I have an art class taught by a video/performance artist, and he issued the following semester-long assignment.
In imitation of this guy’s 100 Days of Rejection Therapy project, we are required to submit ourselves to a similar challenge once a week, documented on video, to be uploaded to the class blog. That is: find a way to ask for something, preferably something we’d actually really like to get, and then film ourselves trying to make it happen. The theory being that we get used to rejection.
I hate this on so many levels. In addition to the normal reaction of really not wanting to approach strangers and ask for weird things, I really, really don’t like the idea of filming someone without their consent. Even if it’s not being done in a mean way; I can’t even watch hidden camera shows because I know that if it were me, I’d be totally pissed. I’m thinking I’m going to change that parameter and go rogue, because I’m Justgot1 and I do what I want and fuck you.
Anyway, the first one is due THIS SUNDAY. And then another is due EVERY SUNDAY THIS SEMESTER. I need FIFTEEN of them.
I … have no idea how to even start. I’m MORTIFIED by this project.
I NEED SUGGESTIONS.
What kinds of rejection challenges can I do, within the parameters of 1. Safe; 2. Moral and Legal; 3. Ethical.
I’m thinking of maybe framing it in such a way that I don’t have to tell them that it’s a school project — which we’re not supposed to do — but still telling them something that justifies my filming them. Like, I’m doing some personal, midlife crisis, experiential thing where I do … different things … and them put them on my blog?
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
My initial reaction: fuckery. My guy’s initial reaction: possibly fuckery. He’s the one to listen to, because he’s a director of an Emergent Media and Digital Arts program that assigns similar art and video projects, but is centrally concerned with 1) privacy, and 2) students’ rights/copyrights. This assignment made his eyebrows fly up into his hairline in a really comical fashion. I’ll get back to you when he’s thought it over more, but he’s with you that filming people without their consent is right out.
Jesus, at least you should be have some kind of options. Sounds mmmmighty mind-gamey…
When I did a media studies course, I had it made very clear to me that you get peoples’ written permission or they do not go in your video. Period. Because they CAN sue. We handed out permission forms for every person we filmed, and we kept them on file. I still have copies of mine, and the instructor has copies, because as long as those videos are up, I am—and the instructor and the school are—potentially legally liable.
I’d like to know whether this guy ran this idea by the legal department before he put it in the syllabus. I think they’d be VERY INTERESTED to know about it, if he didn’t.
The fact that I think it’s damaging psychological fuckery is the bonus round.