How to make a film using the urban environment

The urban environment today is packed full of devices, signals, systems and networks which can be hijacked, tuned in to, accessed or adopted for the purpose of filmmaking. By far the most prolific and obvious among these is Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). The UK has the highest concentration of CCTV cameras in the world with over four million public cameras operating to date, a figure which is expected to double in the next ten years. This does not include the high density usage of lower end CCTV systems purchased used by small businesses such as convenience stores, hairdressers and cafs. Many homes also select CCTV systems to monitor private property or even unwittingly buy into the system with video baby monitors. With such a wealth of equipment at your finger tips why not put it to better use than the concepts of security and surveillance it was originally designed for?

David Valentine

Filmmaker David Valentine experiments with modern technologies both outdated and developing to find new ways of applying them to the content and meaning of film. His work includes shorts, documentary, installation and live creation and he is a regular contributor to international independent film magazine Showreel.