks ago. I think it even made the papers or something, my mother told me they were going to arrest him for it and sure enough they did.
As film makers we have the responsibility to research everything we possibly can about the subject we are about to document and show the world (hopefully). Know the consequences of any actions that may be illigal and pass on a warning to the subject that may be about to create his own evidence that can be used against him. This is only fair. I believe that someone else got tagged for street racing after a film about underground racing came out also and I'm sure there are countless others.
I'm sure everyone that does underground content driven docs are always looking for that special questionable story or scene that will make your film memoriable and I'm one of them. I am in a project that deals with human morallities and if I cross the line someone could get hurt if not arrested. I am terrified that I will be responsible or the cause of something like an arrest or worse.
I dont think this post was half as good as the first one but at least I got something out.
Thanks for listening.
OPp..
 
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hey oppressor... only now i see Richard Leac0ck in your signature... i know u said it before.. i didn't get it . .  :p
anyway.. regarding your post here, first, there are "release" papers that you as a producer should sign your talents or participators on. it includes anything from payment (or no-payment), legal stuff, responsibilities and all the rest of the law jargon which i'm not so much familiar with. . .
now, morality wise, i believe that who ever feels free to expose himself, either by breaking the law out in day light, or by filming himself to a documentary.. he is the only responsible for his deeds, not me, the filmmaker, the "medium", the messenger etc.

i do think that the filmmaker is responsible for his piece though, and for what it represents, on all levels, including morality.. but i guess that this is not what you're talking about..
 
but tell us about your project.. if you can. . .

btw.. "back button" on the mouse ?!?! what is it a helicopter joystick that u use there??     :D
 
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ok, that sucked. I just wrote for almost an hour in response to you shai on what this was about and when I clicked POST, it gave me an error saying it was too long and click the back button to resubmit. Guess what, THE FOOKIN THING IS GONE!! JEEEEZ LUISE. SOOOOOOoooo, since I just lost that, what do other people think about talking about your project before its done? (no I didnt write this as a cop-out, I really went into depth about what was going on and what I was doing but I was thinking about should I tell?)
Man that sucked...
 
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Its a tough call. You would think alot of people realize that if they are on camera it could come back and bite them in the ass.. I know people who dont use bank machines for that very reason. As a filmmaker though, It is vital for us to capture what we can and present it as real as possible. This is where being personally involved with a subject or talent can create a dilema, but you got to choose to create the art or just look the other way.. Dont know if that made any sense.

And Rick, I have been trying to fix that stupid back button clearing thing for months. Sorry :(
 
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First - the back button: In order to protect yourself, periodically select all your text and copy it to the windows clipboard.

Better yet, open up NotePad and compose your stuff there, then paste it into your post. If I am going to sit down for a nice juicy mind dump - that's what I do. I have lost too many posts on other forums to risk the frustration.

(a nice juicy mind dump? Sometimes I even offend myself!)

Regarding the moral dillema, if you caution your subject that people will see this, maybe a lot of people and maybe even some law enforcement types, then it is their call, however, I would still feel uncomfortable "assisting" someone into an error of judgement. Ultimately, we make the final call. We may have a clearer idea of the consequences than some egotistical teenager or adult glory hound. They are responsible for their own actions, as we are responsible for ours. Just my two cents.
 
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Well, if you intend on protecting your subjects, then blurring out their face (or distinctive features) in post would probably be the better course of action. And to paraphrase what shAi mentioned, nothing beats release forms. But then that doesn't “morally” help either… Right?

Your project, whatever it may be, will be seen sooner or later by some sort of law enforcement staff. If your filming a bunch of a** holes that deserve being arrested, then so be it. But my understanding is that you are filming real people stuck in real situations in which they cannot easily get out of. Whatever the case, as a filmmaker, if you feel your subjects should be protected, simply change you lighting and camera angles to somewhat “hide” your subject if post-blurring is out of the question.
 
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One thing to think about - if you protect your subject, the enforcers might come after YOU to give up the info. Then you have to claim immunity as a journalist.... iffy, very iffy.

If you don't collect the names and tell them not to tell you, then you might be considered an accomplice. Nasty.
 
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a little brother of a friend of mine was recently ticketed alot of money for videotaping some kids doing stunts and stuff on their motorcyles on the hwy. he was in the backseat of a car driving next to them as they did the stuff. he was considerd an accomplice to the illegal activity, because he knew them, and had preconspired to bring the cam there to tape them doing their stuff.
 
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Maybe we have Jared issue us Press Badges?  My point being:

If a journalist shoots and covers an event that is considered illegal, the journalist is never held liable; he/she is just doing their job.

So, Jared need's to create a faux DVX.COM newssite to protect us all.
 
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John.. its somewhat of a idea I have been thinking about... but more a dvxuser.com news thing, where people can go out and shoot some stuff and then post little clips. Good thing about that whoever is involved gets press credentials which is usually needed to cover some more hollywood stuff or other planned events.  

I was thinking of this as I know we have alot of run and gun journalists here at the site, and it seems that most of the stuff right now is more directed to filmakers making shorts and indy features. It would be nice to give everyone a little something to post or do.
 
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Interesting. I could be filming the Huge Fires that are sweeping through San Diego and with a 'press' badge I could get up close and personal; not that I want to get real up close and personal with the fire.

Keep me in the loop; you never know, I'm about an hours and 20 minutes from Hollywood; you know, where all of the events take place.

It's an intriguing idea.
 
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Yes.. sounds good... and is exactly what I have been talking about.
 
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Ya know...

There could even be SECTIONS?

SPORTS
EVENTS
NEWS
ACTION
EXTREME

That's it. I'm going to get on the floor at the Laker game with the DVX! Yeah baby!
 
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More sections:

Society
Fashion
Glamor
Industry
Science
Environment
Aeronautics
Space

Count me in!
 
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The footage could even be made availble for purchase by entities looking for coverage on specific event's or stock footage perhaps? Hell, for those that are picked to participate it could almost be a shareware kind of footage?

Let's say I shoot some nice footage of the San Diego International Airport and one of you requires FOOTAGE of this for your project. But you're living in Vancouver or Andover, MA ;).

Maybe I need some footage of the Northeast in the winter, or of Vancouver? Then we get a small credit as 2nd Unit Dp or something....

hmmmm.
 
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Now I'm ranting...

Film is such an illusion. One can be in MA or Canada and I can take some establishing shots of San Diego; the beaches, North Island Naval Air Station; The Pacific Fleet; San Diego Zoo...

The list is endless. Suddenly a small project done in Vancouver has the illusion it was shot at he Tijuana Border Crossing...
 
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Wow! This is idea is really big. Coupled with the DVXuser "journalist" badge for immunity concerning "shaddy" footage... ;) Hmmm... I like it! Where do I sign up? ;D
 
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What we are talking about here - obviously - is the birth of a stock agency/news service/online magazine empire.
 
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Tis a good idea.. I know. I just need to organize it a little to make sure there are no kinks.
 
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