ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXSupporting Documentary Participants
4 weeks, 1 day ago - Niki Jones
Hi all,
I’ve been making a doc on hunt sabs for the past year (ok, more like 2–3). It’s been a lot of time on the ground with the group, following their actions and the challenges they face.
Recently one of the people I’ve worked with has been targeted by an online smear campaign and now feels unsafe, to the point where they don’t want the film to go ahead at all. I’ve offered voice anonymising, careful framing, footage without faces – but they’re still firmly against it.
The rest of the group are keen to continue and are happy to keep this person completely unmentioned, but I’m torn. Even without naming them, there’s a risk the film could draw more attention and make things worse.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? Any advice on where to draw the line would really help.
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3 weeks, 6 days ago - Tabitha Vermont-Spirite
NEW new filmmaker here, so take this with a bucket of salt: what if the doc becomes collaborative? Invite the group (including the person who’s scared) into a big messy edit session, let them decide what’s safe.
It slows you down but might spark a whole different kind of film - one that’s about trust as much as sabs. Could be way more interesting than the original plan.
1 week ago - Susie Guy
Hi Niki,
I’m curious, what was the outcome of the dilemma you faced with one of the participants?
One idea might be to use the participant’s voice alongside an animated sequence, while still preserving their anonymity. That way, they can speak openly without fear of judgment.
Animation is my field, so if you're still exploring options or have future projects in mind, I’d love to chat further.
2 days, 19 hours ago - Niki Jones
For now we've decided to wait it out... Couldn't really talk down the participants so maybe a long delay in release unfortunately (to see if this blows over over time...).
Frustrating really, but do love the idea of animation, if it all goes out the window, I'll definitely drop you an email!
1 day ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
How about making a play of the fact that hunt sabs are being hunted? Pivot the narrative somewhat as there's a story there. That's natural unforced jeopardy.
You might even create a (or few) virtual hunt sab character to draw the harrassment of the troll accounts, and use it to forensically track down the hostile accounts (and I'll bet they basically all come back to one person with a bunch of sock-puppet accounts themselves). Draw the ire and let the hostile parties show their hands.
At least it's progressing a story whilst you're stalled on the original shoot. And in documentary research, often it's a side story that comes up that turns out to be the thread of gold.