CCTV

Log Line

CCTV footage captures the liberation of a domestic abuse survivor.

Synopsis

CCTV aims to create a feeling of tension and fear through the use of a single camera angle in a restricted space. The limited angle and a forced camera angle pushes the audience into viewing things that they may have usually turned a blind eye to; domestic abuse and it’s relationship in the public.

Moodboard

Style notes 

The way that the narrative of the film is presented is through moments caught on a CCTV camera within a council housing estate. This means that the video, and audio, quality is of low fidelity. The lacking quality assists with physical production assets.

The small environment forces characters to interact in ways that are personal and primal.

Camera movement and positioning should only be adjusted to assist with the telling of major narrative beats, if at all. 

Narrative

CCTV is the story of a woman’s liberation from a long-term abusive relationship with a drug dealer (Jordan), shown through the eye of a surveillance CCTV camera. We see the two act in a way that initially does not seem abusive, but rather loving. However, this is soon upended after a violent fight breaks out. El is injured by her boyfriend and left in a pile outside her council estate housing. The kindness of her neighbour (Sarah), helps El recognise that she has value beyond her relationship with a violent man. This is pushed further when El instigates trying to get help from her neighbour.

A couple of days later her boyfriend, in a drug-fuelled frenzy, starts throwing their belongings into the communal hallway of their council housing. El tries to protest but is launched by Jordan. Sarah tries to intervene but ends up the victim of Jordan’s abuse rather than El. The CCTV camera observing each horrific detail of this assault. The barbaric assault is only stopped when El gathers the strength to attack Jordan, with a piece of debris taken from the scattered belongings in the hallway, forcing him to collapse. She then calls the police and tries to escape with Sarah while Jordan lies prostrate.

The tape fast forwards a year and a half later where El is pregnant and living in a different location, with a new partner. They seem to be moving out, her partner is carrying boxes randomly labelled away from the home. After a moment, Jordan, dressed smartly, comes asking El for a time to speak. She rejects him initially, but concedes to his persistence, she heads into the home leaving the door open. The CCTV camera zooms in on Jordan as he waits at the foot of the door. He pulls out a knife and continues after her.

The story aims to depict an abuse victim getting the better of her abuser and escaping their grasp. It also provides a commentary on the ineffectiveness of systems in place to protect and assist those who are being abused. The use of the CCTV serves as an objective view for the viewer, a record of the events that have happened, the signs of what was already there and not acted upon. It serves to resemble the lack of care the system has in place to be able to help those in need when there is an obvious case of abuse happening.