How to film a revolution, by Anonymous

This video has pretty good advice on what to do when police comes along to turn a peaceful protest into a violent situation. This has happened many times now, and its important to think about your safety when taking part in demonstrations so you know what to do when you are in the middle of it all.

The video goes through your rights, how to form efficient formations in the middle of the chaos, and many other things.

Personally I really enjoyed the advice on how to film whats going on, and thinking as a unit when doing it, and not as a single protester. Overlapping camera angles, filming the people filming etc. Very good.

If you dont even watch this video, at least remember one advice: always yell "cameras!" when you get dragged away, because it alerts other protesters to start filming you and what the police are doing to you.

I hope this helps someone at future demonstrations.

If I might add a recommendation I saw a precious few use in Occupy but would have benefited every camp or fairly static protest location. Elevation! Get HIGHER with those Cameras. Always ABOVE and for goodness sakes...NOT in the middle of the protest or the action.

Whatever the cops are up to, it's intended to be confusing and hard to understand from inside the target area they are doing it TO. However, a view from 5-10 stories ABOVE changes absolutely everything for understanding an event. An example:



I've been asked a lot how a hard right conservative type like me could have been a full supporting member of Occupy, even for the couple months I was last year....... The above is what I watched live when it happened. A bit over a week later, I was up in St Louis with a good little stack of money, a 4x4 full of supplies and all the energy I could bring to help.

It's something I'm glad you opened a thread about in general. How these are covered for liability as well as public relation impact can mean everything...and 0 manipulation. I don't mean that.. Just a change in where a camera is located.

I'd note these protests almost always happen in the cities. How many buildings have stairwells with windows to the outside? One need not get all fancy about HOW they get a 100-200 feet above the event.....just getting there is critical in my opinion.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Very good advice. You could easily mount cameras on roof tops in most cities and get very good video of the entire thing. I dont know if you get arrested for filming the police? There has been a few cases of police forcing people to stop filming them, but as far as I know its still legal?

Or is considered an act of terrorism yet?

I spent a few looking for a practical solution to my suggestion and here is one:

Wireless, Rechargable Color Camera

This has about a 100yrd range so it would take something else to likely work on a spot well above the location. It doesn't need to be too creative though...even an old tablet or junky laptop within that 100 yards gives the record and relay capability into the net and the world from there.

(Or any protester with a Smart Phone and being trusted with the fact the Camera is there at all during the event...can watch their OWN position and everything around it in real time...think safety committee..)

When I'd thought this through, the whole idea I was trying for was 100% automated and 100% unmanned (lots of places the little camera can be stuck...but a person couldn't stand for hours without being thrown out or questioned). The camera on the link is claiming a 4 hour life on a fresh charge of it's internal battery. So...swap little cameras every 4 hours for a freshly charged one and there is wireless, remote and distant camera coverage back on the event.

There is also a photo on the link showing it;s view from an RC aircraft above a field...to show what the view from above a spot would look like. It won't win any Oscars but I'll bet the net would give it 5 stars if the event being recorded was important.