The Video:
Directed by Hung Chi Hang
Cast: Markus Wong as Human
We, as human beings, experience the city in a very unique way. With modernisation architecture, we utilise space through urbanising the natural environment, resulting in serious impact on the ecosystem. The theme of “Human City” is to reveal the brutality of humans on nature and other species that live together with us. From mass industrialisation to animal violence, even though humans are the most intelligent and cognitive beings on Earth, the ultimate goal of civilisation should be living with nature instead of replacing it with our own territories. Through a very small incident of how a moth is being killed by man, the video urges the audience to stop our ruthless acts on nature and live a leave-no-trace life.
The video portrays the concept of an ecological city through comparing how human and natural species experience the city differently. For humans, we are enriching our life when experiencing the city. The five senses are the most common way for experience. Like how we see the colour or land distribution of the city could widen our horizon and how the environment sounds, how its smell will give a totally different feeling towards the place. While for natural species, their life experiences seem to be the same. They are more likely striving for life. No matter what species they are, they are seeing space through the eye of a non-human creature but at the end of their life are probably killed by humans.
There are two sets in the video, the garden and the room, which reflects the two different contrasting territories. When humans step into the outdoor space of natural territory, we give out a sense of control and even make changes to the landscape. Vise versa, when animals or insects invade into the human territory of a room, they will either be expelled or killed. Although both are disturbance, the results differ drastically due to the difference in power between human and natural species. This hereby reinforces the video’s theme of human brutalism.
Research is conducted in two main ways, online references and fieldwork studies. Through online research, I learn more about the concept of eco-cinema, a term representing films that give rise to strong environmental concepts. Ecological films are very powerful in terms of engaging the audience with concerns regarding environmental justice. I tried to adopt two major methods used in large eco-cinema productions to deliver the message of human brutalism through my short video. One of them is revealing the brutal act of humans on other species without any filter. This method is referenced from a very famous documentary, The Cove(2009). In the film, the act of Japanese fishermen killing dolphins is not edited out but clearly shown, giving a strong sense of visual violence. I tried to include this method In my video through the scene of the moth’s death. Another method of eco-cinema is to present more biocentric viewpoints rather than the usual human-centred interpretation. In the scene of being a moth in the first person of ‘Human City’, I tried to give out a very ecocentric view directly to the audience, so that they can experience the narrated feelings and the experience of being stepped on.
For fieldwork studies. I walked through the different parts of the HKU campus to investigate the different spatial qualities, focusing on contrasting space, between private and public, outdoors and indoors. Ranging from very indoor private space, the study corners of the library or the toilets, to mass open green spaces, the Centennial Garden or the Dublin Core, ‘Happy Park’, I dig deep in learning how these different areas connect and separate with one another. For instance, the HKU Centennial Campus contains building blocks with numerous tutorial rooms and the Chi Wah Commons, as well as a lot of green space. I am really impressed how both artificial and natural landscapes combine with each other. However, I decided to choose the indoor and outdoor contrast instead eventually as it matches with the theme of the video. In the video, the outdoor space is selected to be the Mong Kwok Ping Garden, as it is surrounded by buildings, thus synchronising with the concept of urban ecosystem. Architecture studio in Knowles Building is selected to be the indoor space as the facade design of the building allows creatures, such as birds and insects, to have a shelter. As the windows are always open, these creatures sometimes enter into the inner studio, making it an ‘opened’ indoor space.
The video production is rather simple, as the whole film is shot by my own iPhone XR. Nevertheless, two major film techniques are used. Hand-held shooting is the first of them. Through this method, the camera is able to follow the movement of the main character smoothly. Walking from the bridge to near the pond, and then to the Sun Yat Sen statue, the camera keeps moving backwards with similar pace as the character. This creates a sensation that I am leading the audiences with the character to the destination step by step, thus drawing the audience’s attention on the path by experiencing the same path of the character.The second technique is the use of fish-eye lenses. This method of shooting not only gives out realistic visual experience from first person view of the creature through replicating the distorted sight from the ‘eye’ of insect, but also gives an ultra-wide hemispheric view of the space in front of the camera, which can show objects underneath the water surface, such as the goldfish in of the the scenes.
The journey from brainstorming ideas, to research and then to shooting and editing changes my mindset of video productions and how messages are delivered visually. Plus, I am very delighted how my research works can really imply onto my video shooting and the end result is better than expected.
Hung Chi Hang 3035933907
Video footages: Behind the scenes
References:
Allies, B. (n.d.). On public, private and communal space. Allies and Morrison. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.alliesandmorrison.com/research/on-public-private-and-communal-space
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Urban ecosystem. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/science/urban-ecosystem
Gardens, courtyards, sculptures. HKU Estates Office. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.estates.hku.hk/campus-information/Heritage-features/gardens-courtyards-sculptures
Group, H. M. (2019, February 28). The relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces in landscape architecture. FireSky Outdoor: Designed by Landscape Architects, Built by Craftsmen. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://www.fireskyoutdoor.com/reno-blog/the-relationship-between-indoor-and-outdoor-spaces-in-landscape-architecture-carson-city-nv
Happy park (開心公園). Omeka RSS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://learning.hku.hk/ccch9051/group-18/items/show/61#:~:text=Dublin%20Core&text=Commonly%20recognised%20as%20%E2%80%9CHappy%20Park,annual%20graduation%20class%20photo%20shoot.
Leave no trace leave no trace – home. Leave No Trace. (2022, February 22). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://lnt.org/
Minoia, A. (2019, November 22). Fantastic Fisheye Lens Photography: A basic guide for great effect. ExpertPhotography. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://expertphotography.com/fantastic-fisheye-lens-photography-a-basic-guide/
Robin. (1970, January 1). The cove as rhetorical documentary: Part I. The Cove as Rhetorical Documentary: Part I. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from http://ecofilmmediaenvironment.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-cove-as-rhetorical-documentary-part.html
What is ecocinema? an evolving term. The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice | Co. Carlow Ireland. (2021, March 9). Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://hollywoodforest.com/2011/04/17/ecocinema/
Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, February 24). Shaky camera. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaky_camera
Your video rendering me a chance to reflect on the relationship between human and other creatures in this world. I appreciate much of using a creatures perspective to view the world. The camera movement of the moth is really realistic and interesting. I don’t have much concept in accordance with the urban ecosystem yet we can observe some combined elements of nature and urban cities on a day-to-day basis. A point of argument is that I disagree with HKU Centennial Campus make a well combined of nature and the modern buildings. Ecosystem is impossible to develop and form in the garden because of tremendous amount of pesticide. It is worth to think about whether an artificial “nature” can well-embedded in our urban city as well as how to find human’s niche in this ecosystem. –Yeung Po Ying
Interesting. Human beings construct cities in order to mark our own territories and borders, as if we claim this very land, but we also tend to forget that this land is also shared between other organisms. Are we the invaders of our own land? Not the bug that flew into the room? I like the director’s consistent use of rhetorical questions on this issue of modernisation and our treatment towards mother nature to effectively induce self reflection on the viewers, which I thoroughly enjoy as it allows different viewpoints to be developed. I also find the use of a circular camera lens to depict the view of the bug to be very creative and realistic, as it makes it noticeable that we are not viewing from the perspective of a human. Camera shots are also very well planned out, from the use of swaying camera movements to show the flight patterns of the bug, along with the use of high angle shots to show the small nature of the bug compared to a human and the act of cruelty imposed by the human.
What an interesting film! It is quite refreshing as it gives new insight and perspective as the film is portrayed with a circular film which creates a unique visual. It is quite creative in how you try to narrate your story through unique visuals. The film could also act as a reminder of being more thoughtful toward nature. Rather than viewing nature solely from a human perspective, it is important to view and try to understand it from nature’s perspective. It criticizes how sometimes humanity could be inconsiderate of other living that is not in a form of humans. Great visuals and well-structured video that brings interesting conversation.
Your video using the point of insect has inspired me to ponder on the ecological system in our city. It gives me a new insight to reflect on our behaviour with regard to our environment. I find thoughtful that we always overlook the negative impact on our environment posed by our action just like the boy in the video. We should never underestimate the aftermath of our behaviour. Humanity, as the most intellectual species in the world, should protect other species instead of putting them in danger. The video criticises the ignorance and selfishness of humanity against the ecosystem in two and a half minutes. It is very thoughtful and provoking.
It is so interesting that your video uses the view of animals to see the world, The curved lens particularly vividly mimics the animal’s point of view. The two different scenes are contrary, one is from the human perspective, and one is from animal. The power of human is destructive, as the peers(animals) of the city are under the control of human. It is reflective that whether the superiority and domination of human are ecological or not.
I really enjoy how you used the fisheye lens to pretend to be the moth’s perspective, that is very creative! You managed to the portray the architecture studio in which I spend nearly everyday in a completely new and unprecedented way. The behind the scenes you included are also fun to watch.
You have critically understood the relationship between humans and other organisms in different environments, which allows your audience to rethink how we as humans have always centered on ourselves every day and everywhere. Your visuals are helpful to tell the story, and the choice of a fish-eye lens to illustrate an insect’s view is appreciated. I wonder if moth really sees the world in such a way? It would be great if you could have more research about this and include it in your method.