Video
Map of Film
Storyboard
Synopsis
A girl is trying to enjoy her ice pop, but she can’t eat on the sidewalks of Hong Kong anymore. Will she be able to find a private place to eat her ice cream without worrying to be infected?
This girl simply tries to enjoy her small source of happiness, her ice-pop. She wishes no contact with anyone, therefore seeks a private place using the sidewalks in Hong Kong. Ironically, however, she needs to run away from the sidewalks as it may be a source of the virus. Yet, she is too late when she arrives, as her small happiness has all melted away, along with new people intruding the area. Then, she gives up her happiness to others and the city. The city itself and even the path, the sidewalks, for privateness are too public.
Background information
Hong Kong has endless sidewalks that could literally take you walking from Tin Hau to Tai Koo, likewise in the video. A large population utilizes such pedestrian facilities daily. But, “Aren’t Hong Kong sidewalks too public” for the pandemic?
Hong Kong struggled to improve as “a more walkable community” annually. (Ng, 2016) Where, for once, it was normal to eat or drink on street, hang laundries on sidewalk fences, a simple “sorry” for a bump, random interactions with strangers; Hong Kong’s public sidewalks represented “inclusiveness”. Hong Kong films would normally show huge crowds on sidewalks without social distancing. (Chung King Express, 1994)
However, Hong Kong’s efforts backfired since 2020. The social norms within the community, a large crowd “walking” on small sidewalks, became a fearsome major potential source for the spread of Covid-19. Masks were mandatory as not to be fined. People could not eat nor drink on street, people try best not to touch anything or anyone: They want more privateness, despite how public the city is.
Research
I asked my friends living in Hong Kong what they have lost the most which were very natural by the pandemic. They told me they miss drinking milk tea walking to our hangout, some threw away makeup or clothes, complaining they can not go anywhere by the dense population of the city. These trivial factors that made one’s day better, were all lost by the pandemic. Then, I researched why these norms were unavailable now. It was because the Hong Kong city, particularly the sidewalks, was too public. It was my observation of a heavy crowd on the sidewalks in Causeway Bay or Tsim Sha Tsui that made me research why and how Hong Kong struggled to make such a public city.
Reflection
I could sense it even clearer, as even when filming, people moved away from me, looked at me as if I was insane when I pulled down my mask to eat my ice-pop. They scanned me up and down, ran away when I acted coughing, choking on the ice-pop. If I could, I would have shared the actual reactions of the surroundings, they’re absolutely hilarious.
+) I am vaccinated☺️
[Word Count: 496]
Bibliography
Choy, GIgi. “Hong Kong’s Workers Have Lunch in Parks, Construction Sites amid Dine-in Ban.” South China Morning Post, 3 Aug. 2020, www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3095175/coronavirus-hong-kongs-workers-have-lunch-parks.
Gunia, Amy. “Hong Kong Introduces Toughest COVID-19 Measures Yet.” Time, Time, 27 July 2020, time.com/5872102/hong-kong-coronavirus-social-distancing/.
Hui, Mary. “From Sidewalks to Shopfronts, Hong Kong’s Protests Have Rearranged Its Urban Landscape.” Quartz, Quartz, 18 Dec. 2019, qz.com/1755827/protests-remake-hong-kongs-urban-design-and-public-spaces/.
Lee, Chermaine. “Hong Kong’s Public Space Problem.” BBC Worklife, BBC, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200831-hong-kong-public-space-problem-social-distance.
Ng, Simon. Measuring and Improving Walkability in Hong Kong: Introduction of CEx WALKScore: an Assessment Tool. Civic Exchange, 2016.
Wan, Kin-Man, et al. “Fighting COVID-19 in Hong Kong: The Effects of Community and Social Mobilization.” World Development, vol. 134, 25 June 2020, p. 105055., doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105055.
Music:
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. The Magic Flute = (Die Zauberflöte) : an Opera in Two Acts. New York :G. Schirmer, 1941.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwub-9dZLFU&ab_channel=SLynch
Name: Hyunjoo (May) KIM
UID: 3035821427
I really appreciate your shooting style and how you present your ideas via various scenes. For instance, when you were eating ice stick and cough, the boy ran away from you. The background music you use also copes with your main topic: escape from crowded street lightly. Your video is absolutely fun to watch and makes me think of a lot of related stuff.
There is one question that arose when I’m watching your video and reading your reflection: what’s your definition of the public or public city? I see that you spend a lot efforts on how crowded and stressful the side-walks are, and you distribute the current situation to side-walks being too public. What’s too public?
I really enjoy watching your video and hope you could consider my question！
It was very fun watching your video and seeing all those reactions of you eating your ice stick, it was hilarious to see the boy just running away from the sight of you coughing! I absolutely agree that the city’s sidewalks are so crowded and public, which is partially caused by limited space Hong Kong has. The music you chose also fitted your film perfectly and made it even more enjoyable to watch, very good choice! I’m also really surprised by your bravery to take off your mask in public because I wouldn’t be able to do that, but I laughed all the way through your video, good job!
I like your content very much. It is very interesting. It is a sad thing for a girl to want to eat ice cream but can’t eat it, but you express the reason why she can’t eat ice cream in a humorous way. Very creative! Actors’ performance under the epidemic situation is very real, for example, actors deliberately keep a distance from others and run to find a hidden place to eat ice cream. You are a good director and the actors are excellent. In shooting, you can observe and shoot from the perspective of bystanders, which makes it easier for the audience to understand the development of the story. It is really perfect .
Your video is really fun and enjoyable to watch, it intrigued me a lot as I can closely relate to your experiences. Under the pandemic, we are restricted by many health guidelines and accepted new changes such as wearing a mask all the time and keeping away from others on the street to maintain social distance. The ‘public’ and ‘private’ integration of space is always something that worths discussing, especially in the context of sideways. How we incorporate and interact with the two kinds of space has become crucial to provide appropriate areas for people to safely rest without violating covid restrictions. The humorous and story-telling style of scripting allows you to successfully and vividly convey the message of the lack of private area on HK’s sideways. The whole film has good acting and pace, I enjoyed watching it a lot.
Well done! I really enjoy your video! 🙂 It is so much fun! I like how the music changes with the story and the feelings of the character. The story is very creative but realistic at the same time. I can see the effort you take on filming the reactions of passengers. The massage is well conveyed, especially the impacts that the pandemic brings on this space( sideways): Relationships between people become indifferent, people must stay away from each other but with no choice due to the social distancing….All in all, everything , including the plot, the background music, the shooting techniques and the acting, comes so perfectly together. Not a second in your video is boring and this is really great!
It was a very interesting and fun video. The story successfully told the audience (me) the Hong Kong sidewalks were way too public for the pandemic. As an audience, I followed with the main character from Tin Hau to Tai Koo. I could literally feel the laser eyes ? from the surroundings every time she pulled down her mask. Indeed, their reaction was hilarious, yet it was reasonable. It should be a ‘normal’ reaction until the end of the outbreak of the pandemic. The discussion between the ‘public’ and ‘private’ intersection is endless. One example would be the last time you have a fight with your boyfriend or girlfriend on this topic. It is sometimes very difficult to define what is the ‘public sector’ and ‘private sector’. The video introduced the conflict of it specifically by using an intriguing way. Good Job!
Although there is no lines in the video, the message of the video is well transmitted. We are really hard to find a private place in the city, especially in the pandemic. Even a cough will scare people away. There is an invisible barrier between us while masks we ware are visible, we become mistrustful and indifferent to others under the COVID-19. I really like the idea of using ice pop to show the time lapse in the movie.
I really like your video! What attracts me most is the music. I was surprised that such a symphony could blend so well with your story. The speed of your video is very well controlled, and although there are no lines, the background music and visuals speak for themselves. It’s also interesting to think about whether Hong Kong’s sidewalks are too public. It is true that human beings are social animals, but in too public and crowded environment, it is easy to be restricted in all kinds of ways. The impact of the pandemic has been particularly striking on HK’s sidewalks. So when the pandemic passes, will life return to what it was before? Can we find some kind of change to make the sidewalks less public? That might be worth thinking about.
I really like your video! What attracts me most is the music. I was surprised that such a symphony could blend so well with your story. The speed of your video is very well controlled, and although there are no lines, the background music and visuals speak for themselves. It’s also interesting to think about whether Hong Kong’s sidewalks are too public. It is true that human beings are social animals, but in too public and crowded environment, it is easy to be restricted in all kinds of ways. The impact of the pandemic has been particularly striking on HK’s sidewalks. So when the pandemic passes, will life return to what it was before? Can we find some kind of change to make the sidewalks less public? That might be worth thinking about.
Interesting! I think it looks like a part of the cartoon Tom and Jerry .With suitable music and great perfomance, you tell us the story without any word and show your topic TOO PUBLIC at the same time.And too public is a good point to discuss under epidemic situation.
I really enjoyed this video as it highlighted some of the issues that has been long standing even before the pandemic. Hong Kong is a city that is very cramped, and even before the pandemic I’ve found myself unmilling to eat on the streets due to hygiene issues. The pandemic has obvious exasperated these issues, and it is quite sad to see a treat like ice-cream become something that would bring scorn and distrust on the person who is eating it. I also enjoyed the way the camera followed the girl around, as it conveyed the urgency for the girl to find a place to enjoy her ice cream. Thanks for the lovely video!
I like this interesting story. The situation shown in the video is so similar to my real life situation. During the epidemic period, anyone coughing in public spaces can make other people pass by him or her invent some horrific novels related to the epidemic immediately. And although the protagonist’s actions are exaggerated compared with those around him, it is this that expresses her evasive heart, and the passers-by’s reaction to the protagonist is also so real. The only suggestion is that maybe the ice-cream scene can be slowed down a little bit. The scene can move down from the disappointment expression of the protagonist to the bare stick of the ice cream, and then to the rest of the ice-cream, making room for audiences’ imagination.
A really creative video! The choice of an ice lolly is smart to depict the tension between people’s judgements vs. the urge to finish it before it melts. The issue is well presented. You are able to clearly identify the most critical aspects of the theme/place and presents a well-articulated analysis and original interpretation of the topic.
All aspects are addressed and presented with depth.
Your video demonstrates a clear understanding of the site but it would be even better if you could research into greater depth, eg. informing us what kind of regulations exist on sidewalks, how are people’s reaction different on different sidewalks.
Highly innovative in regard to methodologies.
The video maintains an excellent control of techniques and organization of the form/content and narration. It has a strong organization and tight narrative. Camera angles are well chosen. Precise pacing of music that aids your storytelling.
I love that you used the ice pop as a time scale throughout the video, it is certainly innovative in regard to methodologies. You were able to adequately identify the most critical aspects of the theme/place and present a competently articulated analysis and interpretation of the topic. You also maintained a good control of techniques and organisation of the content. The video seems to be more of a provocative experimental piece than a research-driven one. The video would be enriched if you documented different types of activities found at the sidewalk rather than a mere conduit of the city. Having said that, you demonstrated an understanding of and the ability to apply and synthesise concepts and key issues relating to a well-identified topic through the clear presentation of the theme of private within public. Good job!