Title: Control City–Underground
Keyword: controllable circulation
Description:
This video essay shows a firm connection between the MTR system and the pandemic. To vividly elaborate this kind of relationship, the editor boldly compared the MTR system to the human blood circulation system. To some extent, these routes resemble vessels, and passengers resemble cells. The virus travelled in both the human body and the MTR system, which brought disorder to this “controllable” city. It is a lively city. Every move of it is just like a breath and pulse. This is an apt analogy from the aspects of macro and micro.
In this video, the editor intentionally showed the idea of circulation by filming in a fixed order. This idea is also a typical symbol of control. At the end of the video, the editor fictionally reversed the time by reversing the videos to assume that–if everything went back, will we humans achieve a better situation now?
This video essay is more like a concept video than a documentary one. The editor used lots of visual things to show and indicate. Only a little few words and question marks are given to arouse deep thinking. Many implications are covered in this video as well. The first one of them is the changing of the colour tones and melody. In the very beginning, the whole style is dark and depressive, suggesting the present situation, which is not that positive. However, as time flies, the tone gets brighter, and so does the melody. Eventually, both of them come to peace, just like the narration shows.
This fictional video indeed doesn’t come up with a practical solution to the situation nowadays. It just embodies the problems to the viewers to strike a chord. “Will this bad or good? Can’t define.” If time can be reversed, will this lively city be more controllable? And what will also be lost? Human memory? Experience? This is a question with no answers. None of us knows.
To sum up, this city, this MTR system, is experiencing this pandemic with human beings together. Maybe we cannot change what happened previously, but this precious memory will be treasured in our minds. And we firmly believe that our robust immune system and the controllable MTR system will finally overcome it. Just like the video shows, from day to night, the MTR system will be changed from noisy to quiet. Last, the whole world will be peaceful.
Narration:
0:05 What is “control”? What does “control” mean to MTR, to this city?
0:17 Pandemic.
0:23 Virus floats in the air, in MTR.
0:34 It seems that this MTR system is getting sick, just like the human body.
0:40 Virus travels in this circulating system, resembling in vessels.
0:45 When this system starts to circulate…
0:50 What will we think of?
0:55 Bustling, systematical, controllable, and orderly.
1:12 This MTR system works step by step, day and night, in this tough situation.
1:33 Is this bad or good? can’t define.
1:50 What if… TIME REVERSES… …
1:59 If everything starts from the very beginning,
2:06 Will it come to a better ending?
2:16 Will it come to peace?
2:21 Will this city finally “controllable”?
Method of research & filming:
When I saw the MTR map at the beginning, the first thing that came to my mind was its intricate shape. It is just like a controllable blood circulation system in the human body and those routes are like vessels. In this pandemic period, the virus travels both in our vessels and in the MTR system for spreading. As a consequence, this is the reason I associate the MTR system with biont.
To better show this kind of circulation, I travelled by underground and filmed it in a specific order–counterclockwise along these routes (You can tell by the order of the names in the video). To better link these fragmentary shots up, I used different filming skills, like shifting the lens between far and near, combining photos and videos together, changing the tones to indicate the emotions, and reversing or accelerating the videos.
References:
陳華. (2020, December 18). 【香港疫情】港鐵明起增至20個車站派樣本包自動派發機（設地點一覽）. Hong Kong Economic Times.【香港疫情】港鐵明起增至20個車站派樣本包自動派發機（設地點一覽） – 香港經濟日報 – 即時新聞頻道 – 即市財經 – Hot Talk – D201218 (hket.com)
Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020; 395: 497–506.
Jeanne Y.. (1992). Age and the Cardiovascular System. The New England Journal of Medicine, 327(24). DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199212103272408
Mass Transit Railway. (2021). System Map. MTR > System Map
It is a good simile to compare the metro system to the blood vessels in the human body. Everyone travels in the railway, just like the cells going to different organs to perform different functions through the blood vessels. No matter the pandemic comes or not, the circulatory and the railway system keep operating to finish the tasks. The video raises a good question, will the situation improve if the time reverses. All of us wish the pandemic will pass soon, but undeniably it gives us precious memory. We fight the virus with collective efforts. We have developed a new lifestyle during the pandemic. We gather again to face the difficulties bravely. Overall, you have done a nice job on the plot and the pace of the video.
The metaphor that liken the MTR system to the human blood circulation system is quite vivid. The speed of the background music and the narrator’s intonation cleverly follow the questions raised by the narrator to become faster and faster. There are many dynamic and static contrasts in the video, such as the static people and flowing blood, the static wall with the name of the subway station and the people passing by, the static interior of the subway and the constantly changing exterior scenery.
Hi! I quite enjoyed watching your video. One of the elements that really attracts me is the manipulation of color and brightness. In the beginning, a filter is applied to the scenes to make the overall atmosphere dull. In comparison, when the time “reverse” the scenes are given vivid colors, adding some vitality to the later part. This contrast you created helps to demonstrate your opinion and idea of the control city. All your scenes are like different pieces that indicate different locations. Together, they form a whole journey, in which you travel through a fixed and control route. The argument of “whether a control city is good or not” then arises. In the end, you finish the video by continuously asking three questions, leaving them for us to think about. This also indicates your doubt and concerns. I would say the video is inspiring in some way while the transition between scenes is quite fancy (I do not know is it necessary or not but I like it). Really appreciate your effort.
Lin Wei Alex, 3035767554
It is a creative interpretation of the topic – Control City and the underground metro system. In fact, your metaphor is quite precise and timely. If MTR is the blood vessel and citizens are the blood cells, then our city is a body, right? In times when the body is sick, the blood vessels and blood cells cooperate so that the body recovers from the virus. Moreover, visuals accompanied your narrative and concept well. Your careful color toning is appreciated. You have nice camera angles too. Do you think it is good to have a “control city”? Do you have an answer to the question you raised in the film?