[Video Essay]Control City

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/9_FRGexkoUg

  1. Theme and Subject Matter:

I want to show the control city through the playground in two ways. One is pandemic control. On April 7th, there were three new local confirmed COVID cases and one local asymptomatic infection in Guangzhou. Therefore, despite citywide nucleic acid testing and community closure, schools are also on lockdown because of government policy. In this case, students cannot go to school, and there is no one over the playground for weeks. The playground that used to have laughter is now deserted. Even after they can go back to school, students are forced to do the nucleic acid test. Otherwise, they cannot return to school. The other is policy control. By comparing my photos and the video of students on the playground, we can see the changes in the school uniforms. This reflects the changes in my school from private to public because of government control.

 

When I shot the first part of the video, I was locked up in the community and could not go anywhere. Therefore, I shot a video of my alma mater’s playground. The playground is next to my neighborhood. I can see the panoramic view of it across the railing. The schools are controlled by the government, not to mention the playground. Because many years before, my school was a private one. But due to government policy, it is now a public one. The school uniforms change, the name of the school change, and the school is now under the direct control of the government.

 

  1. Method of Research

 

In my research on playgrounds, I chose the playground of my alma mater because it is close to my home. I can see the panoramic without getting into my school. I was in my neighborhood when I shot the video. Therefore, there are fences in my video. There was no student on the playground since the school was closed. This will remind the audience that the pandemic is still severe, and the government must control citizens from going out. I also shoot the students waiting in line to do nucleic acid tests in the playground to show the pandemic control. Besides, I shot a video of students playing in the playground and compared the old photos in the playground. These photos show the changes in my school through the changes in the students playing on the playground. Apart from the video and the old images, I added some pictures of the pandemic and school policies to show the theme of control.

 

  1. Video Production

 

In the beginning, I show the surrounding of the school playground to illustrate that the garden is just next to the residence. After that, I offer the pandemic control photo and a student playing beside the playground because of the pandemic control. Then I added the process of going closer to the playground with the outside fences. Later, I walked along the walls and shot the playground from one side to the other to show the whole scene of the playground. From the video, we can see that there was no student in the playground, even on weekdays, because of the pandemic control. Next, I add the scene of students waiting for nucleic acid tests due to government requirements. Finally, I put the photos of myself standing on the playground in the old school uniforms. And the photo processes into a video of students playing on the playground with the new uniform. Finally, I added two pictures of the school policy control.

 

  1. Reflection

 

I chose to shoot the playground of my alma mater and shoot it from outside my neighborhood because of the pandemic control. Even though the government control has brought many troubles to me and forced the students and me to stay at home, I think the whole city control is a good thing. Because of the community lockdown, the COVID has been under control in just two weeks, and students are protected. Besides, my school changed from a private one to a public one under policy control. It changes not just in the uniforms but also the school fee. Since the government controls it, the school fee has become cheaper, and it is easier for students nearby to access my alma mater. The control city is aimed at improving the well-being of the citizens.

 

Pandemic control: 1. schools close down

https://www.guancha.cn/politics/2022_04_10_634180.shtml

  1. resume offline classes

http://gz.bendibao.com/news/2022422/content313758.shtml

Policy control: 1. the “民转公“policy

http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2021-05/14/content_5606463.htm

  1. my primary school under the policy control

http://gz.bendibao.com/life/2020611/268115.shtml

Fang Jingping 3035941954

1 thought on “[Video Essay]Control City

  1. Wai Suet Ying Teresa says:

    Your video has presented how the function of school playgrounds has changed under the pandemic. Before the pandemic, students can have their PE lessons and flag-raising ceremony on the playground. However, when the pandemic was severe, there was school suspension. As students could not go to school, the playground become deserted. After students return to school, the playground becomes a place for them to have the nucleic acid test. I can see how your city is being controlled by the pandemic.

    Reply

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