RDLab Photo Tackling Issues of Consent

What is this?

This is the basis of a toolbox for addressing consent in all stages of the production process, and in the various roles played in the processes of creation, production, and distribution.

About Consent

- The more informed your subject is, the more accountable they can be.

- In a context of violence, consent could change at different periods of time.

What do I need to ask myself?

These are questions that will help you develop a template for considering consent throughout the life of a project, and best practices for checking in with your subjects and with other actors involved. You should ask these questions during pre production, production, and post production.

- Who are you documenting?

- What are you documenting?

- What is your engagement with the subjects?

- Why are you documenting?

- What is your final project? / form or objectives of final project?

- What are the legal bodies of concern?

- What are the legal frameworks for where you’re working?

- What are the worst possible consequences?

- What are your platforms (how will documentation be distributed)?

- What is your role in sharing footage?

Use this template of questions to determine the different roles of producer/documenter, editor/curator, platform.

Consent Barometer

Consent not possible - consent achieved - violating consent

Use these markers to understand to what extent you are considering the consent of your subject (at each stage of production).

Know-your-rights Ecosystem

How do we alert the general public who (especially when data is collected by group within community) is taking this footage?

How do we address culturally bound ideas around what one can capture in public?