[Field- Homework3] – Hybrid City: Man Wah Sun Chuen

link for the video: https://youtu.be/MQKeyBHxCn0

Hybrid city: Man Wah Sun Chuen

Canopy, an element that might vanish soon due to safety reasons and misuse of the structure, is showcasing human ingenuity to reimagine spaces. It is suspected that canopy might be vanished because of  big cracks appearing on the surface, having safety risks. Also, there are supporting metal structures to bear the weight of the additional objects on the canopy due to misuse of the canopy. In this video, we will look into the common practices for residents in utilizing these areas, discover how residents and shop owners use the spaces above and below the canopy ingeniously, with both legal and illegal use as the main statement in this video.

 

Man Wah Sun Chuen, as one of the oldest public estates that has been built for more than 50 years, had caught public’s attention recently because of its reconstruction work.  Walking through the complex, it is easy to notice the organic, vivid plants above the canopy. It always caught my attention when I noticed how people are using the same types of spaces in different ways: some make it into their garden and take good care of it, while some hang their clothes mid air to prevent themselves from violating the rules.

 

For the research, I observed different types of objects that would appear above and below the canopy, then categorized them into legal and illegal use, to find out how people utilize the spaces. Afterwards, I would organize the order according to each other’s connections. For example, after I noticed some plant pots hanging around the metal structures, I looked  for other types of metal structures below the canopy like signboards, and then tried to compare their orientations. 

 

In terms of the method of shooting, I am using Canon powershot G7 x, with a small tripod. Before shooting, I searched online for similar types of documentations for building, for example Youtube channel MM. I look for useful shots, added to my story board, then go to the shooting location. For the opening scene, it was shot on the footbridge that is parallel to Man Wan Sun Chuen complex, following with some street scenes and zoom-in shots that covers the lower half part of the building, that can guide the audiences to walk closer and closer as if they are a part of the tour. Throughout the video, I mostly used still shots mixed with zoomed in shots, which can show the interaction between people and the spaces, as well as the flow of people, including construction workers, shop owners and other residents.  It may not seem to relate to the theme, but it serves the purpose of  people being distanced with the canopy, and then the zoomed in shots emphasize the use of spaces occupied by different objects, acting as the interpretation of spaces by people, indirectly looking into their lives and habits through camera lenses.

For the background music, I kept most of the original background music to emerge the audiences into the scene as if they are physically present in the city scenery. Apart from that, I had also used the piano version of QingCheng by Mavis Hee, which the song is talking about love story on the surface, but actually having metaphors about changes in the city that we cannot resist, and have to learn to say goodbye with it, as if we need to say goodbye to Man Wah Sun Chuen. 

 

For color tone, it is in yellowish color with higher saturation and warmth, which is inspired by Won Kar Wai’s film colour tone to give a sense of nostalgia, so that it reminds people of the good old days in living in public housing estates, and similar life interactions with the canopy.

 

In conclusion, the area of Man Wah Estate had demonstrated the characteristics of a hybrid city: different approaches on the use of area above and below the canopy, some are legal while some are not. The objects attached to the canopy are in two extremes： organic plants and inorganic, manufactured steel structures.  It is interesting to see that the interpretation of spaces by residents is what makes the city scenery more lively, being able to utilize sunlight and platforms, transforming the mundane into something that is attractive and remarkable.

Tsang Shuk Yin 3036231265

Bibilography

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