FLOOR PLAN
SCRIPTED MONOLOGUE
- This is me. And this is my place.
- My place consists of two parts: Inside, and Outside
- During the COVID-19, I’ve stayed Outside more often…
- I could jam music, do sports, and even have a drink with my friends…
- The Outside contained a lot of fun actually
- Until recently…
- The pc is spreading live virus
- The chair material is reported carcinogenic
- And even the air outside of Outside is said contaminated…
- I’ve got to contain myself at a safer place…
- It might not contain as much as the Outside
- It’s small, it’s cramped, it’s uncomfortable Inside
- … but what other choices do I have?
- It’s already been a year
- … and I got to find some fun in here
- There is only a problem…
- If this place is contaminated as well… where could I go?
TITLE ANALYSIS
The word chosen for the movie title is “contained”. The word has two meanings and implications towards the theme of the movie: contained as a verb within the interior and contained as an adjective outside at the exterior.
In the monologue, the title word is first mentioned when the character mentions what the “Outside”, which is the room area outside of his bed, contained. Here, the word comes into questioning the capacity of the room of an apartment. How much could a room contain? If the room contains as much as what you could enjoy outside of the apartment, what are their significant differences? Could the apartment itself, when contained as much as the real outside, could the interior of dwelling act as an equivalent substitute of normal recreational and social life amid the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown? The question of what contains inside could also work for the “Inside” of the allegory, that in the story’s setting, the protagonist is bored, not because of a migration in location. He is still in his own room, only limited to a smaller area, and a smaller area which contained less activities than before of his room. If this film could be read as a metaphorical act, reading the room as the city itself, and the bed as the apartment, in the same setting of a virus lockdown, are people getting tired of the quarantine life because of the limited extent of physical action? Because of the scale of the available spaces? Or because of what and how much these spaces could contain?
The other meaning of the title word is not used in the monologue. Yet, it is prominently existent throughout the whole film. The protagonist is contained in the “Inside” throughout the film. He believes such containment from the “Outside” is the best safeguard for his physical well-being. Referring to the aforementioned metaphorical interpretation of the film, the above phenomenon illustrates the shift in role of the city itself (metaphorically presented as the “Outside”) which changes from a built environment as a safe lobby of accommodation and social interaction into a hostile environment to the people within whereas people gather in high density and obtain the virus. In the COVID-19 crisis, the architecture of dwelling itself has become a more important tool for the protection of occupants’ personal health. Yet, much like how the boundary of safety retreated from the city to the apartment, what if the protection of the apartment is breached as well? Where would the occupants fall back to?
RESEARCH REFERENCES
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-29/what-science-tells-us-about-the-psychological-impacts-of-coronavirus-isolation
https://witl.com/more-time-at-home-during-quarantine-really-isnt-possible/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dedehenley/2020/04/11/you-dont-actually-have-extra-time-during-quarantine/#25ae21978659
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext
https://www.phillyvoice.com/coronavirus-germaphobe-ocd-behaviors-covid-19/
Created by: CHAN Chun Ngok Osten (Osten Chan) [UID:3035696810]
Hi Osten, This is my comment on your video essay. Firstly, I think that the humor that you intended really shines within the film, especially when you cheered yourself to the mirror haha. I think that the color palette used throughout the video is spot-on, especially the beginning scenes where you played with the lego pieces immediately draws the audience’s attention to both the protagonist as well as the toy, the sadness of the protagonist living in his own world(room) adds a sense of loneliness. The use of various camera angles like the closeups and the first-person perspective also portrays a sense of isolation that elevates the concept of the film. Overall, I really enjoyed your video essay. Maybe it would be nicer if you have added some music in the background to add a touch of a cinematic feel.
Wesley Wong Ting Fai 3035664740
Visual Design:
Together with the ironic plot, the shot types, through mix of POV and medium shots, has elevated the horror of the coronavirus in the dystopian 2021, a year when the world is filled up with more chaos.
The use of POV, with the hand-held camera, presents the fear of the protagonist. This is especially strong when the protagonist closes the window as the air is contaminated. The instability of the camera presents the panic and constant caution throughout the whole film. Even though voice-over is not included, the visuals are already strong enough to convey the change of emotions of the protagonist.
On top of POV shots, the use of medium shots and close-ups constantly presents how confined the space is, fostering a strong relationship with the architecture. Together with the original setting of the room, the idea of containment is even more ironic when viewers see how protagonist sit on While using only close-ups throughout the film will not present the scale of the room and the protagonist, the film, which features mostly medium shots, is well-framed.
Content:
The film takes place in a dystopian future which suggests the worst is yet to come. While the COVID-19 almost disrupts our daily lives, as well as the world order, the “COVID-21” in the film imagines the worst the civilisation can be encountering. In my opinion, this can be a commentary towards the pre-COVID-19 era, when people lack the awareness towards personal hygiene. What can we learn from COVID-19? Be prepared for the worse!
The panic within this apartment, a place of retreat supposedly, is so relevant to the current situation under COVID-19. While staying at the apartment is the last thing human being can do to protect ourselves from the contagion, the pessimism in this film is depressing, especially the line “If this place is contaminated as well… where could I go?”. Vulnerability of human beings becomes strong and clear under the threats of “COVID-21”. Suddenly, the psychology of a man is crushed and destroyed by the apartment. On top of commenting the vulnerability of human beings, the video might also comment on the absurdity of the real estate in Hong Kong.
The video ends when the protagonist discovers the adorable memo under the bowl and sprays it repeatedly. Even the most heartfelt object is contagious: the absolute distrust and denial to everything around him. Even if the contagion did not end up contaminating his bed, his own germaphobe would “kill” him.
Overall, the film gives viewers a glimpse of the dystopian future in 2021. Psychological well-being, relationship of the architecture and man, as well as constant quarantine, are well explored and conveyed.
The way you separated the setting inside and outside was interesting see how your video tried to convey the situation; COVID-19. You have shown outdoor activities under outside your bed (indoor) and also showed how your daily routine changed when your indoor. The red string that you used as a representation of lock-down was well-conveying the dystopian change of city in 2021. Moreover, the way camera was set to focus on the protagonist, yourself, was effective as it reflected the emptiness after the corona virus outbreak through restricted movement and use of set. Lastly, using the word ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ as a separation of setting was nicely done as it allowed the audience to acknowledge the wall within a space.
CONTENT: Very interesting content with a sense of humor. I love that your content is humorous, but it also conveys a sense of crisis–what can we do if our own rooms are contaminated as well? I think the concept of your film is great!
Greatly appreciate how you have creatively demonstrated the seemingly limitless potentials of a single room. This is a thoughtful examination into the literal and metaphorical meaning of “containment”, as well as a witty and humouristic approach to the direction the interior space as an externalized stage where most, if not all activities are possible. Your video successfully provokes us to consider “what if architecture were just a room?”. It further challenges us to perhaps think about the demands of a future city – which parts of a city are still essential or now rendered non-essential? What is the new role of the city?
The reference list contains a good range of articles and journals. It seems like you were researching on the psychological aspects of quarantine. You may also want to consider including references of the theoretical articles for this course, including De Certeau and Wojcik.