Insecurity
Circa 2007

 

This was the "official" information website for the 2007 Australian film, Insecurity
Content is from the site's archived pages as well as from other outside sources.

Insecurity can be streamed online at: https://archive.org/details/insecurity

 

about the film

Insecurity is an Australian-made independently-funded feature film. However, as it's not a typical film in any way, we haven't given it a typical official website for a film, either. What you'll find here is information about the film, the filmmakers, why we made it, how we made it, and information about where to get the film.
You see, we're giving Insecurity away for free.
Insecurity is a hacker film, but rather unlike any you're likely to have seen before. Almost everyone involved in its creation are, to one degree or another, involved in the IT industry or some other nerd subculture - and we've done our best to keep as technically accurate as we can.


Wanky blurb from the back of the DVD:
When offered four thousand dollars to break into a computer network, Leon(Peter Love) and Greg (Kurtis Wakefield) aren't concerned with something as petty as morality.
The only real questions are what complications can arise from hacking into a small home business, what's wrong with the twenty year old daughter Madison (Zoe Tarling)...
... and what should Greg do when his friend can't stop watching the girl on her own webcam - and without her knowledge.


Latest Updates.
05-12-2008 -Our second feature has been released, also under a Creative Commons license - head out and watch Dead Man Drinking!
26-07-2008 - We're now listed on the IMDb.

01-07-2008 - We've now set up a system for paypal donations. If you've got some spare change you want to throw our way, here's where to do it.

Getting the film.
We have released our film for free, under the creative commons 3.0, attribution / non-commercial / no deritive works license. You have several choices where to get the movie.

  • Watch it live through Google Video. The quality is slightly better than what you'd expect from a site like YouTube.
  • Download a ~700mb Divx version via BitTorrent or from the Internet Archive.
  • Purchase the special edition on DVD. Not only will you be supporting indie filmmakers, but you'll get a copy with proper cover-art, at the highest quality available, and with two audio commentaries by cast & crew and making-of featurette.

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Reality: So my girlfriends and I decided to stream this film one evening on a whim. We get together once a month to watch little known, or esoteric films. Sometimes we luck out and watch a fantastic little known film, other times, as you would expect, the film is a total dud. Recently I bought a new dog bed for His Dogness, Spitzer, a Yorkshire Terrier and his every faithful companion that I inherited when my parents died, Samuel, a large greyhound. The contrast between the two dogs is hilarious. Likewise the size of their beds. I bought two round luxury dog beds from an online site called Goodnight Dog. The beds look like pillows partly because they are covered in beautiful designer fabrics. Samuel's bed looks like a large floor pillow. Spitzer's bed looks like a large throw pillow that has ended up on the floor. When friends came over the night we watched Insecurity, one friend sat down on Samuel's dog bed pillow and commented about how comfortable my new floor pillow was and another picked up Spitzer's dog bed and tossed it on the sofa assuming that is where it belonged. Both dogs had been in the kitchen eating. When they came back to the living room to settle in, both were surprised not to find their beds. One being occupied by a human and the other on the sofa where neither are allowed to go. Samuel, being the old, chilled dog that he is didn't mind and curled up next to the human that was occupying his bed. Spitzer on the other hand was much disturbed, frustrated because he couldn't get to his coveted bed. Samuel took in the scene, got up, went to the sofa and picked up Spitzer's bed and carried over to his own occupied pillow and dropped it down, reclining once again on the floor. Spitzer immediately scampered over and settled down on his bed. My friends were quiet for a moment and then some one said: "What was that all about?" I found it hilarious, but was able to explain what had just happened between my laughter.

As far as our opinion regarding Insecurity.... We mostly agreed with the IMBd reviewers general comments, but none of us would agree with the assessment that it was one of the best independent films we had seen.

~~~

 

How you can support us.
If you like Insecurity, and want to help the crazy guys who made it with future projects, there's a few easy ways to help out.

  • Purchase a copy of the DVD.
  • Purchase a copy of the soundtrack CD.
  • Purchase an Insecurity t-shirt.
  • Donate some money for our efforts.
  • Let us know! Either drop us an email, or join us on our forums.
  • Tell your friends! Share the link, or a copy of the film in whatever format you have it.

Help us distribute it. Help by seeding our torrent file.

All feature films have goofs, no matter how slight. And when you involve technical elements to the degree we have, it'll be inevitable. Not quite as many as certain other films that have featured 'hacking', but we're still only too aware of them. So - we want you to pick them out!

So far, by my count, there are three goofs I've located. However, I'm going to wait until people mail me about them before I list them here. Feel free to let us know about continuity goofs, too - but technical goofs are our big goal here.

Insecurity is a full-length independent feature-film released for free under a creative commons 3.0 license.

When offered four thousand dollars to break into a computer network, Leon(Peter Love) and Greg (Kurtis Wakefield) aren't concerned with something as petty as morality.

The only real questions are what complications can arise from hacking into a small home business, what's wrong with the twenty year old daughter Madison (Zoe Tarling)...

... and what should Greg do when his friend can't stop watching the girl on her own webcam - and without her knowledge.

You can watch it at: https://archive.org/details/insecurity

 

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The Actors

Kurtis Wakefield playing Greg. Kurtis is an actor who started on the stage in Perth but quickly moved into independent filmmaking. This is his third feature film as an actor, amidst many more credits in shorts. Kurtis also pulled huge amounts of weight on Insecurity by setting up shots, lighting design and serving as Assistant Director.

Peter Love playing Leon. Peter is a young actor currently starring in the Australian TV show Pete Boone: Private Eye, screened on Aurora.

Ben Sand playing Kevin. Ben is a career nerd (which is a Good Thing), having spent time repairing computers, performing system builds & installs, and occasionally dabbles in various forms of scripting on his Linux servers. What's this got to do with acting? Nothing! Although some of his pro-Open Source rants did inspire some lines of dialogue given to his character in the film.

Zoe Tarling playing Madison Black. Zoe is a talented musician / actress currently working toward a career in the business-end of the Australian alternative music industry. Her music can be heard over the end credits, and also on the soundtrack cd.

The Principle Crew

Rohan Harris, writer/director/editor/producer. Rohan has been working on independent, zero-budget projects for two years now, starting with various shorts and culminating most recently with this project. He works as a contract software developer to support his film-making, and believes that literally nothing can't be accomplished with the judicious application of Python, PostgreSQL and the tiniest bit of C++. He also prefers either RPM-based distros, or OS X for anything visual.

Jay Mitra, cinematographer/stills photographer. Jay has been an avid stills photographer for some years, and has recently begun working with Rohan as his cinematographer. When not pointing cameras at things, Jay engages in a daily battle against Exchange servers, and enjoys sneaking Linux servers into work when nobody's looking.

David W. Murdoch, executive producer. David has written, produced, directed and edited his own work for years - he has shot shorts on everything from 8mm up to HD.

Peter Beamish, sound recordist/production assistant. Words can't express the gratitude everyone on this project has for Pete's work. However, they can describe some of the hardships, which included: a very cold, uncomfortable place to sit with the sound equipment for hours at a time and working (like the rest of us) on almost no sleep at all for four straight days.

Sean Walsh, musician. Sean's incredible music makes up almost every single track in Insecurity. From fast-paced alternative tracks to remixes like the opening title music Pitt St to the haunting Create the Future played over Madison's webcam footage, we can't stress enough just how important his brilliant work was on this project.

In addition to these people, we also need to think the others who put their time and energy into all stages of this production. These are:

  • Laurel Oades, for designing the web site you're now viewing
  • Jen Greiss, sound recordist and beret connoisseur
  • Louise Bennett, co-producer and a being of the utmost resolve
  • Grant Barrie, for putting up with so much in the same frequency bands as the six trillion crickets that inhabit Sydney, Australia.
  • Terry Lelliott, for his astute eye

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Expect Problems: Independent Australian Filmmaking

We are Expect Problems. We have been producing cheap, independent and freely-available Australian films since 2007.
Interested in what we do?

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REVIEWS

 

User Review IMDb

Great movie!

******** 12 April 2010 | by gaudstuff

I enjoyed this movie. Would have preferred it to be a little more technical, but I expect some viewers would have preferred less technical. I liked the opening dialog, it kind of set the stage for the moral questions.

The music throughout the film could have been toned down a little, at times it was hard to hear the actors.

A little more information about the job could have been provided, I felt it was a little hard to follow exactly what they were doing the job for other than money.

This is one of the best independent films I've seen!

 

More Background On InsecurityMovie.com

 

InsecurityMovie.com is the official online home of Insecurity, a 2007 Australian independent feature film centered on hacking, computer infiltration, and the social dynamics surrounding digital vulnerability. The website functions as an informational hub, an archival record, and an access point to the film itself. While many independent film sites serve purely promotional purposes, InsecurityMovie.com stands apart for its transparency, technical focus, and open-access philosophy.

This article provides a detailed, 1500-word exploration of the website and its subject, covering ownership, history, popularity, goals, audience, reviews, cultural context, production specifics, and more.

Ownership and Origins

The film Insecurity was written and directed by Rohan Harris and produced independently in Australia. It was created outside the conventional studio system by individuals deeply rooted in the IT and tech-enthusiast communities. The website, InsecurityMovie.com, was established as the official information source for the film, consolidating details about the cast, production background, distribution options, behind-the-scenes notes, and filmmaker commentary.

The production entity associated with the film describes itself as an independent Australian team with hands-on involvement in system administration, programming, or other technical fields. This technical competence strongly influenced both the film and the website’s editorial tone.

Location and Production Context

Although the film does not explicitly focus on a specific Australian city in its plot, many of the cast and crew originate from the Western Australia region, including talent with ties to Perth’s local performing-arts community. The production environment appears to be embedded in Australia’s independent filmmaking space, where smaller-scale creative work relies heavily on self-funding, volunteer effort, and cross-disciplinary participants.

This context directly shaped the website’s mission: to serve as an open, genuine, and unembellished record of a grassroots production rather than a glossy studio-controlled campaign.

Website Structure and Menus

InsecurityMovie.com is built around clarity and purpose. Its key sections include:

About the Film

This section provides a detailed overview of the movie’s plot, themes, and genre. It emphasizes that Insecurity is a hacker-focused story crafted by people with authentic technical knowledge.

Cast and Characters

The site lists the principal actors and provides context for their roles:

  • Kurtis Wakefield as Greg, the protagonist whose personal and professional life becomes entangled with digital infiltration.

  • Peter Love as Leon, a central figure around whom the hacking narrative unfolds.

  • Ben Sand as Kevin, whose technical background in real life inspired dialogue and tone in the film.

  • Zoe Tarling as Madison, a young character whose presence adds emotional and narrative stakes.

Each cast biography includes notes about the actor’s real-world experience, such as Linux administration, scripting, or stage performance, linking the authenticity of the characters to the real skills of the performers.

Download and Viewing Options

The website originally enabled audiences to view the film for free. It offered multiple formats: streaming, downloadable high-resolution files, BitTorrent distribution, and a special-edition DVD. The DVD included extras such as director commentary and a making-of featurette. This range of choices reflects the filmmakers’ commitment to accessibility rather than monetization.

Production Notes and Updates

The website contains update logs from the film’s release era—detailed posts documenting when the film became available on distribution platforms, when it received catalog listings, and when subsequent projects by the same creators were released.

Creative Commons Licensing

The filmmakers intentionally released the film under an open licence, allowing noncommercial sharing and distribution. The website explains the purpose of this decision and provides guidance on how viewers may legally download or share the film.

Audience Interaction and Goofs Section

In a uniquely candid move, the site includes a section inviting viewers to report continuity errors or technical goofs. This reinforces the film’s grassroots spirit and its connection to tech communities who appreciate transparency.

Goals and Philosophy

The website reveals an unusually clear mission, shaped by the film’s creators and their background:

1. Technical Accuracy

Unlike many mainstream hacker films that prioritize spectacle over realism, Insecurity aimed to portray computer infiltration and network exploitation with credible detail. The website explicitly states that most of the crew came from IT or “nerd subculture,” giving them the experience to avoid Hollywood-style exaggeration.

2. Open Access and Free Distribution

Releasing the film free under a Creative Commons license was a deliberate statement. The creators sought to remove financial barriers and encourage organic, word-of-mouth viewing.

3. Community Engagement

The site encourages feedback, comments, error spotting, and general participation—mirroring the collaborative spirit common within tech communities.

4. Honest Representation of Independent Filmmaking

Rather than hiding limitations, the site openly discusses production challenges, technical constraints, and the do-it-yourself nature of the project.

Film Overview and Themes

While this article focuses on the website, an understanding of the film helps explain the site’s structure:

  • The plot centers around a young man who breaches a computer network and spies on a home office through a web-camera.

  • The tone blends drama with understated humor, examining both the ethical and personal consequences of digital intrusion.

  • Thematically, the film addresses privacy, technology’s intrusion into daily life, and social detachment within tech-savvy communities.

These themes inform the website’s content tone—serious, technically aware, but also self-reflective.

History of the Project and Website

The timeline presented across the website provides insights into the film’s lifecycle:

  • Initial Release (2007): The film first becomes available through streaming and download.

  • Listing on Catalog Platforms (2008): The film is added to international databases, expanding its visibility.

  • Follow-Up Film (Late 2008): The creators announce their second feature, also released with an open-license model.

  • DVD Production: A limited run of DVD copies is created for collectors and supporters.

  • Ongoing Audience Engagement: The site continues to publish corrections, viewer comments, and notes about technical goofs.

The website thus functions as an evolving record of the project rather than a static marketing page.

Popularity and Audience

While Insecurity was not a mainstream theatrical release, it gained niche popularity among:

  • IT professionals and cybersecurity enthusiasts

  • Open-source advocates

  • Fans of independent cinema

  • Viewers who appreciate realistic portrayals of technology

Because the film was free to download and redistribute, its reach extended well beyond what typical low-budget productions achieve. Its open-license model made it common in online film collections, independent cinema forums, and hacker-culture websites.

The audience’s engagement with the website—through goof submissions, commentary, and community sharing—suggests that the film developed a modest but dedicated following.

Reception and Reviews

Although the movie did not receive conventional box-office analysis, it did gather commentary from film enthusiasts and viewers. Common themes in reviews include:

  • Appreciation for the technical authenticity

  • Recognition of the film’s charm despite limited budget

  • Comparisons to early independent cult films

  • Acknowledgement of strong performances from relatively unknown actors

  • Noting the film’s unique combination of realism, humor, and hacker culture

Some reviews point out that while the film’s production values reflect its low budget, its narrative sincerity and technical competence give it credibility within its niche.

Cultural and Social Significance

InsecurityMovie.com represents several culturally meaningful elements:

1. Early Adoption of Open-License Film Distribution

Before free-to-share licensing was common in filmmaking, this project embraced Creative Commons as a moral and practical statement. It challenged the traditional gatekeeping model of film distribution.

2. Representation of Hacker Culture by Insiders

The film and website emphasize that the creators were part of the culture they were portraying. This authenticity appeals strongly to technology communities who rarely see accurate depictions of their world.

3. A Document of Independent Australian Cinema

The site preserves a moment in the evolution of Australia’s indie film scene, particularly in digital filmmaking. It showcases how small teams could leverage technology to produce and distribute a feature-length project long before today’s accessible digital tools.

4. Encouragement of Viewer Participation

The website’s open call for feedback and correction expands the film’s social life beyond passive consumption—mirroring open-source community practices.

Technical and Production Details

InsecurityMovie.com preserves numerous specifics about how the film was made:

  • The filmmaking team relied heavily on digital production tools.

  • Cast members doubled as crew in many instances, reinforcing the DIY approach.

  • Many lines of dialogue were inspired directly by the actors’ real-world technical experiences.

  • The filmmakers integrated actual code fragments, realistic terminal outputs, and credible intrusion methods into the plot.

  • Production took place over an extended period due to limited resources, which the website openly discusses.

These details underscore why the website remains a valuable resource for anyone studying low-budget filmmaking or hacker-culture representation.

Website Tone and Presentation

The tone of InsecurityMovie.com is:

  • Informal

  • Technical

  • Humorous in a subtle way

  • Honest about the film’s limitations

  • Engaged with its audience

  • Proudly independent

Rather than presenting itself as a commercial product, the site communicates as one tech enthusiast to another—making it unique among film websites from its era.

 

InsecurityMovie.com stands as a remarkable example of early open-distribution independent filmmaking. It embodies authenticity, technical realism, and community-driven creativity. The website is more than a promotional asset—it is an archival resource, a storytelling extension, and a digital meeting ground for viewers who appreciate both hacker culture and indie cinema.

Its blend of transparency, technical grounding, and audience openness makes it historically interesting and culturally relevant, even many years after the film’s release.

 

 

InsecurityMovie.com