Title: [Video Essay] Slow City

Video Link：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA9u-HudHf8

Slow City
Director: Chan Hiu Yu
BGM: 不合亦不舍—夜寻双面猫
Funny Midnight Sun—Mr. Miss

The Theme of the Video:

Hong Kong is a fast-paced city. In Hong Kong, everyone seems to be in a hurry. Few people would associate the word ‘slow’ with Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong has had to slow down temporarily due to the rampant COVID-19. At the beginning of 2022, the fifth wave of the epidemic broke out in Hong Kong, infecting tens of thousands of people per day. Primary and secondary school students take an early summer vacation, and universities return to online class mode. People must be confined at home for a long time.
However, it is found that staying in a space for a long time will significantly impact our psychology and spirit (Razai,2020). People will feel restless, depressed, and inefficient, especially those who live alone would be surrounded by loneliness. This is undoubtedly very painful. Nevertheless, life will continue, and there is no end to the days waiting for the epidemic’s end. Therefore, it is essential to adjust our attitude in time and face the home life with a more positive attitude.
Staying at home also provides a good opportunity to slow down our life’s pace and narrow the distance between our families and ourselves. However, the attitude toward home life determines how different people perceive their residential spaces during the epidemic. For some people, being confined at home makes the residential area like a prison. People cannot and dare not step out of this space. For people with a positive outlook, the residential area is like a spiritual paradise, which can create unlimited possibilities in a limited space.
This video will show two different lifestyles reflected by different mentalities under the epidemic situation. It is hoped that everyone can find their own slow life as soon as possible and get rid of anxiety.

Research Method:

Before shooting, I interviewed several friends to ask them about their psychological states and what they would do when they stayed at home. Most of them thought it was not easy to adapt to the life of staying at home all day in the beginning. They were frequently depressed, and online classes made them feel sleepy.
After that, they began to make daily plans for themselves. They wanted to divert their attention by doing other things, such as doing exercise, watching movies, learning some skills, etc. They would also calm themselves by reading books.
Moreover, most people believe that staying at home allows them to sleep and eat more regularly. Furthermore, one of the respondents who lived with her family thought that she had a closer relationship with her family through this home life.
In addition, I also do a lot of research on the internet to learn more about people’s views on the epidemic.
This video was shot for the script based on the above information.

Making of the video:

The film’s first story is that I was bored at first because I couldn’t go out. Various social platforms kept pushing information about the epidemic. As I watched the bad news on my cell phone, I felt more and more worried that the epidemic would not end. Lying in bed dismally, I had no mind of doing anything.

The second story is about my decision to manage my mental state after a few days of doing nothing. Spend the days with a more positive attitude. I start to get up early. As online classes make people lazy, I then make a schedule to ensure that I can complete the basic learning plan. I also began to learn to cook by myself to make sure I could eat healthier. In the afternoon, I spend time doing things I have always wanted to do but haven’t had time to do. In the evening, I watch a movie to end my day.
In this film, I used contrasts to emphasize the differences between the two life attitudes when facing the situation of being confined at home. At the start of the first story, I took a picture of rain outside the window to reflect my inner sadness. At the beginning of the second story, I shot a sunny day to express my positive attitude.
In terms of tone, I deliberately chose a darker scene to shoot the first story. In the later editing, I also lowered the brightness and saturation of the picture to highlight my worried heart. In the second story, the overall picture will be brighter.
For background music, the music of the second story will be more cheerful, which also highlights the different mentality of the two stories.

Objective and reflections:

Through this video production, I have learned about the epidemic’s impact on different people. Indeed, many people are tortured by being constrained at home. Most people are afraid and anxious because of their fear of the unknown future. I hope this video can let people see the positive side of staying at home to alleviate the anxiety caused by being confined at home. This video also reminds me to maintain an optimistic attitude and build a strong heart to face all kinds of difficulties encountered in the future. Finally, I sincerely hope that the epidemic will be over as soon as possible.

Bibliography

Levy, Neil. Downshifting and Meaning in Life. Ratio. June 2005, (2) retrieved May 13

Razai, M., Oakeshott, P., Kankam, H., Galea, S., & Stokes-Lampard, H. (2020). Mitigating the psychological effects of social isolation during the covid-19 pandemic. BMJ, 369, M1904. retrieved May 13

逾二万人确诊 快测呈报逾三万宗 retrieved May 13
https://sc.news.gov.hk/TuniS/www.news.gov.hk/chi/2022/03/20220309/20220309_174214_298.html

在疫情期間照顧你的精神健康
https://www.mind.org.hk/zh-hant/mental-health-a-to-z/covid-19/managing-mental-health-staying-well-during-a-virus-outbreak/ retrieved May 13

疫情當前，給跟我一樣停不下來的同代人與世界：我的 92 日「居家旅行」札記retrieved May 13 https://crossing.cw.com.tw/article/13353

Chan Hiu Yu 3035784162