Video: https://youtu.be/M0tu4hwFMBM
Theme:
As the political and cultural center, Beijing represents the history of more than 5000 years of China. It contains The Imperial Palace, The Tiananmen Square, and countless traditional alleyways. I took the first part of the video shots in Houhai, which is a Lake Park with a long history. Many old hutongs and courtyards still sit around the lake and store the old memories back in the 1980s. Although there were countless skyscrapers and modern buildings built within 50 years, the area around Houhai has never been destructed. So it can be said that Houhai still reserves the shadow of old China.
Apart from representing China’s culture, Beijing is also the capital, which makes it a rapidly developing city. As I showed in the second part of my video, on the main traffic roads in Beijing, there are millions of cars passing, indicating that Beijing is indeed a dense and fast-paced city.
After seeing Beijing’s traditional heritage and busy modern life, it is natural to think about how the city combines words with contrary meanings, such as “new” and “old,” “traditional” and “modern,” and “slow” and “fast.” After researching, I found that the answer may lie in “memory.” When the city is highly informationized and rapidly developed, it is easy for citizens to forget the history since it is far away from today’s life. However, Beijing needs to preserve its history and culture because it makes Beijing different from other cities and what flows inside the body of every Chinese(Wu, 2005).
Method of research:
After developing the question, I first conduct research online. I search for articles about the combination of ancient and modern in Beijing, which gives me insight into the inclusivity of Beijing. After reading these articles, I found that Beijing preserves its old architecture because people want to memorize the history that happened under the ground. In addition, I ask a few of my friends what architectures that combine ancient and modern impress them most. The responses include the toilet combining old design and advanced technology and the Nanluoguxiang alleyway with many trendy shops. These answers also give me inspirations to produce the video.
Apart from doing research online, I also went on a field trip. I went to Houhai and Tiananmen Square to find out what makes people memorize history. When walking on the shabby roads, I suddenly felt the weight of history. Due to the pandemic, there are fewer people than before, which creates a sense of vicissitudes. I finally understood that remembering the past is not something we do but an emotion that grows from the environment.
Video production:
Before producing the video, I first need to choose sites. The first site that appears in my mind is the bar street along the Houhai since it is a perfect combination of modern entertainment and ancient architecture. And there are numerous Hutongs around the lake, which can represent the old part of Beijing in my video. To show the city’s bustling downtown area, I chose to shoot at night because the lights in the darkness can better reflect the busy and crowded. As for the last part of my video, I select Square Tiananmen because the article I have read says that it makes history unforgettable, and I want to figure out whether it is true.
During the process of filming the video, I used several techniques that were mentioned during the lecture. Firstly, I used the contrast of day and night to emphasize the difference between Beijing’s quietness and bustle. Besides, I utilize many lens moves to emphasize the feelings. For example, I move the lens from left to right to show the whole environment in the alleyway. I also shoot from the bottom to the top of The Monument to the People’s Heroes to show its solemnity. Apart from that, I utilize the contrast of light to conduct the bustle of the city. I first crouch beside the flyover to hide the light and create a sense of loneliness and desolation, and then I slowly move forward, stand up little by little and move the lens horizontally. By doing this, the lights and buildings beside the road appear, and everything becomes bright, suggesting a sense of hope and bustle in Beijing. Finally, I shot from a corner of The Forbidden City in the rain, a famous shooting point for the shutterbugs. I think this scene shows the beauty and solemnity of Beijing, which is the city’s identity in my heart.
After filming the video, I utilized many techniques when editing it. I applied the same scene and same soft background music at the beginning and the end of the video to create an echo. Besides, when I list out some architectures, I pause the video and change to some pictures, which enhances the rhythmicity of the video.
Reflection:
Before conducting this video essay, I only know that Beijing has many old architectures, and they are all solemn and pulchritude. But now I realize that these ancient buildings combine so perfectly with modern sites. And I also know the reason why Beijing built new things around the old and highly-valued Tiananmen Square. Jeremy(2016) suggested that Beijing is experiencing a conflict between traditional culture and modern city development, so it is trying to combine them in the form of architecture. This research gives me much insight into Beijing’s culture and architectural plans. I also learned that many beauties are hidden under the city that we often overlook. We need to pay more attention to things around us and think deeper behind the surface.
Word counts: 932
References:
Wu, H. (2005). Remaking Beijing. The University of Chicago Press.
Jeremy, R. (2016). syncretic Beijing. City design, 2016(1), 62-79.
Wu, L.Y. (1999). Rehabilitating the Old City of Beijing. Univ of Washington Pr.
School of Architecture, Tsinghua University (2012). Chinese Ancient Buildings. https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV15W411B7KR?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click
OTC Travel agency. Pictures of The Great Hall. http://www.oct-cts.com/Scenery/place-22021.html
Silvestri, A.(1994). Suite From Forrest Gump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u77wp5cAPwY
Huai Chengtian (3035845978)
I really appreciate the effort you have put in on making this video. You did plenty of research and went to lots of places to shoot scenes in the video. Under the topic of hybrid city, I think the skills you have used in making the video is also worth noticing such as the contrast between light and dark. They all help you to express your idea more clearly. And the final conclusion of memory that you drew also helps to dig into a deeper topic, which is something we can all relate to.
I like your voice in the film! It sounds professional and carefully recorded. The description really expressed your concept to the film very clear and inspiring! It reminds me of the meaning of conservation for the ancient remains and cultural content in the modern city. Your film is cooperating with your voice description well and there are some nice moments in the film. Maybe the only improvement is about the composition of the film and some better sites to be chosen, for example, the cars and passers by sometimes draw too much attention. But it is still a very nice film!
Chengtian, I really appreciate your exhibition of the weight of a historical city as well as the vigor of a modern metropolis. You chose Houhai as a window for comparison, which is a really nice idea since there is a harmonious integration between history and the present. Thank you for clearly presenting the concept of a hybrid city and broadening the scoop of understanding Beijing.
I really like your video! I think that you have conducted a very comprehensive research and site visit on your topic. Moreover, I appreciate the filming techniques that you used in your video, such as the contrast of day and night and the contrast of light, and they really help a lot in projecting your ideas. After watching your video, I agree that we need to pay more attention to our surroundings, as we can gain some new insights about the city by doing so. I also learn a lot about Beijing as a hybrid city and I wish to visit this hybrid city one day.
I appreciate your hard work on fieldwork and filming, which allows us to see the diverse urban spaces of Beijing. It’s an interesting idea to manifest Beijing’s speed contrast embedded in the city’s historical memory. And it is great that you have found a suitable reference. However, please clarify your research site. So many urban scenes with far distances have loosened the film structure. Compressing sharp content within a 2.5-minute film requires focusing the lens more on a certain site. For instance, the strong contrast between the fast pace of the commercialized South Luogu Lane and the slow pace of the nearby residential alleys, instead of distracting the energy to multiple spaces in the city. In addition, the city speed contrast may also be achieved through certain editing techniques, such as montage.