The idea that we live in a society that is under constant surveillance and scrutiny is usually a factor in our day-to-day lives that goes unnoticed and forgotten about. It has become the norm for CCTV cameras to capture our every move; in fact, if there were to be a lack of CCTV cameras in any establishment, many of us would feel that our safety would be in jeopardy, and we would question it.
Since the 1973 Post Office Tower attack and the IRA’s London bombing campaign throughout the early 70s, CCTV has been increasingly used to protect citizens and prevent crime. There are now over 4.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK with 10,000 in London alone, so why does it remain the case that 80% of crime on the streets goes unsolved? If the cameras’ function of protecting the public is ineffective, are they not an unnecessary and excessive invasion of our privacy?
We have been taught to believe that they are there for our safety, to live peacefully under their surveillance and not to question their purpose. The purpose of our product is to remind the viewer that Big Brother is watching.
Our short film will be shot in the style of CCTV camera footage, from the point of view of Big Brother himself. The narrative will reflect the relationship between Big Brother and the citizens he surveys, identifying suspects, targets, and what it is exactly that makes your actions plausible to surveillance.
CCTV does not identify a definition or difference between the criminals it is attempting to catch and the innocent bystander. Therefore we all come under the surveillance whether we like it or not. We are all ‘tarred with the same brush’ when it comes to trying to identify the potential criminals. So are we all suspects? The tampering with a CCTV device or obstructing its view is considered to be a crime, but where is the choice for those who live by the law to not be filmed? Is it not a crime to invade privacy? Our narrative will follow a potential target or suspect as he or she engages in a ‘suspicious’ act, only to discover that she or he is completely innocent and just going about their life; proving that the CCTV is unnecessary and essentially invading the privacy of the subject.
Our target audience will be mainly focused upon young adults as in the last 10 years; robberies involving young people has steadily risen, usually in accordance with more and more people carrying expensive personal belongings such as mobile phones, iPods and Mp3s. Whilst domestic crimes still involve young people, the percentage is much lower in comparison to crimes committed on the street. Our film will challenge and question the stereotype that young people have to deal with, as they often find themselves as subjects of suspicion when it comes to dealing with theft, robbery, street violence and anti social behaviour.
To complete our project we will use Adobe Flash to create the film. Our narrative involves just one character (discounting Big Brother as the point of view) as we follow their movements throughout the film, but we may include a voice over to add meaning and to compel the viewer, this will inevitably depend on the strength of our plot and narrative.
We will incorporate many different cinematic techniques to derive meaning, including high and low angle shots, as well as zooming and attempting to impersonate the style of a CCTV camera. The aim to create tension will come potentially form the use of music and a voice-over.
The idea of using the concept of a Big Brother society is both current and relevant to recent news revelations. This includes the recent News of the World scandal involving David Cameron’s media advisor as he reportedly ‘intercepted the voicemail messages of public figures’ [Nick Davies, The Guardian 3.10.10] And the film will remind of how our privacy is a sacred thing and is under threat from the 'Big Brother' nation.
Timeline
28th September- initial ideas of conspiracy and revealing a hidden truth to the audience.
5th October- Inspired by the theme of Britain being heavily watched under CCTV. We researched into articles posted on BBC news for further inspiration.
21st October- Research into other media texts that focus on surveillance, such as ‘The Bourne Identity’, ‘Surveillance’ and ‘1984’ (written by George Orwell.) This will allow us to develop ideas in this field and understand typical forms and conventions used throughout this genre.
26th October- Come up with a rough storyboard.
28th October- Take various pictures in Central London of different angles, representing the subjective view of the CCTV cameras, including extreme close ups.
2nd November- Alter/Finish the storyboard.
4th November- Film a chosen actor around London to create the narrative of the storyboard.
9th November- Use Flash to cut down and edit the footage along side Photoshop cs3.
9th November + Continue editing and add audio.
