[Video Essay] Neon Lights: What now?
Theme and subject:
I chose neon lights as the subject of this video. There is a lot of discussion about the de facto demise of the large neon signs of Hong Kong; this is largely indisputable. In Wanchai and Mongkok for example, these monumental signs no longer hang over the streets much like they did a mere 10 years ago. However, I think instead of lamenting the loss of those old school signs, we should be more receptive to more subtle lighting fixtures that still pop at night.
I chose a location that is closer to me and familiar to me, in central. The route taken in the video is a typical one I choose to go along when I get takeout. I start at queen’s road central, and head up to gough street, hollywood road, and finally peel street and the central escalator area. This region is very dear to me as I spent a lot of time here prior to enrolling in HKU, and its mix of modernity and old school charm is one of the reasons I like Hong Kong so much. I especially like the contrast between day and night, and it’s interesting to see how seemingly unremarkable locations transform into cool neon lit locales.
Conducting research:
I focused on mostly field research, so I set out over multiple days to walk around as much as I could, to plot out a good route. I also read a few articles about the decline of neon signs in Hong Kong, and while my travels to Wan Chai and Mongkok have confirmed that those signs are largely an inevitable part of history now.
The declining popularity in neon signs has also made them more and more of an art form, with people trying to preserve/conserve these signs; They are seen as a distinctive “visual language” of Hong Kong, and by applying aesthetic sensibility to what was formerly a commercial product, that language might acquire new significance (How Hong Kong’s iconic neon signs are becoming an art form: Hong kong tourism board). This is one of the reasons that I chose this as my area of research.
I read about how shop owners often desired that their businesses be passed down through the generations. They made a significant financial commitment to commission a sign since, in their eyes, a sign represents the soul of a company (Leung, 2023). Through their shapes, picture silhouettes, precise placements, various forms, and graphic meanings, the massive billboards on highways contribute to the identification and connection with the larger meaning-communicating buildings. They emphasize how symbols rule over physical space (Kwok, 2020).
Neon signs in Hong Kong depict the city’s vernacular, which is neither exclusively western nor exclusively Chinese. While neon signage itself is a western creation, when it was brought to Hong Kong, both western and Chinese features were blended into sign design, symbolizing Hong Kong’s “non-East, non-West” character (Kwok, 2021).
Producing the video:
The entire video revolved around the idea of a day and night transition, as I found that some of my favorite neon signs didn’t really stand out in the day, since they were mounted discreetly in shop windows and not hanging onto the street, so I shot footage twice, once in daylight and once during nighttime. To transition between these two elements without overusing effects or a very jarring cut, I framed the transition as “taking a picture” with a phone, depicted by forcing the camera onto the screen, below the minimum focus distance, using the blur to transition.
Speaking of transitions, there are some shots where I pan down from looking at the sky or pan up from the ground, both as useful transition shots, but also to simulate one’s gaze when navigating the city; you are either marveling at the towering landscape, or carefully watching the ground to see where you can place your feet. Throughout the video, I paid close attention to trying to take the audience along, and that any two locations are connected by time lapses, so it’s not disorienting to the audience.
I also shot in vertical format because most of my photographs were shot vertically, and I think that presenting the video essay also in vertical would do better justice to the photographs. Furthermore, the area in the video has really narrow streets and tall buildings flanking both sides, so having a large vertical field of view is more beneficial than having a horizontal field of view, such as one a landscape video would portray. the alleys constrain your eyes to look forward and up, since you are constantly moving uphill.
References
Kwok, B. S.-H. (2021). Vernacular Design: A History of Hong Kong Neon Signs. Journal of Design History, 34(4), 349–366. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epab017
Kwok, B. S. H. (2020). The Imageable City – Visual Language of Hong Kong Neon Lights Deconstructed. The Design Journal, 23(4), 535–556. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2020.1768770
Leung, H. (2023, April 17). “it’s disappearing very fast”: Hong Kong’s fading neon heritage shines a spotlight on the craft. Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. https://hongkongfp.com/2023/04/16/its-disappearing-very-fast-hong-kongs-fading-neon-heritage-shines-a-spotlight-on-the-craft/
How Hong Kong’s iconic neon signs are becoming an art form: Hong kong tourism board. Discover Hong Kong. (n.d.). https://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/explore/culture/hong-kong-iconic-neon-signs.html
Good job! I like how you contrast the shop conditions in daytime and at night. Some of your shots on the neon signs are very impressive. The transitions in the contrasting day and night are also smooth. Moreover, your text reveals your stance and argument on these neon signs being vernacular in HK are well-established. To further improve, checking out the historical context, for example, the policy/laws on regulating the neon signs, could enrich your research depth.