An Incident: pedestrian struck
3 years ago
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299. An Incident: pedestrian struck
3 years ago
My longtime friend Ryan Welch is visiting with his girlfriend Anna. We saw Gutenberg: The Musical and a minute after we walked out, I heard what sounded like a small metal trashcan dropping on the ground. I looked over and saw a man flying through the air a few feet. I stared for what must have been 3 seconds and then it hit me; "this is real". I pulled my camera out of my pocket, clicked it into movie mode, and started filming...
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- about filming and showing what is "news" vs. what people want to see
- issues about privacy, both in terms of filming people while they are upset by the circumstances (such as the friend of the guy who was hit, or maybe the driver who hit him) and also then showing it on the internet
- the idea that anything that happens in the public sphere can and often will be available as a broadcast to anyone on earth with access to a computer, and very quickly, too.
- your reaction after a few seconds, of pulling out your camera and recording the goings on is something that I believe will become more and more common as more and more people become comfortable with (and therefore start using) the technology that makes this possible.
I hope it does cause a debate because I really want to know the vimeo community's thoughts...
As long as what's being captured is genuine, I think it can be a very positive thing that people be exposed to what can happen in the world and maybe learn a bit from it. So much of what's on tv these days is so distorted that too many people have an unrealistic perception of...uh....reality. So much of what we see from the "news" networks is so distorted and sensationalized to such a degree and everything has to have a "spin" rather than just factual reporting, that it is nice to occasionally see another perspective.
In terms of privacy, I think Jakob demonstrated how to capture such an event without being an intrusive asshole. He didn't get in the way of the responders trying to assess and help the guy, he wasn't getting in anybody's face to "get the story", and he didn't try to interview the friend and ask lameass questions like the regular news would have done "so, your friend just had parts of his body pulped by a large metal object, how does that make you feel?"
I think in tandem with availability of technology, there has been a growing realization in the US that privacy as most people thought about it really doesn't exist in public and a lot of times doesn't exist in their privates lives either. People can get hold of a ridiculous amount of information about others and it's incredible how much privacy we lack that people tended to think that we had. I think in some situations, the lack of privacy is horrible and the laws should be changed (eg. government access to personal data without any oversight, paparazzi constantly stalking celebrities, etc), but when in public, as long as people show a little respect for each other and try to relate as much as possible with each other in a positive way, things like this are ok.
My opinion is mostly swayed by the point about the news being sensationalised, and bear in mind, here in the UK you are caught on numerous cameras everyday, so privacy is now extremely hard to obtain anyway.
I think the video is cool, on many levels of sociological interaction. The stereotypes are all there. Of course I empathise with the main couple, but looking at everyone around, this is like a perfect snapshot of an RTA. Those taxi drivers were hardcore rubber-necking. Everyone seemed to be brought together by a moment of urgency.
On another note, who on earth called the fire brigade? I didn't see any flames. Oh and kudos for getting in the driver's face :D
And any kind of footage that is real and not censored by the media really conveys the feeling that it could happen to you.
Motorcyclists zoom down this road at night where I live. All the time. Well one day, traffic was crawling due to an accident involving a car and a motorcycle on that very road. The victims were long gone and the authorities were there. So I filmed it and posted it on YouTube with a blurb about motorcycle safety and a plead to slow down. Well, I got a landslide of negative, unthoughtful remarks. Funny thing is, I had only tagged it with 'motorcycle accident', so the only reason they saw it was because they had searched for it.
The beauty of having thousands of eyes the word over is that it allows us to have a more realistic perception of it. If only the beautiful and happy things are recorded, then, despite all of our advancement, we have only succeeded in giving ourselves something censored- something less than real and complete.
Yes, there must be the utmost regard for the victims, we must follow the Golden Rule. But once that is satisfied, I do not see any shame in pressing record so long as you are entirely mature about it.
He seemed like he was going to be okay and I really hope he is.
the part where you got people's reactions to the incident, i think i wouldn't have minded so much. as long as you weren't filming my lying on the ground waiting for an ambulance friend.
The lighting would have been just too horrible.
One of the problems with finding fault is stale and or innaccurate infomation. Getting more witness info soon is best.
Privacy? There is no privacy in public but I agree with trp0 that these shots were respectful. Good job Jakob.
I was so relieved when I finally heard fire engine sirens.
I can't really tell from the video but of course if there was something simple they could do for the guy before the EMTs arrive they should do it, but that might not have been the case.
jake. i would have done the same thing that you did.
i ran into a similar situation in las vegas and was screamed at by citizens and police for taking photos and video of a sticky situation.
keep filming and sharing the truth, bro.
-Am I the most qualified person here?
-Can I help in any way?
-Will I just get in the way
If I'm in a position where I can help, I do, if I will only get in the way, I get out of the way.
Besides, in that situation there's nothing pedestrians can do other than flock around, you shouldn't move the victim, and at least by gathering you're stopping traffic in that area.
First, I'd like to address the issue with the police. Whereas some of you may see their attitude as one of indifference or insensitivity, I see Training and Experience. These guys see this sort of thing (and a helluva lot worse) every single day. You don't.
The victim was conscious, breathing and not bleeding. He was already being comforted by someone close to him. There was no immediate need for the police to handle the victim.
In fact, I find it interesting that a crowd of people are shouting "Don't Touch Him!" -- because even laymen know not to disturb a body with a potential spinal injury -- yet the cops are getting flack for doing just that -- not moving a victim with a potential spinal injury.
And let's face it, if the guy DID have an injured spine and became paralyzed, if a cop HAD touched him, you know he'd be suing the city.
Also, the cops radio'd the EMTs. I'm sure they were advised on how to approach this situation.
Now, about this Citizen Journalism stuff...
I'm sorry, Jake, but what you did doesn't qualify as journalism. Journalism is Information plus Context. You provided neither.
You did a great job of documenting the emotional moments of the aftermath of an accident, but as a news clip, you provided no information.
All we know from your video is that a man who may or may not have been jaywalking was struck by a vehicle (car? Bus? taxi?) traveling at an undetermined speed, driven by an unidentified individual.
The victim's name isn't known, nor are his injuries.
All we know is "some guy got hit by a car."
I do believe that so-called Citizen Journalism has its place alongside professional reporting. Film and video footage by citizens can certainly enhance a story, but it isn't the whole story.
Still, I really liked this video, because you have a marvelous gift of capturing the emotional signature of an event.
(Citizen Journalism) ,like one has to ask what did you mean by,,,,
I like Jake's determination with this piece, in the face of being shunned or ignored by one or more of the players, he marches on and finds a witness, somehow although there is a lack of trad information there is some great story telling here in a voyeuristic way.
",,,you have a marvelous gift of capturing the emotional signature of an event."
True !
I just expected the cops to do more than what they did. But maybe you're right. I do admit that I don't know the protocol for something like this -- just what my gut says.
And you're right, you're not supposed to move someone with a possible spinal injury, BUT I would have at least expected someone to stabilize that man's neck, and not just comfort him. Even lifeguards know to do that.
I'm sure there will be college courses on how to be a Citizen Journalist in the very near future. Taking courses on freelance journalism is probably the place to start.
"What are your names?"
"What happened?"
I know it sounds insensitive, but that's what journalists have to do. We have to report all the bad shit that goes down and part of the job is pulling information from people who are hurt, grieving, tramatized, or unwilling to talk.
That's one of the reasons people hate us, because we're always the ones who have to go to natural disaster sites, shove a microphone in someone's face and say, "Your life is totally fucked. Any comment?" And believe me, we hate doing this as much as people hate having it done to them.
The other information would need to be gotten from the police report, which is a public record.
To be fair, nothing in Jake's description says that he intended to act as a reporter when he turned on his camera. The Citizen Journalist angle was brought up in the comments. I think it's because of his attempts onscreen to get some info on the incident.
So, I apologize to Jake for unfairly ascribing certain motives upon him. I think he was acting in more the role of a filmmaker/documentarian than a reporter.
There are already courses in journalism. I see no need to create Citizen Journalist courses. Journalism is Journalism. The same ethics, standards and practices should apply to every journalist -- whether they're writing for the Times or shooting a phonecam video for YouTube.
By the way, I am loving this debate. This is one of those times vimeo had a chatroom.
It seems like there can be both good & bad motives for wanting to see a video like this, and the end result really shows the attitude of the videographer; maybe if the video can be considered 'tasteful' or not. Where is the line here?
Plus, such a course would focus on "getting the story" without the support of a mainstream media outlet.
With newspaper budgets being slashed more and more every year, it makes good business sense for newspapers to embrace the concept of the CJ.
Your idea could definitely work.
now, had this person been killed it brings up an important question. forget Vimeo for a moment. what if someone else was shooting this to put it on YouTube? what if the video was so compelling it got a ton of hits? would YouTube then be making money through footage of someone's death? would you want your loved one on YouTube like that with the imminent asshole commenting "ha ha, should have stayed home that night dude"?
I think your hypothetical situation was a reality before the Internet even existed.
But this brings up an even more interesting issue concerning Citizen Journalism.
What if this crime scene were more than just a hit-n-run? What if it had been a murder?
Imagine 5, 10, 30 "citizen journalists" all armed with their camera phones, tromping around contaminating the crime scene.
And what happens when you have a bunch of CJs jostling each other to get statements from witnesses? How will this change their testimony or alter their memories?
i think the way old media deals with disturbing content (think schindlers list) that they show on tv they get one sponsor that is neutral (think 'american' car company) so as not to have light hearted commercials w/ serious matter.
this might be a way of paying for bandwith bills or you can always have non-profit google ads
I also love your label "Citizen Documentation." I think it's a more apt description for what people have been doing for the past 10 years or so.
media , the growth of Citizen Documentation, is seemingly in part due to the availability of implements of capturing incidents like this and individuals like Jakob who did it not in the "old skool" who what where and why which is told by a reporter in a digest manner.
This is such a great thread
I agreed with Dave, this situation wasn't out of control, it was upseting but the guy was conscious, he wasn't alone, the driver didn't try to escape, help was coming, etc... And it was a public place and like Badmalone pointed out, the guy was already being helped so I think Jakob's shots were respectful enough.
But given another outcome, like Erick said, if the guy bleeded to death, I'd like to think people would have the good sense not to film it and later broadcast the video for anyone and everyone to see. No matter what media vehicle would be used to broadcast it: tv, vimeo, youtube, whatever... for me, that would be a total disrespect not only with the guy's family but with human lives in general.
That's why I also agree with Ana's and tr0p's remarks about journalists and the questions they make in these situations, they are usually so unecessary. And Althought Dave said most journalists do feel bad to be in that spot, I feel their approches could be different than just shove the microphone in the person's face. And who knows, maybe the results would be more accurate too. I really hate when journalists excuse themselves by saying they have a commitment with the truth so they HAVE to act this way to get the inside scoops. I don't think they don't HAVE to harrass anyone or act like complete jerks on the process. I do believe they can do their work being ethical and sensitive, and they must never forget that they are only doing what they are doing because they have to report it for other PEOPLE to see it and they are dealing with PEOPLE, so they must treat them with proper respect. And that's where we should draw the line.
And, one more thing, although my intelectual side agrees with Reggie, because I know most people don't think objectively in times like this and I do know adrenaline makes you do things you wouldn't normally do, and that girl could be laughing because she was nervous too, it doesn't stop my emotional side from wanting to smack that smile out of her face.
Ok, my biggest rant-comment ever is over.
jake did ppl know you were filming?
mas203class7.blogspot.com
In response to Andrea’s questions, I have been in a few situations like these myself.
When I graduated, a bunch of friends and I went to a large shopping centre nearby to have a celebratory lunch. We all had cameras etc to take pictures and videos of our last moments together as high school students. I was filming a friend as we were eating, when out of no where, two security guards approached me and insisted I stopped filming. I did what I was asked, but questioned why I had to stop. There response: terrorism – I posed a threat to the security of the shopping centre by filming inside. This made me think, can I ask them to stop filming me with their security cameras? We have no option (other than to not enter the centre)
Earlier this year, I was very close by to an incident where a woman was knocked on to a pavement by a bus. I was just going for a walk, taking random snaps of interesting things. When this happened, I must admit one of the things that came to mind was ‘should I take a photo or video any of this?’ I would feel very awkward and quite rude if I had whipped out my camera and started intruding on this poor shocked woman so I put my camera in my pocket to be respectful and helped out.
This issue of filming things and uploading to the Internet has sparked a lot of attention lately due to racial hate and riots in and around Sydney. Many people have been committing horrible acts and capturing it on their phones, to upload to YouTube for everyone to see and comment on. Apparently in France (I’m not too sure) it is now illegal to post videos containing violence or a video that may insight violence online.
On the flip side, news networks here in Australia now encourage people to pull out their phones if they see something happening and then send it (email, SMS, mobile phone message) to them for inclusion of their bulletins.
au.news.yahoo.com/tips/seven.html
I hope people find these comments interesting/useful
This is unnerving.
Not sure who's seen this American Life on Showtime, but this clip reminded me of one of the stories called still life.
about a photojournalist who is haunted to this day by a series of photos he took.
Really not sure what I would've done in this situation.
thislife.org/TV_Episode.aspx?clip=2&episode=2&#videoTop
As a fellow New Yorker I've been in these situations a few times and while the value to some of having this for later viewing is understandable it still sits funny with me.
Acting as a camera man in situation like this, one's perspective is undoubtedly framed by trying to see the video as the final viewer on You Tube or Vimeo. The thing is life is more than just a bunch of views for your clips on the net. Sometimes it's suffering. As a wise friend of mine said once, " "You can miss out on a lot of the present with people you like by spending it trying to capture it for strangers for eternity." Or something like that.
oh that one
that is weird
I don't know why jacob decided to film this
i dont know either
but I cant stop watching
i would think it would be to shocking to bust out a camera
exactly
I guess there were enough people there to help but that would be my first instinct
yeah
Im gonna post our whole conversation as a comment to this clip
As a victim in any situation I do think it's important to try to get documentation as quickly as possible, in the forms of pictures of videos, and had I been in a similar situation I probably would have also made a video.
I don't know what Jakob did after, but I would have attempted to get in touch with the victim (or their family. And if I thought of it I might try to get in contact with the driver as well) afterwords and tell them I had the footage if they needed it for insurance or any other reason. At that point I would also ask if they would mind if I posted it on Vimeo.
But that's just me.
Not the best thing to be reminded of, but I couldnt turn away from the clip. Maybe I just love drama.