Professor, Instructors, Teachers- Where Do You Draw the Line?

I am none of the above, but since this is a discussion forum, I'm going to reply.

Drawing the line-a euphemism for censorship. Let them say what they want, isn't the artist the one who needs to take the heat or praise or...whatever? I don't remember any of my instructors passing moral judgements on my work.

I've drawn the line a few times but I can't remember any specific circumstances. Most of the time it's male students going for a laugh by doing something crude or sexist.

Usually I can go the route of if you put this on your demo reel you can be certain to offend someone and you will not to get hired then they usually see the light. If they don't I have no problem telling them they can't. Sometimes you need to save them from themselves.

ed

I've had students do work that made me gag--in the literal physical sense.
That's rare, though, most attempts to be crude often fizzle, and being clever enough to pull off "crude" properly is rare amongst students.
There common sense as a giude here.
Showing a adult couple copulating CAN be considered offensive--depending on portrayal--showing a person copulating with infants DEFINITELY is offensive, and will be seen as such by others regardless of intent by the artist.

Still........my line is simple: if anotherSTUDENT, or STAFF, objects to material then a line has been crossed, no matter what anyone says. If that happens then its time to talk to the "offending" student and A] see what the goal of the work is, and B] see if there is room for compromise.
There usually is.

If I find the material personally offensive. then I start asking questions. I'm pretty open-minded and my own sense of humour can be quite ribald--so I know when things have gone too far.

There's one thing to consider here: most schools have a contract regarding student works--particularly summation works like a final film. Those contracts assign responsibilites and limits, if properly drawn up and are meant to deal with this kind of issue. Issues of artistic expression become moot at somepoint because the student is not creating in a vaccuum. There's other people around and equipment being used that they have payed to use, but that doesn't belong to them--hence their responsibility to the work.

If the material is not offensive in a racial, sexual or religious way, then the offsense at it can be subjective and needs to be explored.

I DO NOT subscribe to arbitrary censorship without grounds, but I do think that there is a responsiblity on the part of students to adhere to a defined standard of presentation and professionalism.
That said, there are tremendously wide pararmeters that fit that definition.

The rule of thumb has always been: would you show the film to your parents ( chances are they are footing the bill) and family. If no, then rein the work in.

I guess I came up in the world more 'hippified' than I thought. My rule of thumb for presentation was not 'would I show this to my parents' (they didn't foot the bill) but rather, 'is this what I want to show the world'. That was enough incentive to edit myself-I didn't need an instructor to tell me something was offensive or not.