Title: Towering Castles (Bethanie and Douglas Castle).
Part 1:
According to the figure offered by the HK (Hong Kong) government, HK’s GDP growth rate maintains stable in the last decade, with a mean of 4%. With the fast speed of development of this city, there is something essential that we have ignored. The preservation of Hong Kong’s historic buildings has in fact been significantly impacted by the city’s fast expansion. To be more specific, the tertiary sector (financial services, trading, real estate, and tourism) contributes 90% of Hong Kong’s GDP. Due to the city’s quick urbanization, robust economic expansion, and urgent demand for space, modern infrastructure has taken precedence over the preservation of historic structures. More resources are allocated for the development of the economy rather than protecting the ancient buildings. It is worth saying that protecting ancient architecture provides numerous benefits, both tangible and intangible, which contribute to the cultural, social, economic, and environmental well-being of a community and society. Bethanie and University Hall, those two castles that are located together in Pok Fu Lam, in the Southern District, Hong Kong were built in 1875 and 1861 respectively, making me feel like a utopia in this “reinforced cement city”.
Neo-Gothic, a popular architectural style in the Victorian era, can be used to define Bethanie. This architectural style is distinguished by its pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses. These components are included in Bethanie’s design, along with elaborate finishing touches and a gorgeous location on a hilltop with a view of the ocean. The structure has steeply pitched roofs, and towering, arched windows, and is mostly made of granite and wood. As for the University Hall (Douglas Castle), architectural style can be characterized as Scottish Baronial, which combines both Gothic and Renaissance styles. This style is known for its castellated towers, crow-stepped gables, clock tower, and decorative motifs such as heraldic symbols. It is worth to say Bethanie now is used for the campus of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Douglas Castle is used for students’ hall of HKU. These two buildings are significant architectural icons in Hong Kong, serve as reminders of the city’s colonial past and maintain their functions until now.
Part 2:
In the process of producing this short video, my primary objective is to craft an immersive environment that transports viewers to these two historic castles, allowing them to experience the unique characteristics of each location as though they were visiting in person. By utilizing a first-person narrative perspective, I strive to foster a sense of connection and intimacy, enabling viewers to deeply appreciate and engage with the distinct architectural styles of Neo-Gothic and Scottish Baronial. In order to set the scene for this immersive journey, I start the movie with a number of shots of urban structures, strikingly contrasting the contemporary cityscape with the ageless allure of the old castles. The precious and distinctive feelings that historical structures arouse are highlighted by their immeasurable worth and cultural significance. These obvious differences in both the visual aesthetics and emotional impact of modern and ancient buildings serve to deepen viewers’ understanding of the importance of preserving our rich architectural heritage. That directly leads to my secondary aim: to appeal viewers to become advocates for the protection and conservation of ancient buildings. By showcasing the beauty and historical significance of these castles, the video encourages viewers to appreciate the vital role that these architectural treasures play in our collective cultural identity.
For providing more information about two castles, I took a trip and ask the students who are living and studying there for more details. Bethanie now contains museum for visitors, lecture rooms and recording studios for students to study. Douglas Castle became the University Hall in 1956 for students from HKU to study and live. Sports team culture, like lacrosse, softball, hockey, and dragon boat, cultural activities, like high-table dinner and student association are well arranged in the University Hall. It is worth to say that the feeling of taking an actual visit to that place is entirely different from viewing it through images and videos. As a result, I not only took research on how to better use filming skills to create an immersive environment for viewers, like continuous tracking, steady shots, long shots, and depth of field, but also read different resources about Scottish Baronial and Gothic style buildings to highlight their key features in the video. In conclusion, I think that this video is an excellent educational tool because it shows the historical importance and cultural heritage of these towering castles. I also hope that watching this movie encourages viewers to feel a sense of stewardship and responsibility for protecting these ancient buildings so that future generations can appreciate and learn from them.
References:
Census and Statistics Department. (n.d.). *Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics*. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode250.html
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Gao, W. (2016). *Hong Kong’s Watershed: The 1967 Riots*. Hong Kong University Press.
Mumford, L. (1966). The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects. The Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 29(1/2), 191-199. https://doi.org/10.2307/750465
Fletcher, B., & Cruickshank, D. (1996). Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture (20th ed.). Architectural Press.
Carroll, J. M. (2007). A Concise History of Hong Kong. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Rickman, T. (1908). An attempt to discriminate the styles of architecture in England, from the Conquest to the Reformation (6th ed.). George Bell and Sons. https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=BOVZAAAAYAAJ
Feilden, B. M. (2003). Conservation of historic buildings (3rd ed.). Architectural Press. https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=4seSAgAAQBAJ
七種最常用的運鏡技巧Retrieved from: https://si.secda.info/wp_movie/?p=1307
Heiderich, T. (2012). Cinematography Techniques: The Different.pdf. Retrieved from https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/36130569/free-report-cinematography-libre.pdf
Name: YOU ZHOU
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