Eileen Chang once wrote after seeing neon signs in Hong Kong that,’’ It was a hot afternoon, and the most striking thing to look at was the giant billboards lined up on the pier, red, orange, pink, reflecting in the green water, a line, a dash of irritating offending pigment, scurrying up and down, fighting under the water in an exceptionally lively manner’’ (Zhang, 1943). For a century, Hong Kong has been using the night scene as its signature, while neon lights, which are the finishing touch, are gradually disappearing. This short film therefore aims to investigate this disappearing artifact, documenting the current state of neon signs in the Mong Kok district.
Since its introduction to Hong Kong in the 1920s, neon signs have continued to proliferate, not only as a tradition in the city, but also as a form of signposting. By 1970, building facades were covered in neon everywhere, adding to the city’s prosperity. It is worth noting that neon signs, once a ubiquitous symbol of Hong Kong, are now dwindling in number. Neon signs are being removed in large numbers in Hong Kong for the safety of residents, and the demand for neon has dropped dramatically as some businesses have begun replacing them with LEDs (Wai, 2023). Therefore, the film takes the disappearing neon sign as its theme, and by comparing the neon sign in the Mong Kok neighborhood with the same shining LED sign, and the neon sign at night with that in the daytime, the film reflects its image in Hong Kong and the reason and necessity of its existence.
Research
To explore the current state of neon, several field trips were made to observe the difference between day and night on this road. I noticed that while most of the neon signs have not been removed, many businesses have voluntarily replaced them with more cost-effective LED signs, but the flashing neon is more striking in terms of visual perception. The difference between day and night is also obvious. An ordinary path that you casually pass by during the daytime seems like Cinderella at midnight when the neon lights are on in the darkness of the night, glittering and glamorous. And the idea of comparing neon lights at different times of day came from the fact that streets that look flat during the day take on a different color at night.
However, regarding the reasons for the gradual disappearance of neon signs, some neon signs have weathered the storms for decades and are already very old, and some have even broken down and need to be renovated. These old neon signs not only affect the cityscape but may also pose potential safety hazards. Cheaper and more flexible LEDs gained more favor, and neon began to decline at the turn of the century.
Video Production
This video is produced using montage and some editing techniques. The scene of the video was chosen in Mong Kok where there are many neon lights. Compared to the streets during the daytime, the low saturation creates a different atmosphere at night, and the various colors of neon lights stand out even more at night. Most of the scenes were shot in moving camera, plus a few scenes were shot from a high angle overhead, as well as sitting in a car and shooting from an upward perspective.
The video is shot from a first-person point of view, allowing the viewer to feel as if they were in the environment, as if they were once again visiting the process of walking through the streets, observing the neon lights from different angles and at different times of the day.
00: 29, the music fades in and out and plays backwards to take the audience into the night in Mong Kok.
00: 41, the contrast between day and night is emphasized by the superimposition of the image, which brings out the aesthetics of the street with neon lights. (Including 00:52, 01:05)
01: 58, neon transitions to LEDs in the same scene to highlight the increasing substitution rate of LEDs.
The video uses a total of three different soundtracks to introduce different themes; to emphasize the bustle of the night scene, the music chooses a more nostalgic and soulful style; the neon lights are gradually being replaced by the picture, the soundtrack chooses a punk style coupled with white noise to reflect the sense of tension.
Reflection
The rise, fall and demise of neon signs seem to bear witness to the changing times of the city. Whether it survives or not in the future, it has become a cultural symbol of Hong Kong.
Hou Jianing
3036268139
Reference
Chang, E. (1943). Love in a Fallen City. Penguin Books Limited.
Wai, D. (2023, April 24). Hot Topics: What is the future of Hong Kong’s neon signs? Government rules, safety concerns causing them to fade. https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/hong-kong/article/3217866/hot-topics-what-future-hong-kongs-neon-signs-government-rules-safety-concerns-causing-them-fade
Lee, S. (2021, October 16). Learn About Montage in Filmmaking: How to Create a Memorable Movie Montage. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-montage-in-filmmaking-how-to-create-a-memorable-montage
Hi! I like your idea of focusing on neon lights to convey the idea of disappearing and comparison at different times. Speaking of the video, the background music fits the atmosphere and the tempo of the video very well. The beginning acts as a nice hook by playing backwards to the night time. Diverse angles of shot and technique of montage makes the video more interesting. Thank you for your nice work and I really enjoy it!