Before I begin, I just thought I’d write a quick not saying I was granted a one week extension on this assignment due to an illness.

For my final video project for ALM102 I decided to once again covered surveillance. However, while my last video was about the ineffectiveness of facial recognition in public surveillance, I instead tried to make a more balanced argument between the pros and cons of surveillance. I also wanted to talk about the exponential growth surveillance technology has taken in the years since 9/11, as many agree that our stance on national security and how far we’ll go to achieve it changed significantly in the aftermath. I wanted to do a bit of a “then and now” comparison. 

I ended up changing my focus pretty late into writing my script. Originally, I was just going to expand on facial recognition in public surveillance, but I found it hard to find material for it. Not only that, I found that what I was writing was mostly just filler material, and not entertaining at all. I figured that if even I, the author, was zoning out from the content, it was likely the viewers would too.

I tried to use the rule of thirds in my shot composition to make myself slightly off centre. I had some trouble with my lighting, as I accidentally deleted my footage (I thought it was my outtakes) and so I ended up having to re-film at night instead of during the day with natural lighting. However, I did find a strong lamp and point it upwards to improve the lighting. My audio for my voice narration was better this time around, as I recently purchased a microphone – just a cheap one from amazon, but I think it helps make me sound a bit clearer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t compatible with my iPhone (only my laptop) so my filming audio sound a bit different and slightly less quality than my voice narration. I also narrated the video while I was still sick, so my narration sounded a bit strange and not as energetic as I would usually make it. 

By voice narrating first and filming later I found it a lot easier and less time consuming. Usually when I film it takes me a long time to get a single shot, as I can’t remember what I’m supposed to say. By narrating first, I was able to give myself an editing timeline of sorts, and knew exactly what shots I needed to be on camera for.

My tone of voice was informational, and ideally I would have preferred it to be more casual and engaging. I’ve had a consistent problem with my “camera voice” over the past few months of learning to make videos, I always seem to slip into a very formal character rather than one that is easily relatable.

While still somewhat difficult, finding copyright appropriate content was a bit easier this time around, I think because I knew what websites to go to and how to search for it. Referencing was also a lot easier this time as I referenced as I went rather than doing it at the end, even though it was still very time consuming. I ended up taking a screenshot of my referencing pages as I couldn’t find a good way to incorporate that many references into a slide from iMovie. 

For my music I ended up having to use the same song twice, however, I don’t think its overly noticeable when the first one started and the second one begins. I shaved down my referencing picture times so as to match up with the end of the second song exactly, rather than leaving it to finish in complete silence or starting a third song.

It took a long time to upload my video which made me very nervous, as I wasn’t sure I would get it in on time because of that. In the future I would try and get it done earlier, at least the day before, even if I am sick, as being just a few minutes after the submission time would be extremely frustrating. Also I couldn’t add my references into the description box on YouTube because the description was too long.

Overall I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. 

Bibliography

White, A. (2019). A Brief History of Surveillance in America. [online] Smithsonian. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-surveillance-america-180968399/ [Accessed 31 Sep. 2019].

Delgato, R. (2019). From Edison to Internet: A History of Video Surveillance. [online] Business 2 Community. Available at: https://www.business2community.com/tech-gadgets/from-edison-to-internet-a-history-of-video-surveillance-0578308 [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

The New York Times (2013). The NSA’s Evolution: Surveillance in a Post 9/11 World. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97C0mgQ6v6E [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

VICE (2016). ‘State of Surveillance’ with Edward Snowden and Shane Smith (VICE on HBO: Season 4, Episode 13). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucRWyGKBVzo [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

Dilxat Raxit via Doffman, Z. (2019). China Deploys ‘Breakthrough’ Surveillance Technology To Arrest 13,000 ‘Terrorists’. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/03/18/xinjiang-claims-13000-terrorist-arrests-justify-high-tech-population-control/#708ce6c1455c [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

Scholarly References:

Kuhns, J. (2012). Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offenders Perspective. [online] North Carolina: The University of North Carolina. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268444817_Understanding_Decisions_to_Burglarize_from_the_Offender’s_Perspective [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

La Vigne, N., Lowry, S., Markman, J. and Dwyer, A. (2011). Evaluating the Use of Public Surveillance Cameras for Crime Control and Prevention. [online] Washington, DC: Urban Institute, p.9. Available at: https://www.urban.org/research/publication/evaluating-use-public-surveillance-cameras-crime-control-and-prevention/view/full_report [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

Katz, C., Choate, D., Ready, J. and Nuno, L. (2015). Evaluating the Impact of Officer Worn Body Cameras in the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix, Arizona: Center for Violence & Community Safety.

Chapman, B. (2018). Body-Worn Cameras: What the Evidence Tells Us. [online] National Institute of Justice. Available at: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/body-worn-cameras-what-evidence-tells-us#note7 [Accessed 1 Oct. 2019].

Image References:

“9/11 WTC 32” by Michael Foran (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/99829373@N00/239262070

“Camera surveillance of the Potala square in Lhasa is immense. Tibet, Januray 2011.” By Erik Torner (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/eriktorner/7701045526

“Camera Old Nostalgia” by andreas160578 (CC0 1.0) https://www.needpix.com/photo/895489/camera-old-nostalgia-photograph-photo-camera-vintage-photo-photography-old-camera

“Surveillance State” by wiredforlego (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/wiredforsound23/6462728857

“1984” by GDJ (CC0 1.0) https://pixabay.com/vectors/nineteen-eighty-four-1984-1211494/

“1984” by Giacomo (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhack/6017324282

“1984 graffitied on a police recording surveillance in this area sign” by hugovk (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugovk/14118907320/

“BigBrother” by Борис У. (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BigBrother.jpg

“Wire Tapping” by Library of Congress (No known restrictions on publication) https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2013651737/

“SCR188” by U.S. Army Signal Corps (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SCR188.jpg

“Boy Device Headphones” by LOC (CC0 1.0) https://www.needpix.com/photo/48222/boy-device-headphones-black-and-white-telegraph-phone-free-pictures-free-photos-free-images

“Supreme Court 1869” by Smithsonian National Archives (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supreme_Court_1869.jpg

“SeattlePolicePrecinct5 1920s” by Kyro (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SeattlePolicePrecinct5_1920s.jpg

“AlCaponemugshotCPD” by U.S. Dep. Of Justice (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlCaponemugshotCPD.jpg

“Bolex 16mm Movie Camera” by Dan O’Brien (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dok1/15188536906

“Impeach Nixon retouched” by Jordan Kalilich (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Impeach_Nixon_retouched.jpg

“ThompsonWatergate” by Sam Ervin Library (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThompsonWatergate.jpg

“Watergate complex” by Gerald R. Ford Library & Museum (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Watergate_complex.jpg

“National Park Service 9-11 World Trade Centre Debris” by US National Park Service (Public Domain) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Park_Service_9-11_World_Trade_Center_Debris.jpg

“Seal of the U.S. National Security Agency” by U.S Government (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seal_of_the_U.S._National_Security_Agency.svg

“Observe” by mohamed_hassan (free to use) https://pixabay.com/illustrations/observe-monitoring-spy-search-job-3539810/

“Edward Snowden” by Laura Poitras (CC BY 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Snowden.jpg

“EFF NSA-logo Parody (black) by EFF Photos (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/electronicfrontierfoundation/12225521845

“Spy silhouette document” by Setreset (CC BY 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spy_silhouette_document.svg

“iPhone tracking” by Ken Hawkins (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/khawkins04/7056682133

“Laptop Tape Webcam” by janjf93 (CC0 1.0) https://www.needpix.com/photo/713036/laptop-tape-webcam-taped-mask-fbi-nsa-cia-monitoring

“data” by geralt (free to use) https://pixabay.com/photos/data-dataset-word-data-deluge-2723105/

“Ramstein keeps vigilant in fight against terrism” by Ramstein Air Base (Public Domain) https://www.ramstein.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001797334/

“FBI PICTURE” by A Name Like SHields Can Make You Defensive (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/smi23le/8663980876/in/photostream/

“Police Converge Mass” by A Name Like SHields Can Make You Defensive (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/smi23le/8663980876/in/photostream/

“1st Boston Marathon Blast seen from the 2nd floorand a half block away” by Aaron Tang (CC BY 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1st_Boston_Marathon_blast_seen_from_2nd_floor_and_a_half_block_away.jpg

“705px-China_Xinjiang” by Joowwww CC0 1.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Xinjiang.svg

“Uighur protest” by langkawi CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/langkawi/3708003634

“HONG KONG Protestors point lasers at police to prevent facial recognition from Chinese governments” (2019) by REDNECK SUPERMAN CC BY 3.0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?

“Prison Bars” by William Warby (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3256155178

“Surveillance Cameras” by Jay Phagan (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayphagan/33870031091

“Hamid Mir interviewing Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri 2001” by Hamid Mir (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamid_Mir_interviewing_Osama_bin_Laden_and_Ayman_al-Zawahiri_2001.jpg

“CIA aerial view Osama bin Laden compound Abbottabad” by U.S. Dep. of Defence (Public Domain) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CIA_aerial_view_Osama_bin_Laden_compound_Abbottabad.jpg

“Osama bin Laden coumpound1” by Sajjad Ali Qureshi (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Osama_bin_Laden_compound1.jpg

“Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden” by Pete Souza (Public Domain) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Osama_bin_Laden#/media/File:Obama_and_Biden_await_updates_on_bin_Laden.jpg

“Startling photo of the Boston Marathon bombers” by Ninian Reid (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/ninian_reid/8664378776

“Surveillance”  by Jonathan McIntosh (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanmcintosh/3744953433

“Burglar” by geralt (free to use) https://pixabay.com/photos/burglar-burglary-surveillance-camera-4194213/

CCTV footage provided by Brett Allen – used with permission.

“Bodyworn” by Utility_Inc (free to use) https://pixabay.com/photos/bodyworn-body-camera-794100/

“Day 167 – West Midlands Police – Body worn cameras” by West Midlands Police (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandspolice/14309124338

“Netco bodycam, Magdeburg Police (Germany)” by WCCTV (CC BY-SA 4.0)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_worn_video_(police_equipment)#/media/File:Body_Worn_Camera_Magdeburg_Police.jpg

“Police Chief Zumalt in the community” by North Charleston (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/northcharleston/6175081967

“Man pleads guilty to raping, stomping pregnant girlfriend to death” by Amsterdam New York (Public Domain) https://www.flickr.com/photos/126602643@N04/31002641426

“Stop Government Spying” by Dave Winer (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2800796272

“NSA Scandal Caricature” by Pascal Kirchmair (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NSA_Scandal_Caricature.jpg

Music: “Dreams” by Benjamin Tissot (royalty free from bensound.com) https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/dreams-chill-out

This video is about the use of facial recognition in surveillance systems. I took the position that it is an ineffective system that grossly inhibits our right to privacy. I specifically wanted to focus on some trials that have been done in Australia, and also the protests that are happening in Hong Kong right now, as well as talk a bit about Xinjiang, which is a surveillance state controlled by China.

I planned out what I was going to say first so that I had an approximate storyline for the video. In my last video I opted for not writing a story because it sounded too formal, but in this instance, I needed to do research and create a script before I began. The overall tone did sound a bit formal, but unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to make it sound more casual. I had to do a lot of different takes, but I tried to hide most of my cut scenes within overlays so they would be less noticeable. My house doesn’t have much lighting, so I decided to film at my parents’ house in front of a giant window to take advantage of the natural lighting. Because this is a big room my voice echoes slightly. In my previous video I used my laptop to film, but for this video I bought a tripod which allowed me to get a properly aligned shot using the rule of thirds, and also enabled me to use my phone audio and camera which is of significantly better quality than my laptop. 

What I found the hardest was finding creative commons photo and video to use as overlays. This ended up consuming most of my editing time, and I wasn’t able to use the shots I wanted to make the video what I envisioned when I filmed. I ended up discovering that I could filter videos on YouTube by creative commons licence, and I could do the same thing on google image search which made it a lot easier than trying to find separate royalty free websites.

I also spent a lot of time filming, so next time, I would probably find the overlay media first and use voiceovers to narrate the story, so I won’t spend so much time filming something that wasn’t going to be on the screen. 

Another thing I felt limited by was the iMovie software itself. The title screens I used for the in video attributes were not very flexible, I had to cycle through all of them to find ones that would either be at the bottom of the screen, or would come on to the screen the way I wanted for the quotes. It was especially hard for the referencing page, as it would not take well to links being pasted onto it so I instead wrote all the links out individually. I also originally went overtime, so I ended up having to layer the quotes over the top of my narration, instead of reading them out.

Overall I learnt a lot from making this video, and will definitely get to practicing more and more before the next big project is due.

The first thing I had to think about when creating my video was the information that I was required to put in; information about my studies, career aspirations as well as personal interests. Once I had that down, I had to think about how I wanted to say it. Did I want to be formal or casual?  Once I started actually filming I found that I adopted a demeanor that was on the more formal side which I found hard to break out of. The more I filmed and the more takes I took I got a little bit more casual but overall it wasn’t as casual and authentic as I wanted it to be. I believe the reason for this was because I’m not comfortable being on camera; any videos I’ve made and edited in the past have never been with me on camera. Because of how formal I ended up being, this video isn’t one that would appeal to most audiences, but it could be helpful for other students doing this exercise in the future. I also found the time constraint hard to work with at first. I originally filmed a lot more takes about myself and my personality, but had to cut most of it out in editing. There were a few things that reflected my personality though, like that I enjoy singing and guitar even though I’m not particularly good at either.

I ended up using my laptop to film both because I couldn’t find a way to balance my phone where I wanted it and because I relied on it for lighting. The lights in my room can be pretty dim and my lamp is very yellow lighting so I needed a good white light on my face. I knew I wanted to film from the shoulders up so it was more direct and personal, and if I had a full body shot or was showing my hands I would be fidgeting a lot which can be annoying and off-putting to audiences. I also had to be closer so that the audio could be heard, as I was using the built in audio of my laptop. 

I originally had a script but actually found it a lot harder because I kept forgetting what I was supposed to say and I sounded very stiff and formal, you could tell I was reading from something. I eventually scrapped the script and just filmed the topics in segments. It took a lot more takes but ended up flowing better. 

In editing I would often find that I wasn’t happy with the way I said things, how fast I said them or realized I had to cut things out that would cut off my sentences, and then would have to film the segment again. In the future I would think about the time constraints a bit more and figure out how to plan the things I want to say without making myself read a script, perhaps with dot points to keep me on track. I had trouble with my glasses because if I took them off I couldn’t stop squinting and tilting my head to the side, but by keeping them on you could see the reflection of the computer screen. In the next video I will try to rely more on natural lighting. I also found it pretty awkward to be on camera so in the future I will do more test runs before trying to film the actual viedo.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

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