August 1980, they coulda used a Betamax camera! Of course megavolt-scale voltages would tend to fry any device not protected by a screen cage.

"Why didn't they take pictures" is a minor question, compared to "WHY DIDN'T THEY THROW STUFF AT IT?!!" Did the invisible wall block flying objects? Or was it really just caused by shocks, by tazed human muscles locking up?