Narrative City: Rooftop
Film Theme:
Due to economic development and geography, Hong Kong is a high-density city. As a result, people have gradually started to occupy the roofs of buildings to make high use of their living space. For example, people build basketball courts on the roofs for sports, set up tables for eating, set up clotheslines for drying clothes, etc. As a result, the stories of Hong Kong’s inhabitants can be observed through the rooftops. These small stories make the rooftop a narrative space in the city. Narrative refers to the description of a series of events that take place in space and time and is the primary way in which we understand and give meaning to life. (Michael, 2021)When the small stories that happen on rooftops are linked together, they form a larger story. This story can document the habits and characteristics of people’s lives in a crowded city. The rooftop as a narrative space can thus show the culture and unique architectural features of Hong Kong. The video focuses on the rooftops around the University of Hong Kong, reflecting the diversity of rooftop functions by capturing the activities of people on different types of rooftops. It also focuses on a rooftop story and a rooftop with evidence of human activity to show what rooftops mean to the people of Hong Kong and how they are part of the city.
Making methodology:
Firstly, the front part of the video explains some stories through a collection of videos of different rooftops in Hong Kong. The camera first slowly shifts from a cluster of tall buildings to the rooftop of the University of Hong Kong. The shift of the camera allows the viewer to understand the reasons why Hong Kong people like to make use of rooftop space by watching the crowded residential situation in Hong Kong. Next, it is followed by a first-person point of view of another Hong Kong University rooftop from the escalator down. This rooftop has been planted with trees and grass. Some elderly people are exercising on it and some students are enjoying sunshine on it. The first-person point of view allows the rooftop to establish a sense of intimacy with the viewer. (Chris, 2021)This kind of view also allows the audience to focus more on the content of the image. And a top-down push shot is used to capture the workers working on the roof and the two men playing badminton. The push shot allows the viewer’s eyes to slowly drift inwards and directs the viewer’s attention to the story on the roof. (Thesis guidelines, n.d)Thus, this part of the film shows the different stories that take place on the roofs to demonstrate that the roofs have the character of recording the way of life of people in the city.
Secondly, the video captures the story of a young person who smokes on the roof of a building at night to release her emotions. This part explains how the rooftop is a space that helps Hong Kong people to release their negative emotions. Through some sub-cameras, it shows how a person comes to the roof, then sits on the balcony and lights a cigarette, then looks away to smoke. It is worth noting that the camera slowly shifts to the background (tall buildings) behind the character as the cigarette moves. This reflects the surroundings of the roof. It could be a metaphor for the fact that the person in the video is surrounded by troubles, just like the rooftops of Hong Kong are surrounded by tall buildings. And as it is night, the whole scene is in a dim state. As color can cause a psychological effect on the viewer, a dimly lit scene will make it easier for the viewer to experience some of the negative emotions of the characters in the video. (Dissolve, 2017)Therefore, this part shows the significance of the roof to the people of Hong Kong. The rooftop as a narrative space is not only a simple space for activities but also a possible space for some stressed young people to release their loneliness or anxiety.
Then, a long shot was used to capture a rooftop with signs of people’s movement. The long shot shows a full view of the scene to give the viewer a better idea of where the story is going. (Lisa & Alice) Firstly, the camera pushes from the hallway to the roof. This creates an immersive experience for the viewer due to the first-person perspective shot. (reedsyblog, 2022) This helps the viewer to imagine different stories through the objects shown in the video. For example, the barbecue on the roof allows the viewer to imagine that people might have had birthday parties there in the past. A child’s bike can conjure up some of the bonding activities that mothers and fathers do with their children on the rooftop after work. Yoga mats and mechanical bicycles make the viewer imagine how working people exercised on weekends. Representing stories from past spatial scenes through living objects is also an expression of narrative space. (ACG, 2023)All these activities reflect the Hong Kong people’s emphasis on sports, partying, and other features of life. Thus, the roof as an architectural technique embodies a kind of Hong Kong’s humanity.
Finally, the end of the video uses high-angle moving shots to connect the different rooftops. This expresses how the countless rooftops are combined through small stories to form a larger story about the city of Hong Kong. The rooftops can thus prove a narrative city. A high-angle shot is where the camera looks down on a character or subject from a high point. It allows for a wider view to be used to provide more narrative information. (studiobinder, 2021)
Reflection:
The whole video consists of three parts to explain how rooftops can make a narrative city. The first part collects many rooftop stories. The second part shoots a story to show the rooftop as a space for people to release their emotions. The third part takes a closer look at a rooftop space to reveal the relationship between rooftop architecture and culture in Hong Kong. Although all three parts show the rooftop as a narrative space, the filming of all three parts lacks a connection. As a result, the viewer may not be able to understand the central meaning coherently through the video. In the future, scenes could be switched using the take-up elements in the different sections. (影视匠造, 2017) Alternatively, cross-dissolve could be used to blend one shot into the next. (Steven)
Reference:
ACG. (2023, March 7). Narrative architecture: how to construct narrative spaces. https://www.acgedu.cn/yishuzixunInfo-11381.html
Chris, H. (2021, August 8). What is First Person Point of View? Definition and Examples. Studiobinder. https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/folders/17Al1bRt5PL8C72qiAxwV8/lists/K5Wh09dt3t2FGThoPtURF/cite/webpage/
Dissolve. (2017, May 26). How to use color in film: 50+ examples of movie color palettes. https://ideas.dissolve.com/tips/how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes
Lisa, B., & Alice, J. R. (n.d.). Long shots in film – Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/long-shot-in-film.html
Michael, B. G. (2021, July 18). What is a Narrative — Definition, Examples in Literature and Film. Studiobinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-narrative-definition/
reedsyblog. (2022, November 14). POV: How to Use 1st Person [Video]. Reedsy. https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/point-of-view/first-person-pov/
Steven, B. Different types of transitions in film | Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/types-of-film-transitions.html
Studiobinder. (2021, September 12). High Angle Shot — Camera Angle Explained & Iconic Examples. Studiobinder.
Thesis guidelines. (2020, November 6) [Art Essay] An analysis of the role of the push shot in cinematography. Zhihu Column. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/276085836
影视匠造. (2017, October 19). Eight ways to change scenes in movies. Zhihu column.https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/30255398
Chen Yuxin 3036099526
Hi! I enjoyed watching your video and found it to be well-structured. I was particularly captivated by the smoking story, which provided a poignant insight into the emotional significance of the rooftop as a space to release feelings. The video’s careful documentation of multiple rooftops additionally highlighted how rooftops serve as significant narrative spaces within cities. By collecting these rooftop stories, your video not only shows the urban culture of the city but also elucidates the intricate relationship between rooftops and the city, ultimately contributing to the creation of its narrativity. Thanks for sharing!
Firstly, it’s a creative idea that you present the narrative role of the rooftop by photographing it and narrating what it functions as and what happens on it. Secondly, your division of the video into three parts to present the narrative role of the Hong Kong roof is a relatively straightforward overall structure. Still, there may need to be an apparent direct link between the three parts. In addition to this, watching your video and narrative made me realize how versatile the roofs of Hong Kong are. If you add your report to the video, it will provide the audience with a more clear path of thinking.
I appreciate that you focused on the rooftop, a neglected place, to investigate Hong Kong. I love the scene where the smoke is suddenly lit. The swaying flame and the contrast between the character and the dark background are narrative. And it is interesting to use close-up and silhouettes to create an atmosphere, but sometimes due to low contrast or something, it is hard to distinguish the character and the background. Also, it is a good idea to represent human activities on the rooftop with those idle and stacked things instead of people. That is the narrative of the rooftop.
You are able to link your theme, narrative city, to your video content. You have attempted to research the spatial qualities of the rooftop and your video has captured the verticality of our urban settings. Yet, it will be even better if you can exaggerate how the verticality contributes to the unique features of rooftop spaces in HK.
Your text supports your ideas very well and is well-structured with appropriate references. I appreciate your intention of creating a ‘journey’ through your lens but your video clips seem to be segmented and not well-structured enough.