Images of an economic downturn.

Thursday, 29^th January 2009

 

Story:    Images of an economic downturn

 

My brief was to find images of the downturn in London, such as shops that have closed down, have been boarded up and remain vacant. Woolworths was an obvious choice, and we filmed one on Camden High Street. MFI seemed like another possibility until we discovered that two stores they had closed had already been bought and turned into Waitrose. I guessed that to film them would have not given the desired image. On the Chiswick High Street we did find three closed shops in a row and to film them gave what I expect was  the sought after depressed image but swing the camera the other way and I could have easily captured a more lively and bustling scene.

 

I also found a job centre that had shut down but immediately had a dilemma about filming or using such an image. What does it mean if a job centre has shut down at a time when people are being made redundant? Could it be that the crisis has gotten so bad that even those establishments that are supposed to help the unemployed find work are unable to stay open? It was an amusing thought.