How to connect the rooftop with a pandemic is a struggle for me at first. Afterward, human and their activities is the only connection I can think of. In this video, I chose 2 rooftops, one of the city and one of our home, from a macro and micro view respectively.
A public place’s changes during the pandemic are obvious. All the places of interest used to be filled with both local residents and visitors. They are like disappearing overnight, leaving the buildings and architecture still.
The private space is changing more subtly. Our family’s rooftop was a children’s playground in the past. Every time our neighbors come, my brother invites his friends to go upstairs and play ball together, basketball or football. They won’t come back to have dinner with us until we call more than 3 times.
During the pandemic, the rooftop is the only open space where we can get some fresh air. In the beginning, my brother is willing to play with my grandma on the rooftop. But gradually, he is tired of only playing with an old lady who doesn’t run or chase. He would rather practice calligraphy, which is an activity he disliked in the past.
The pandemic locked people at home and also locked people’s moods to get energetic. The rooftop’s change is a miniature of human activities during the pandemic. When no one comes here, there must be something going wrong. When people are gathering again on the rooftop, we also see that the city is recovering.
The last part raises a concern on the pandemic influence’s depth. Although people are doing exactly the same things as what they did before the pandemic, but with a facial mask and watch out the distance anytime. Gradually in our subconscious, a mask is a must when going out, especially to a public place. An object that used to be mostly seen in hospitals now became a part of life. The mask prevents us from breathing freely and greeting each other with real images and reminds us of ‘distancing.’ These signs are unhealthy, and I’m pessimistic about removing all the sick signs in the future.
Pictures are mainly used material to create the video. Overall speaking, shooting is easy. Several parts need good timing and some luck. For example, to capture a street scene without cars in the busiest city region, I need to wait and modify the focal length. Although there are no cars in the picture, there are some outside of its width and ready to rush into the lens. Also, dealing with those young ‘actors’ is a little challenging. 2 packages of candies and 1-month TV channel VIP are paid after shooting.
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Can we really go back to the normal time?
It is a very good question. Although the city is recovering like your video showing, it seems still not recover completely. We still need to wear the mask and follow the government epidemic prevention policy. After watching your video, I have a sigh. When we can go back to normal life? When we can sit down and have dinner with our relatives?
Zachery (3035691535)
I really liked your video essay. One of the things that appealed to me was that how efficiently you have drawn a comparison between a public and private rooftop. The segment showing empty public rooftops competently highlighted the fact that the pandemic has disrupted our social life , the empty parking lot gives us the impression that the city is gradually disappearing. The transition from color to black and white was superbly executed. I liked the part that showed your brother and grandmother running up the stairs to play basketball, it showed that your family came close during the lockdown. The end really gives a positive message as it is seen that even though people are wearing a mask and keeping distance, they are still coming out from their homes, showing that the city is recovering. However, you are absolutely right, in saying that will life and our rooftops ever return to being normal again….I think normalcy is still sometime away. The essay comprising the combination of stills and video overall has been nicely done.
Really enjoy watching your video essay! The content of your video is really sufficient. It is really fun to see you utilizing your little brother and grandma to connect the story of the whole video essay and the theme of it. Besides, the organization of the video is great. You separate the video into before and after the recovery, making the audiences easier to follow the content of your video. Last, the rhetorical question used at the end of the video really make people reflect and think!
That was a good rendition of the “time before pandemic”, where you shot your brother and his basketball at the rooftop. Was it the same rooftop that you showed later on (the one with the tea table and plants)? If you like, one of the tricks to show that it was the same location is by doing a parallel shot, or even the before-after shot using the exact same angle. You could also use a similar contrasting method to compare the public vs private rooftop!
With regard to the research part, what have you discovered throughout the process? Did you find anything new, or surprising, or intriguing to follow up on? To add to your rhetoric at the very end of the video, I would also ask what would it mean to the rooftops. Could this be a beginning of a new trend, where the rooftop is no longer seen as a residual space? What might have happened to the rooftop once we got over the pandemic? Would it return to its previous functionality or remain as one of the most exciting public spaces instead?