Description of the theme and subject matter:
In my video essay, my space is set in a park. There are a lot of parks in Hong Kong, but every single one of them is different and unique to different people because they contain special memories and meanings. I have chosen Kowloon Park as my main location for the video essay. It is because it is the place where I created a lot of great, fun childhood memories. And as it is a public park, there are a lot of facilities there, which attracts a lot of people to go there.
But the park is very commonplace, so people do not pay a lot of attention to it. Sometimes, people would mix up parks and playgrounds and think that they are the same, and they are both just places for children to play. Grownups may even find parks boring as there is not much to do, and every time people go there, they will get mosquito bites. I had the same thought, until the pandemic. Because of the virus, many public places were closed for safety measures, and public parks closed as well. When the whole city was quarantining, everyone was at home, with nothing to do. And until today, whenever people had to go out, they would have to wear masks as protection, people are always talking about wanting to get fresh air, to get in touch with nature. To me, the park is the best and most convenient place to do so. When we are strolling through the park, we can breathe in the fresh air, look at the beautiful flowers, hear the birds sing, watch the artificial waterfalls while chatting, watch the kids play with the facilities, smile and greet others or even chat with each other, these simple things are what makes the park great.
Method of research:
Past experiences, online research, interviews
To know more about what people thought of parks, and how often they would go there, I have interviewed people in the parks and people on the streets. I found out that a lot of people could not tell the difference between parks and playgrounds and most people do not have the time or the interest to go to parks. Moreover, I did my own research online and used my own experience for the making of this video essay.
Documentation and making of the video:
For the production of the video, I used the first-person shot and the camera moves as I walk, which allows viewers to see what I was looking at as I stroll in the park. I added shots taken in my neighborhood to demonstrate my points of not being able to recreate the park better. No filters were added, thus the natural beauty was captured and displayed. I added voice-overs to narrate my thoughts, and the original sounds recorded from the Park, like sounds of the birds, crickets, waterfalls, fountains, were used to create the feeling of actually being there in the park, to create a better viewer experience.
Objectives and reflections:
When I was thinking about the theme of my video essay, I reminisced about the amazing time I had in the park, I recalled all the memories, there are pictures of me and my sister playing in the Park on my wall, but I honestly could not even remember when was the last time I went to the Park. I thought about how much I wanted to go out during quarantine and saw the list of places I made when I was cramped up in my room, with nothing to do. I also thought about the time when my sister and I tried to recreate the park on our own and tried to pretend we were in the park, but it was not possible. Because the park is where the park is, nowhere else. And this made me realize that I did not cherish the things that I had until it was gone. The park used to be a place where I would go on a daily basis until I got older and thought I was too old to go to the park and had much better things to do. After reflecting on this, I hope that everyone can live in the moment, cherish the things we have, and enjoy life.
References:
“Park vs Playground – What’s the Difference?” WikiDiff, wikidiff.com/park/playground.
“Kowloon Park.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Park.
Woo Sik Yu Sonia (3035797365)
I find the content interesting on how people identity what is a park. For me, I am indeed same as those in the park who never thought much on differentiating playgrounds or parks as well. I have the same feeling that while the pandemic changes our lives in the negative way, it allows us to have the time to discover more and attempt to get in touch in the nature, which is what we used not to spend time on since we are all too immersed in the hustle and bustle. The video is taken with beautiful shots and I enjoy it.
I agree with the subject and like the content. Admittedly, the pandemic has countless disadvantages and disrupt our lives. There are also some opportunities embedded if we can adjust the state of mind.
Fewer cars and fewer crowds can be a chance to go back and enjoy nature. Family outings and meeting s can also be achieved, compared to in the normal time when everyone is busy with their own life.
I like your approach of linking the parks to person experience. I think it could amplify the sense of place for you as a creator and the audience. SInce park is a common playground for people when they are in their childhood, even adults may go to park due to work or accompanying children, this place is like filled with individuals’ or communities’ memories, perception and interpretation. Under the context of pandemic, perhaps people have more spare time due to the work from home measures. Considering the health benefits brought about by fresh air and the meaningful resonance for people, parks may be a favorable place for everyone to kill time.
That was a fairly clear reflection upon parks in urban life. Could you elaborate more, what have you discovered about the parks? Are there any new understanding about parks following your research and exploration for your video essay? You also mentioned how the park being the place to breath the fresh air. Were there any ecological aspect in your investigation? You might want to try asking more questions to help you unpack the stories of the park. What are the natural elements of the Kowloon Park? How have these elements composed/designed? Have they influenced how people appropriated the park? Which part of the park seemed to be the favorite spot to hang out and why? Highlighting these aspects would help you to better navigate your story.
In terms of reference, avoid using Wikipedia (and its derivatives) as a key reference in academic assignments. Instead, you might want to take a closer look at articles, journals, papers, or books. For your video essay, it would be constructive to reflect back to the concepts we had discussed in the class/tutorial. For example, you could elaborate on how the park is a common place (as you mentioned in the opening) by referring back to Michel De Certeau’s “The Practice of Everyday Life”.