school play video query

[vintageteacups]

Just had a call from HT saying that we were the only family to question our two children being videoed in school play wed/thurs.

I said it would be fine if they could produce a statement to the effect that the film will only be used for domestic use and that the chiuldrens' names would not appear in the cast list on the cover/end of film.

She said she couldn't guarantee it. So if we said no, they wouldn't do the film at all.

I told her about how the MOD advise personnel not to have images of their children online anywhere and she said she respected that (obviously she doesn't).

We never put a single image anywhere on the internet of the kids, alhtough many military friends do but she just didn't get it.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable but she's she's grouchy about it.

I just don't want the kids' faces being linked to their names.
Anyone else had this problem and what did you do?

MOD do advise but I would imagine unless the serving member is very senior and in the public eye it is very hard to enforce!

My 3DC regularly feature in school magazines and local media, we tend to not let Dad's job interfere with our life.

With their names printed next to photo?

Dh is going to call her when she's back from a meeting and will tell her to include a statement saying the film isn't to be uploaded online and also not to print the kids names anywhere.

The same would also apply to children in care, can't believe there she is being like that. Not including a cast list on it would help. If the school is doing the video and the children don't have a big part then they may be able to film in such a way that is doesn't show them

Yes - didn't think about children in care - would be the same.

vintage our head told people on Saturday they could photograph speech day but if any found their way onto the internet at all (even in areas heavily protected) the privilege would be withdrawn from then on as the photos were for own personal use. He also gives out a statement with the video of productions saying this is for private use not to go on internet and if he finds out they have then there will no longer be videos of plays available. Names are put on the video but only as a list not X played monkey 1 etc, they take the kids and forces families security seriously (as they should they depend on our CEA to pay their wages)

Yes names printed next to photograph. At the recent Founders Day sport team photographs were available to buy and DVD copies of recent drama production.

I would imagine unless the children have particularly distinctive names they would be pretty hard to be tracked down.

"I would imagine unless the children have particularly distinctive names they would be pretty hard to be tracked down."

You would be surprised what can be found out from the internet! We refuse to have our children photographed/filmed and as far as they are able, the chool have been co-operative. Like vintage, we follow the MoD guidelines on internet security and have very good reason for doing so.

Exactamondo jcsot.

DH was only briefed just a couple of months ago from the head of security at Microsoft Europe - he was telling them how easy it is to find all sorts of stuff out and that images of personnel's children should defo not be on the internet.

DH rang the head and she agreed to exactly what I'd suggested in the first place!!! So they are going to leave DCs' names off any cast list (and she did say it would say 'narrator - Vintage's dd') so certainly don't want that.

They are also now going to put a statement with the copies of DVD saying it's for domestic viewing only and under no circumstances should it be published online.

So now we know they're doing that, we'll allow it.
But I'll really annoyed if I google and see it on youtube or something in the future.

Definitely respect the security advice - it sounds as though she has reached a good compromise and this is exactly the stance taken by us with DS - schools have been a bit grumpy in the past but have got used to it and there have certainly never been any ongoing problems. Non-mil people can sometimes find it hard to appreciate why it is an issue but it's really important to follow the advice given.

swinging cat - you really are taking a huge risk, please think about why the advice is there for the sake of your children/family.

70% of the children at my childrens school are from Naval families, to my knowledge no body has everindicated to the school that they would prefer names not to be published with photographs.

I understand and respect the reasoning for security, we spent along time in NI, but I'm trying to let my DC have a normal childhood. They love to show off if they see their pictures and name in print!

We have featured as a family in many MoD publications which are available to the buying general public.
Data protection and common sense can become blurred at times.

"Data protection and common sense can become blurred at times."

True, it is possible to be overzealous, just as it is possible to be really careless. My experience has been that we chose to limit our online "footprint" - no facebook or other social networking. My husband occasionally uses ARRSE and I post here and on Ravelry - there are no pictures etc and I try to keep our info general.

So, we followed the guidelines. Some time ago, despite our care, someone got hold of information about us and used that information in a way that they shouldn't. We thought we'd been careful but even so, there were things about us online that surprised us - we'd placed birth announcements in a paper and announcements were print only when we'd done so but since then, the whole archive has gone online. 192.com has lots of info gleaned from the electoral register (despite ticking the box that keeps our info private, all our details were available) as well as ex-directory phone numbers. So, even if one exercises moderate common sense, there are ways around that. Since that incident, we are far more vigilant.

Unfortunately by being in the military there are implications that need to be considered - a 'normal' childhood is possible but you really need to seek and follow the advice given or accept that you are running the risk of your 'normal' childhood becoming a very turbulent and disruptive one. You seem very flippant about the situation - or naive - and this is not a forum to discuss this but I do think you need to consider why the advice is there that might not exist for other lifestyles. Please don't learn the hard way like so many others have.

Even with very basic details, the enemy can get hold of phone numbers of dependents and call to them at home ...............you can only imagine the scenario.

Fine to give your kids a 'normal life' (as much as poss) but why risk their safety? Totally different thing - would have thought that serving in NI would have made you less flippant swinging cat. however, it is totally your decision obviously and many of our friends have names/birth dates/mobile numbers and pictures plastered all over their facebook pages.

Nope totally with all of you on this. Keep insisting. At my sons previous school a civilian parent living in the forces community kept posting videos of plays etc onto YouTube. until you realise that BFBS were present at many family events and their films are broadcast on tv/internet. I do not remember ever being asked by BFBS for permission to broadcast events?!

Follow your instincts is my advice. If you aren't comfortable with it, why should you be pressured into saying yes?

The security advice is there for a reason. I will never post any photos of my boy online (when he arrives!) and will definitely say no to anything like this at schools and nurseries. With the advance of technology it's too big a risk- even facebook has face-recognition these days. That will mean that if the technology learns to pick out their features as children they will never have the opportunity to remain unknown and untraced. So even without the military aspect, your child deserves the opportunity to decide for themselves when they are older what is linked to them and what is not.

Oh well after saying our school was good, just watched the promotional video for the school and there is little pimms in a guitar lesson playing away to the camera (not that he recalls anyone filming him). Not that bad as no name anywhere, however it does then go on the school website and anyone that knows mr pimms will instantly know little pimms is his as he is a mini me of mr pimms (think vintage can vouch for that)

They should have asked you to sign something saying you do/don't mind their pics being published on the website (usually with the photography forms).

We got our DVD last week and it was fine. They missed of DD's name and put a disclaimer on the box saying under NO circumstances must it be uploaded in any way to the internet.

At least we know they've made a full effort to acknowledge our concern.

vintage we did do the photo forms, with disclaimer saying military child no name and photo in same place, but the video form said for personal use (just got DC3 stuff through last week so checked what we had signed) I don't think promotional video is included in personal use, would have been nice to know he was in it too have now fished spare copy out of trash to send to proud grandparents I am not overly worried, no names etc on it but a little he is in it wouldn't have gone astray.