Zhang Yifan 3036127385
1.
If I were to use one word to describe Hong Kong, I would choose vibrant and energetic. The prosperity of a city is, in some cases, precisely reflected in whether or not the city is vibrant and energetic and whether or not it has a fireworks atmosphere. The Smithfield Market can precisely reflect this.
Our story begins in the early morning, when the city wakes up, there’s also a building that wakes up along with the residents, whose name is Smithfield Market. At this time of day, the market looks like something new and freshly built, it’s getting ready for the day.
Passing by during the bustling hours of the day, the sounds of hawking and yelling are constant, with people coming and going, shopping for goods, with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and meat, and the deli center in the food court on the third floor is even more crowded, with local neighborhood residents coming to have a little bit of simple lunch, and tourists coming to taste traditional Hong Kong-style food. The whole market is full of life and vigor.
However, as we approach closing time in the evening, customers become fewer and many stalls are cleaning up and cleaning out, ready to pack up and close.
And when late night comes, the silence, the closed gates, the dimstreetlightss… All of these can make the place very depressed.
The whole video presents a day in the life of a traditional market, showing its urban vitality reflected in the middle moments of the day.
2
The methodology of this research is based on a long period of observation and contemplation through living in the vicinity of the building, which was implemented into a long period of on-site filming, while combining a variety of filming perspectives and camera movements, in particular, images of the Smithfield Market at different times of the day, as well as the internal and external structures of the building itself, and common sense rendering of a bustling, vibrant, and energetic urban environment in combination with the historical background and other information.
In the video editing, I first rendered the environment of the market in the morning before the start of a busy day. Then, through the language of the camera, the viewer is guided to take a closer look at the internal structure of the market and realize the impact of the market on the lives of residents, echoing the adjective vibrant. Finally, the market closes at night and bids farewell to a busy day with a depressed atmosphere, contrasting sharply with the hustle and bustle of the daytime, in order to reiterate the main points of the theme and to express the author’s thoughts on the fate of the market, in the hope of awakening viewers to think about the importance of preserving traditional cultures during the rapid process of urbanization, and also to lead to further discussions on the reshaping of its vitality.
In shooting the video, camera movement was utilized to create visual effects and express the intention. I started by pulling in the camera from a distance, cutting into the Smithfield Market from far and near, and then panning the camera, with the angle of view rising and then falling, to show the overall structure. In this way, more space was captured through panning, rotating, and elevating the camera, allowing the viewer to get a fuller picture of the market. At the same time, the video is edited using interlacing timelines, advancing in the order of morning, noon, and night, creating a visual impact by contrasting its prosperity with its despondency.
I think I used a kind of montage technique, although the shooting location is the same, I combined and assembled a series of short shots with different distances, perspectives, and methods, and edited them into a mini-movie with a time plot.
Contrast is also a very important tool in my research process. Apart from the direct contrast between day and night in the movie, there is another potential contrast which inspired my creation. Before completing the whole research, through checking the information on the Internet and fieldwork visits, I learned that the Central Market was originally as traditional, old, and dilapidated as other markets such as the Smithfield Market, but he has now become brand new after some decisions made by the Hong Kong government in 2017. So I was equally skeptical that what awaited the Smithfield Road Market would also be a renovation. And indeed, how is it not a kind of disappearance (diminishing)? Although it is still a market, this kind of vitality is not the traditional kind of vitality, it is, after all, something that does not belong to this place, and although its appearance can still bring life and vitality to the city, it has changed its face and assumed its function in an unfamiliar posture.
When it comes to my whole research methodology, I personally prefer actual inspection, after all, seeing is believing. At the same time, I also search the internet for relevant books as background knowledge. I am also happy to search for relevant information on research architecture to provide a methodology for my research.
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Hello Yifan, brilliant video!
The video accurately captures the essence of the Smithfield Market, highlighting its role as a bustling center of community life during the day in contrast to the night. The storytelling is full of observational insights, effectively portraying the market as a microcosm of Hong Kong’s vibrant urban environment.
The filmmaker’s methodology, characterized by prolonged on-site observation and immersive filming, adds authenticity and depth to the documentary. The video combines wide-angle shots, close-ups and panoramic shots to meticulously document the architectural and human elements of the market.
The use of different camera movements and angles (from panoramic shots to intimate close-ups) effectively captures the scale and detail of the Smithfield Market. The filmmaker’s skillful use of montage techniques, combining a series of shots with varying distances and perspectives, creates a dynamic narrative flow that engages the viewer from beginning to end. This is complemented by the strategic use of contrast, juxtaposing the vibrancy of the market during the day with the tranquility of the night, enhancing the thematic depth of the video.
The editing is skillful, employing a non-linear timeline that interweaves morning, noon, and evening scenes to emphasize the cyclical nature of market life. This structure not only maintains the viewer’s interest, but also emphasizes the temporal changes in the market atmosphere. The narrative is coherent and well-paced, guiding the viewer through a complete sensory and informational experience.
Overall, this is a beautifully crafted and time-consuming work that showcases Hong Kong’s urban vibrancy and provokes deeper thought, and is well worth studying.
Chen Xingcheng
3036265292