Video footage:https://youtu.be/kQwCUiDlK6w
Theme and subject matter:
Recently, the government published various policies to control the spreading of the virus while gradually forming an invisible block on people’s interactions. Hence, the video’s theme is based on shooting my living complex’s reconstructed gate during the pandemic to reflect its impacts on human life to the feature of a slow city. The theme is presented by a narrative form surrounding the gate’s complex entry procedures, including registration on personal details, visiting purpose and location, showing the individual China mainland’s health code, and testing the temperature. Also, other components such as gate’s extra equipped decorations as a temporary take out collective store outside the community which replace the ritual of sending orders to each resident’s doorway. Thus, I reorganized a plot referring to my friend’s story for two couples meeting occasion with its difficulties derived from time extension by gate entering, aiming to present the current influenced activities by the pandemic. The plot tone tends to be dramatic for actor gestures to express a twisted plot compared with past regular life pace. This exaggerated presenting style helps to emphasize the dramatic atmosphere and rhythm to engage audience concentration as an in-person experience and emotional response within the plot (Dancyger, 2018). Additionally, the video also tends to visualize the gate as an obstacle to cause the distance within the human relationship. Respect to the potential theme for raising awareness of the avoidance of combat virus policy impacts to pause “us”.
Method of research
The production of the video constitutes the prior research conduction and subsequent edition. For carrying out research, taking the fieldwork to experience the essential gate passage steps in person several times. After that, I found its fixed entrance processes phenomenon regardless of gate location in my stay complex, resulting from a downshifting lifestyle trend that complies with the theme of a slow city. Followed by requesting permission to invite a security guard responsible for the gate entering registration to participate in the recording, showing the implementation of the actual procedure.
Video production
The final video formation also acquires some filming and editing methods. I applied the cross-cutting technique twice to illustrate contrasts simultaneously with different spatial activities. This method could also promote the story by cutting the comparative plot into two boxes in the same scene in the video. For instance, editing the meeting preparation plots of the heroine’s make-up part and the hero’s food-ordering behaviors in the same film scene engages the storyline multilaterally. Except for the cross-cutting editing method application, the proposed cinematic presenting is also supported by filming tricks. For photographing the above plot, I used the camera to follow the actors’ hands, providing the continuous gesture viewing experience tends to gather audience concentration and sense of substitution. Moreover, I also acquired the invisible-cut technique, which benefits the fluent viewing experience by editing similar objects’ movements together. For example, I caught the precise compatible angle and instant timing for door and elevator opening during photographing as materials for clip combination of opening the door and elevator, condensing the film length while providing a consistent storyline.
Specifically, I employed cross montage technique in my video construction as well. During the entering process in the complex gate, I cut intersections for the hero’s wait and heroine’s multiple access procedures scene together. Typically, these intersections illustrate comparisons for emotional rhythms, such as the hero’s watch checking behavior and his anxious pace for waiting while the heroine stands still to enter registration, indicating the second time for cross-cutting usage. Relying on cross-montage techniques, producing the video’s multi-dimensional time, and creating across-space for a stressful atmosphere (Liang, 2020), emphasizing that life inefficiency corresponds to the theme of pandemic policy’s influence on the gate accessing speed leading to the slow city by postponing regular life pace.
Furthermore, I inserted two subtitles at the beginning and the end of the video to emphasize the romance of the plot while ensuring the coherence of the narrative. Especially for the end clip, I employed atmospheric camerawork to move upward from couples to the blue sky as the subtitles’ background. This clip helps to enhance the audience’s understanding of the story further and receive the proper surrounding idea of slow life influences relationships.
Reflections
The video production process was fascinating with instant inspiration, such as editing technique usage and plot structuring. Interestingly, I invited my parents to act out the entire story, leaving us some hilarious and precious memories. I felt so thankful to them for supporting my work. Also, I have a more profound realization of the significant attention to people’s relationship maintenance under a rigorous pandemic. The increasing density of policy restrictions in some cities mainly focuses on people’s outdoor activities, which increase the loneliness emotion for most public citizens, such as problematic in meeting their family or friends, like the story described in the video. I want to address the current social phenomenons in some places that the policy should be adjustable and rely on the local pandemic instead of fixed regulations that apply to whole communities. The aim of conducting the policy is to combat the virus in the most efficient, scientific, and flexible way but not only focus on controlling human activities.
References:
Dancyger, K. (2018). The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice. Routledge.
Liang, S. Z. C. (2020). A Study of Spatial Narrative in the South Korean Movie” Parasite.
Script：
title :Slow city under covid
1 scene:
A: (sitting on the rocking chair, and sending messages)
Message content:
A: Hii, Are you free for tonight?
B: Sure lol
A: The in canteen lunch is forbidden due to pandemic
A：Let’s order the takeout, 11:30 a.m.and enjoy it at my home!
A:( sitting on the rocking chair, suddenly message ring, check the message immediately)
B: Wait for me!
2 scene:
(2 scene cutting together, quick pace )
A sit up and start ordering food on Mei Tuan app
B make up
3 scene:
(photographing materials for walking people and delivers outside the gate)
A (receives a call from Mei Tuan and starts to run out.)
(Photographing when the door opens and the elevator door opens. And the collector for takeout with detailed equipment in the complex gate)
A (check the information for the takeout and hold it on your chest)
4 scene:
B ( go to the gate of the community)
(Take a picture of the community gate, including the shelves, the details on the table )
B hurried to tidy up the mask.
Security guard: “please register your name and phone number”
(refers to the registration form on the table )
Intercut: A check the watch .
Security guard: “Hey, wait, show me your health code.”
B ( sighed, put the gift in his hand on the ground and turned on her cell phone).
Intercut: A walking anxiously VS B’s stood
Security guard: “Take your temperature.” (Shooting body temperature instrument)
B manage to get in.
Last scene
(Doorbell sound)
A immediately cheer up and open the door.
(Laugh)
“long time no see”
(Then we walked together and photographed the slowly opened north gate of the community.
Subtitles:
Hopefully,
the policy pauses the spreading of virus, till the pace of city,
but not us.
Xinxi CHEN
3035947489
You did a great job. In your video, the gate of the community under the epidemic has not only spatial but also emotional effects. You use a dramatic performance and rich cinematography to enhance the sense of immersion and make the audience feel like they are there. In the epidemic context, the maintenance of people’s relationships and emotions cannot be neglected. Thank you very much for reflecting on the inadequacy of the current policy through the architecture like the gate in the form of a short video. It’s a great viewing experience.
Enjoying watching the dramatic narrative plot presented in your video. I like your visual design of using few words at the end of the video, that says ‘hopefully the policy pauses the wide-spreading virus but not us’, as well as the thoughtful reflection provided in your essay.
Yet you may consider strengthening the link between ‘pause’ and ‘slow’ a bit more, as the two concepts don’t necessarily seem same at first insight.
Thanks for your video~
I really enjoyed the plot of your video, it is very unique, and it feels like I am actually there in the video, going on a tour around the city as a casual person. The vibe I am getting from the video is very relaxing, just a regular day under a controlled pandemic policy. And I totally agree with the part “The aim of conducting the policy is to combat the virus in the most efficient, scientific, and flexible way but not only focus on controlling human activities.”
You explored the topic of how the pandemic has changed the built environment and how such changes influence people’s experiences and relationships. I appreciate the effort put into the production of the video and this is also reflected in your text. Perhaps more attention can be directed towards the research question and methods. For example, you can refer to other people’s work on the same topic, and cite them accordingly. The connection to ‘slow city’ could also be better elaborated upon and explained. Do also take care when filming not to reveal possibly sensitive information, such as the scenes showing the registration form.