Thanks Bea. I'm interested in the behind the scenes aspect of the use of filming. Who sees it? How long is the digital record kept? Are they quickly disposed of once not needed for cramming? Have their been pc reactions to it? DM's relation to these videos? (creepy little man) Do they record voice as well? Or just meter action? Invasion of privacy issues. That should cover it! Thanks!
I am only familiar with CCI, ASHO and Flag set-ups. I think after what I am writing here, they upgraded the systems.
At Flag and CCI and ASHO all of the rooms are set up with 2 cameras. One is directly on the meter and the other is on the pc and auditor. Like a side view. At Flag, ASHO and CCI, it was set up that you would go to another room and the sessions could be watched and/or recorded for later viewing. At CCI sessions were commonly recorded, especially on high profile pcs (hmmm.... how to define high profile... it's not what you may think. It could be either a Celeb, up and coming, or a touchy situation, celeb or not). It is common for the Case Supervisor to request the session(s) to be videoed. The video's would be turned in with the session and the C/S could watch it.
It also happens that the Case Supervisor, and sometimes other people, to watch the sessions as they are going. The C/S office has a look-in system and they can watch any session as it is going. This is the case at Flag, ASHO and at CCI.
The sessions were recorded on VHS tapes and turned in with the folder, if the Case Supervisor had requested videos of the sessions.
In most cases the pc did not know that they are being recorded (come to think of it, isn't that illegal in California?).
It was pretty rare to keep session videos. Normally they would get recorded over, unless it was super-high priority/high profile and it was thought they may be needed, they would be kept for a while.
The cameras themselves were very small. Now-a-days they are quite common. I think I have one for back up on my car... looks about the same size as the ones used in the church.
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Other notes: I was given a pretty intense ethics interview when I was at Flag, when I got busted for out-2D (kissed another married man when I was also married... I think I wrote about it in my story). I was in a very long ethics interview and they were trying to get me to admit my out ethics and I would not. Debbie Cook came in several times... man she was vicious... in your face... intense... But I was used to that so it really didn't bother me much that they were angry. I kept insisting on talking to my husband, who had recently arrived at Flag. They finally did get him. He later told me that Debbie Cook got right up in his face and said "KEEP YOUR FUCKING TR'S IN!!!" before he came in to see me. I wanted to tell him directly and work things out between him and me. Of course it was all on camera and tons of people were watching. I did not care. I had my reasons for doing what I did and my husband of the time understood. Only if you had been in the Sea Org would this make sense: My husband and I were about to be transferred to Australia and posted there. That would have meant he would never see his family again. I had to prevent that. Me getting RPFed got me out of going to Australia. My husband of the time understood it, though he was upset about the infidelity, which I truly was sorry about.
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I know that later on, Flag upgraded to a computerized system that kept every session on file for 6 months. You could go back and see any session anywhere back 6 months. I am sure this got brought to the other bases as well after I was gone.
And I know this is normal in the SO. At least I know it intellectually. 
