Theme
Focusing on corridors in residences, this is a video about the subdivided city in terms of spatial arrangement and switching channels. The subdivided characteristic is represented by two layers.
Firstly, the corridor is a part of the subdivided space from the perspective of the whole building and acts as the base of subdivided elements. As shared space, some corridors will be influenced by human activities, such as being occupied by personal belongings, which partially reflect personal characters. The corridor is transformed from a blank and monotonous space to a space with special vitality. Each corridor becomes unique during this process, and the building is subdivided vertically. Meanwhile, the corridor spaces are subdivided and distinguished by different traces of life from households.
Secondly, corridors resemble a channel between internal and external, private and public. If the city is a never-ending torrent, most people are forced to keep moving in the direction of that. External pressure often pushes us forward, and the residence is like an isolated shelter away from negative moods. The corridor is a space between them. In public spaces, individuals may feel pressure to conform to certain dress codes or societal expectations, meaning we are bound. However, in private spaces, individuals may feel more freedom to wear comfortable and informal clothing or express themselves through their clothing without concern about being judged or criticized by others. Corridor defines the boundary and serves as a transition between contrast spaces and mental states.
Script
What is a corridor? The corridor serves as a connector and a divider in architecture. It is a marginalized element that connects different rooms and subdivides spaces into small blocks.
Corridors can be empty or cluttered. Due to the limited space, some corridors are gradually alternated and occupied by human activities, forming a distinctive space. The hanging clothes or the placed plants make the corridor more like a semi-public space. These things, with personal preference, enable the space in front of each room to be distinguished and arranged uniquely for each floor. The building is subdivided horizontally and vertically through corridors.
The corridor defines the boundary between internal and external, private and public. When we get caught up in the fast-paced Hong Kong life and are under academic or work stress and emotional distress, the corridor symbolizes that one is almost to enter the personal area with a sense of separateness. Walking through the corridor and entering the residence, people tend to be in the most relaxed state in their private space. They will take off their tight shoes and put on slippers; put down shoulder bag or similar containers for various items; change into loose and comfortable clothing, such as pajamas. Walking out of the residence, and going through the corridor, whether people like it or not, they change into decent clothing again and blend in with the crowd.
Method of conducting the research and producing the video
The video essay is mainly based on primary research. I like climbing up the steps and walking across the corridor. I habitually notice the corridor’s layout and the objects’ placement. Personal qualities can be reflected in the corridor space before each room door. For instance, if a corridor is cluttered with boxes or piles of paper, it might indicate that the individual who lives or works there is disorganized or hoarding belongings. Corridors often contain similar spaces occupied by personal items, and we can easily see the difference in each household. It is a sort of division of spaces in my view, so I use corridors in residences to represent the subdivided characteristic of the city.
On the other hand, I am a person who prefers to escape from public spaces and stay in private spaces. The corridor resembles a dividing line between them. Moreover, I find that the first thing many people around me do when they get home is to change clothes and transform into their most relaxed state. There is a contrast in switching, so I decide to record it.
Before the shooting, I have written the script and some rough sketches about how to document the corridor and the people, such as the composition. In the first half of the video, the camera kept moving forward, and I edited the shots so that the ends of the corridors were in the same position as the composition to create an endless vision. In the second half of the video, I used the montage technique to narrate the routes and the changes in the characters. This technique allows me to convey lots of information in a short period. Some close-up shots focus on the characters’ clothing, like the shoes, to show the contrast between private space and public space. The horizontally angled shots emphasize the presence of corridors.
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