A Staffordshire-based video production company has recently completed a powerful video commissioned by Staffordshire Police as part of a county-wide drive to raise awareness of domestic violence and abusive behaviour.
The ‘Don’t Choose to Abuse’ video, which was scripted, filmed and produced by Penkridge-based video production company Humanoid Productions, has now been launched on social media channels targeting viewers across the whole of Staffordshire.
The video features a fictionalised three-part storyline which takes the perspective of the perpetrator. It’s designed to highlight to potential abusers how to identify concerning behaviour in themselves, as well as the criminal and social consequences they could face as a result.
“We’ve worked on several campaigns for Staffordshire Police and it’s incredibly rewarding for us in terms of the social impact,” said Tom Down, Production Director at Humanoid. “We’re especially proud to have helped them deliver such an important message with this campaign.
“The aim of the video is to encourage men to recognise if they’re displaying unhealthy or abusive behaviour in a relationship, and to seek help – as well as encouraging anyone concerned about a loved one to speak out. We wanted to focus more on the grey areas of abuse, where people are less certain about whether certain behaviours are against the law.”
Humanoid Productions used a mixture of local and nationwide actors in the story, but rather than create a fully scripted piece, they allowed actors a degree of improvisation to give the narrative a more chaotic and unpredictable feeling.
The campaign has since been viewed by approximately 600,000 users on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube across the county and is part of a wider nationwide police drive to address domestic violence.
Mike Lowe, head of campaigns and engagement at Staffordshire Police, said: “We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls and this recent, successful campaign is part of a wider plan the force has in place to prevent these types of offences and pursue those who commit them.
“This latest focus encourages men to recognise if they are displaying unhealthy or abusive behaviour within a relationship and we are delighted with the video produced by Humanoid as a powerful and thought-provoking tool for the campaign.”
The video can be viewed on YouTube by searching ‘Don’t Choose to Abuse’ or via the Staffordshire Police website.
