Defining Socially Conscious Film Making Essay - 1311 Words

DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS? HOW DO WE DEFINE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS FILMMAKING? Two accountants recently told me that the IRS is questioning (as they tended to do so years ago) whether filmmakers are hobbyists or professionals. They determine this on the basis of whether or not profits are made on a sustainable basis. Most obviously, one of the main issues facing our industry is supply and demand—too many people willing to work for low wages in an industry in which there is too little demand in comparison to what is produced. Certainly, the indie doc economy has been impacted by oversupply, due in part by lower barriers to entry created by myriad of technological changes, and an ever-changing media landscape. But given that we†¦show more content†¦Are we exempt from the social responsibilities that our progressive films champion because the ends justify the means? The system is not working. And while it may be seemingly impossible to change, this does not absolve us of our responsibility to critically examine a system that, like many others in our global economy, which can be classist, ageist and exploitative. Let’s look at the elephant in the room constructively, bravely, honestly and in the spirit of discovery. Before hearing the report on NPR today, I contemplated applying for the Ch4 BritDoc Fund. I read the following in small print: â€Å"We cannot give you the level of funding that TV provides. On average, we invest (please define) between  £10,000 and  £30,000 and the budgets our filmmakers work to are very pared down. More often than not (though this varies from project to project) this means you will be expected to put your time in for free or a nominal sum until the deficit is raised.† The text continued: When the Foundation invests (theres word again—see the text of Dan Cogans well-intentioned but misguided Toronto Film Festival speech in IndieWire) in a film we fully come on board as Exec Producers. Another funder, Chicken Egg, is also requesting Executive Producer credit on many of the films they support, e.g., Pariah has Julie Parker Benello, Judith Helfand, Wendy Ettinger listed as Executive Producers. HowShow MoreRelatedReflections Of Week 1 : 41399 Words   |  6 Pagesthat people of colour and foreign languages had. In the first tutorial I could not articulate whom I was, where I had come from or why I didn’t completely understand anyone who was not as I was. I have no connection with religion or spiritual matters making it extremely difficult to understand the impact of what happened when there was a culture here in Australia before white culture dispossessed them. My life previous to being asked the question ‘Who am I?’ I would have responded saying I was ‘normal’Read More`` Design Is For Living ``1601 Words   |  7 Pagesboth more expressive of local character and in touch with the realities of commerce and salesmanship. With the west-coast coming-of-age, economy shift from making goods to producing information and the global expansion of American culture; their lives and work embodied some of America’s defining movements. They contr ibuted to architecture, film, industrial and graphic design. They were known as pioneers of affordable mass production and residential constructions. The evolution from furniture designersRead MoreAustralian Identity in Film2196 Words   |  9 PagesAustralian Identity in Film How a country is designed and subsequently populated will have an indelible impression on the joint psychology of that countrys population. The peoples understanding of themselves as a country will also affect how that nation presents itself to the rest of the world. Much of this will have to do with the countrys concepts of nation, nationalism, and community. A nation is a socially-constructed concept dealing with the country itself as well as the population in theRead MoreMy Experience With The Hip Hop Culture1813 Words   |  8 Pagesarrived with a number of remarkable questions and concerns: Why do I care so much about the lives of celebrities? (Why do I ‘Keep Up With the Kardashians’?) Do I want to be like the celebrities I glorify? Is my desired profession for working in the film industry driven by popular culture eminence? How influential or ‘brainwashing’ has popular culture been a factor in my lifestyle? Is it a good or bad influence? Does popular culture have an effect on my self-esteem? Has popular culture prematurelyRead MoreGenocide : An International Crime2054 Words   |  9 Pagesby the United Nations as an international crime. Prior to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, there was no definition for the word genocide. The international world realized that this was a major crime that could not go unnoticed and needed to start defining and prosecuting perpetrators. The UN identified genocide as the killing of groups, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting on the group actions to bring physical destruction, preven ting births within the group, or forciblyRead More Biography of Joseph Patrick Kennedy Essay3933 Words   |  16 PagesBiography of Joseph Patrick Kennedy Joseph Patrick Kennedy was a very successful banker and film executive, born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 6, 1888. Considered by many to be America’s version of the â€Å"royal family,† the Kennedy’s of Boston, Massachusetts have enjoyed triumphs and seen tragedy during the 20th century. As the family patriarch, Joseph Patrick Kennedy instilled values of commitment to public service, determination to succeed, and loyalty to family. His father, PatrickRead MoreIntroduction and Rationale DV8: Homosexuality Within Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men and To Be2600 Words   |  11 Pages28 in particular when Margaret Thatcher was Prime minister we’ll be able to look back at how society has changed their opinion on the LGBT community. Also looking at how DV8’s first stage performance Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men was adapted for film and the audiences reaction. DV8 and Homosexuality Within Dead Dreams Of Monochrome Men and To Be Straight With You. Chapter One: Academic Context In The Male Dancer: Bodies, Spectacle, Sexualities, Ramsay Burt states how DV8 defies localRead MoreEthical Behavior and Social Responsibility of Organizations4823 Words   |  20 PagesEthical Behavior and the Social Responsibility of Organizations Table of Contents: Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Defining Ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Defining Social Responsibility †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Social Responsibility of Organizations to Internal Beneficiaries Social Responsibility to Employees †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Social Irresponsibility to Employees: Wal-mart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 8 Social Responsibility toRead MoreRace Film : The Great And Only Essay10250 Words   |  41 PagesChapter One Race Films as a Genre in American Cinema â€Å"Most people pronounced his last name ‘Mee-show,’ though some who knew him insist it was ‘Mi-shaw.’ The correct pronunciation of his name is only the beginning of the ambiguities and mysteries associated with Oscar Micheaux† Patrick Mulligan—Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America s First Black Filmmaker From the very beginning of the early stages in American cinema, African Americans had a presence on the silver screen. TheRead MoreEssay on Mateship in Australian Films5134 Words   |  21 PagesMateship in Australian Films Mateship has long been a major aspect of the national image as projected by Australian films, yet the moralities of mateship and the image of men as mates did not go unchallenged. Australian cinema as a significant part of the whole industry of image-makers in the country, the way it portrays mateship, the single most important mythic element in the cultural identity of Australia, is worth analysing. This paper first reviews the historical