Just reading this article about a new law making the possession of "violent and extreme pornography" a criminal offence. The definition appears to be unnervingly vague, however.
Previous obscenity laws place the onus on the publisher but the new law recognises that much of the material downloaded in the uk is held on overseas servers. From now on the consumer can be prosecuted and that means criminalising those with marginal sexual predilictions (such as necrophilia and S & M). This shift makes owning images containing "an act which threatens or appears to threaten a person's life" illegal and its owner a criminal. You might say that this will affect relatively few people and their rights should not be prioritised over that of the majority to enjoy safety from sexual predators like Graham Coutts. You might also say you agree that images depicting violent sexual acts ought to be banned anyway.
Have they stopped to think, I wonder, about the graphic and gratuitous use of sexual violence in mainstream films? If not, then they have criminalised a much larger section of the population than they planned. A scene like the one at the beginning of Basic Instinct surely comes under the definition above? The ramifications for video games such as Grand Theft Auto (latest version due this week) are difficult to foresee in this climate. The use of Virtual Reality to enact sexual fantasies that would land the perpetrators in jail in real life will soon become a crime in itself. Surely, a line has been crossed between protecting the innocent and preserving the right to think what you like and the Government has ended up on the wrong side.
Well thanks to my partner in crime (ha ha!) we had a great day filming today! It's been a steep learning curve as I never shot video before. As I was in front of camera I had to learn to perform as well as help plan, stage and direct the shoot.
First we produced a storyboard using photos to help work out camera angles and narrative. This was much more complex than I anticipated and I'm sure glad we didn't waste any time getting started! The main problems were simply trying to communicate visual ideas to to each other and (of course) understanding what my partner meant. This turned out to be VERY frustrating and required every ounce of professionalism to avoid falling out. I'm glad to say we were both equal to the task and put together what I think is a great conceptual storyboard with enough flexibility to make changes at the shoot or edit stages without putting the project in jeopardy.
Then we rehearsed the shooting schedule as thoroughly as possible to avoid having to waste time making mistakes on the day. This proved to be very useful as we were able to draw conclusions about the validity of certain scenes and raise questions about others. It was also essential as we needed to be well organised to complete shooting in the timescale we set ourselves on location. Again professionalism won through as there was barely a hitch the next day in filming.
Luck was on our side too as we were able to charge the camera I'd forgotten to the night before (not so lucky next time if the location is out of doors!) We decided not to use the tungsten light we'd brought as the white balance in the mixed light shots seemed under control on the day. Fingers crossed the edit proves us right. Bring it on!
Starting from Raquel Welch in One Million Years BC I've explored the process of illustration in different media. Along the way I've discovered the masterpiece that is Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, whole new subgenres of feature films, artists that inspire and new ways of approaching the creative process. I didn't expect to learn any of this and I'm left with the desire to teach myself the skills I wanted without worrying whether I attain a certain expertise but knowing that I will learn something useful whatever happens. I now know that I can give myself permission to do things my way or even no particular way and the result will always be positive.
It's difficult to be certain where the new world of technology is leading us as designers and as a culture, but finding my own path seems less daunting now. Having unlimited choices can be scary but by learning to trust my instincts I am confident that I will be able to take full advantage of the many opportunities that digital media present.