26/12/06
A History of Surveillance
A four part series-presented in a thematic fashion-examining a subject that touches all aspects of modern life.

Interesting points from this documentary that could be put in to practice:
. People would hide their private thoughts behind a public face.
. In the 19th century many detective manuals came out so that the public could figure out who the strangers living in their city were. These manuals were used as a guide of who to trust and how to observe and decipher the world.
. There is a thin line between surveillance and voyeurism; they are both acts that take place from a safe distance and give the watcher power and control over their subject.
. One effect of CCTV is to infantile us, it makes us feel better, safe and creates this perception when we know that we are being watched in an unsafe world.
. With many forums such as myspace and websites, people are adding videos of themselves for anyone to view. People choose to be watched 24 hours a day by filming their everyday lives on a web camera for strangers to watch. After all we do not exist unless someone is watching.
. After any transaction we leave a trail behind, because all our information is recorded and can be traced.
· It is impossible to leave the house without being caught on a CCTV camera.

26/12/06
CCTV Home
I hid a video camera on the shelf in my living room to mimic the style of a CCTV camera.
I recorded my partner and I as we carried out our daily routines around the house. At times both of us share intimate moments and leave the room together playing on the notion of the viewer as a voyeur. The footage lasts for one hour but I have decided to speed it up so that it lasts approximately 5 minutes to experiment with the notion of humour and voyeurism which often exist together when innocent observation of others takes place rather than intrusive voyeurism.