Photographer Code of Conduct

What degree do we allow photography and filming at our events?

We want players and crew at our events to feel fully immersed in the setting, so there are restrictions on photography to ensure everyone can feel at ease. Anyone can take stills and video of themselves and consenting people in private areas such as closed tents and in the out of character areas, but we ask that you do not use your phone in the in-character area for this purpose. During time in phones and other out of character electronics should not be seen in the In-Character areas.

We fully appreciate that stills photography is an incredible way of telling the story of an event, and is a fantastic addition to larp. There are some incredible photographers out there and many of them have learned their craft from photographing larp weekends.
What is important is that we maintain a good balance – too many photographers can put undue pressure to perform for the camera, and can take players out of the moment: what seasoned larpers call “breaking immersion”.
There are also plenty of people who cannot have their photograph taken for a variety of reasons.

We have therefore decided upon the following policy.

Photography in the in-character areas can only be done by photographers on an approved list. If you’d like to apply to be on that list, please contact kitty@menhirsfate.com.

These photographers should purchase a player ticket as normal and follow the code of conduct.

We also have some approved photographers amongst the crew base, who, alongside their roles in skirmish crew, NPC and nation support, will be taking some time out to photograph the game.

Code of conduct

• Take down requests: If a player requests a photo of themselves to be taken down, it should be done in a timely manner; ideally within 24 hours.
• Subtlety: photographers should aim to capture the game in play, and not draw attention to themselves. Posed photography should not be done in the in-character area.
• IC/OC divide: In order to make it clear that they are in character as their player character or NPC, or out of character as a photographer, photographers should not roleplay or fight with their cameras on them. Please leave them in a tent or car when not in active use; putting them on the floor or a table nearby risks damage.
• Neutrality: approved photographers should ensure they get a spread of photos from outside their immediate friendship group.

Filming

Filming in or around the IC space is restricted to the Menhirs Fate media team. This team will follow the same photography code of conduct and is staffed with industry professionals. We intend to operate this filming team in controlled areas away from the main play spaces.

Filming will only occur where individuals are aware they are being filmed and have the option to opt out. If a person is for example caught in the background of the shot without our knowing we will operate the same take down policy and edit them out upon request.

There may be some instances where the festival site is filmed at an extreme long distance – for example from the air a few hundred metres away or from our encounter area looking down over the IC camp as a whole. Identifying features should not be possible from this distance. We will still operate the same take down process if people feel they have need to ask.

We ask anybody taking photographs at our event to follow our photography code of conduct. We reserve the right to ask anyone to stop taking photographs at our events for any reason.