Using CCTV for low-budget filmmaking
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MediaShed is a "free-media" space open to the public in the east of England. Free media - "as in free speech not free beer"- is a means of doing art, making things or just saying what you want for little or no financial cost by using the public domain, free software and recycled equipment. It is also about saying what you want "freely", using accessible media that can be taken apart and reused without unnecessary restrictions and controls. It's not just a matter of allowing artists, hackers, activists, etc. to use these free tools but also those you would not expect to find in this art context. For example, Mediashed involved a group of kids who usually hang around in the streets to engage in Video sniffin' activities and turn CCTV into a free broadcasting system for their own use. "Why would you want to buy some video equipment when there are already so many cameras around for you to use?" They bought in a high street store some relatively cheap and small devices which can sniff out the street for signals broadcast by wireless CCTV networks. Using the surveillance images captured, the kids then created their own movie.
Next their video sniffing adventures were invited to Futuresonic, as part of the festival's Art for Shopping Centers selection. This time the film, called The Duellists, combined free-media with free-running. Inspired by the parkour sport, free-running involves fluid uninterrupted movement adapting motion to obstacles in the environment. Like free-media, free-running makes use of and re-energises the infrastructure of the city. Futuresonic 2007 presents The Duellists by MediaShed ft Methods The performers were professional parkour breakin' crew Methods of Movement and their acrobatic choreography was filmed in the shopping centre over three nights. The film was shot using only the existing in-house CCTV network of 160 cameras operated from the central control room, with a soundtrack created entirely from the found sounds and noises recorded during the performance. Sometimes the quality of the camera is incredibly good, elsewhere it is just b&w and grainy.
The movie was projected on a big plasma screen inside the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre where an average of 6000 people shop every day. On the second day, they had to take the movie off, some people were not too happy at the idea that performers were messing up with a space meant for shopping activities. The project was the first official UK implementation of GEARBOX the free-media video toolkit developed by MediaShed with the Eyebeam Studios in New York. Comprised of “how to� step by step examples, Gearbox shows people how to record footage using combinations of found resources (such as CCTV Video Sniffin’ or Spy Kiting which allows you to get images that -sort of- look like they were taken from helicoptor but using cheap wireless cctv technology and a kite instead) and low-budget methods of reproducing professional film making techniques (for example, achieving a crane shot using a fishing pole). Related: Michelle Teran's Life: A User's Manual and Manu Luksch's Manifesto for CCTV Filmmakers. |
One of the highlights of the 
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Interesting theft concept and movie concept as well. This is a breach of privacy, however. No?
Very cool. Keep it up.
I think that is amazing. Its real art. One of my cousins is into parkour and I think it is the most athletic thing I've ever seen. And the bit of anarchy in the method of filming and location is very nice. If you ever want to film in NYC I would be glad to help facilitate. -Jack
Wow, that was impressive. It's really cool, I hope you guys continue making more of these. Good luck and thanks for sharing.
You know in this day and age if you don't want it hacked hardwire it...but that only keeps out casual hackers.
Nice, very creative stuff. Misusing technology is always cool.
I was involved a project were we merely shot snowboarders using CCTV technology. The picture quality was not pristine, but the cameraman did not have to freeze in the cold.
Once the cameras get better this thing is going to blow up. We need a catchier name though!
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Amy Wrote: "This is a breach of privacy, however. No?"
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Legally, no, this is not a breach of privacy (in the United States and the UK, anyway). Individuals have "no expectation of privacy" when out in public, which is why it's legal for police to have a recorder running in their car 24/7. There are some ways that the waters have been muddied (see Pennsylvania police arresting a passenger in a car for recording him recently) but in general it seems to stand.
Hmmm. I doubt that was filmed with out the consent of the centre operators Its clearly closed, (no other shoppers & the escalators are stopped). If they broke in and where being observed in the control room (hence the tracking shots from the PTZs) then the police would have attended.
I greatly doubt that the images where 'hacked'. Did they 'hack' the controls for the PTZ cameras? even over wireless IP its not a simple task to de-packetise then decode the control signals. I very much doubt it. So could someone otherwise explain the tracking shots?
did i ever write that they hacked the control system? cuz they didn t. the film director somehow managed to get the consent of the shopping mall
This was and is cool :-)
Maybe they must film it also but without try to touch the public on a saturday (busy) afternoon....
I quote "They bought in a high street store some relatively cheap and small devices which can sniff out the street for signals broadcast by wireless CCTV networks. Using the surveillance images captured, the kids then created their own movie."
Did you write the article? (I doubt it based on your reply). My point is the article significantly infers that the the video was 'hacked' or 'sniffed' from a wireless CCTV system. I am stating that I do not believe this to be true.
ooh! my answer was about the shopping mall video (as it answered J's comment that mentioned escalators and shoppers.) the sniffing referred to the kids video. for the shopping one, they were granted access to the shopping control center. sorry if all that didn't look clear in the blog post
Now I look stupid! Ok, I'm with you. Kudos to both projects then!
Apols and thankyougoodnight.
*Bows out*
my friend jack hacked into the cctv system at the tel aviv museum and recorded himself interacting with the artworks, which he then intended to exhibit. he was caught and is now being sued by the tel aviv museum, which quickly won a gag order preventing the film from being shown. the trial begins in two weeks. he'll be showing a "remake" of the original film beginning next week at the mishmar gallery in tel aviv.
Extremely love it. Not more to mention. Just amazing!
You might want to buy Film Making with No Budget Kit & Tips seen on Greg's blog at http://gregtvhomeentertainment.blogspot.com/ you learn alot of crazy and smart techniques. The ebook or whatever they are called is pretty cheap and well worth it.