Corridor: subdivided city
Description of theme and reflection:
The corona virus has separated people. The interactions between people are minimized under the social-distancing rules. Corridors, a passage in a building with rooms in the two sides, is a space that subdivide people. The increasing number of infected people scared the public, especially when there are some cases that residents living in the same floor get infected at the same time. To prevent any other outbreak of diseases happening again, the government appeals to the public to set up efforts in reducing social contacts and stay at home as far as possible. Gathering with friends are also not encouraged. Authorities even suggest citizens not to open the door for a long time, since the virus may be transmitted through air. To reduce the risk of exposure to infection sources, people tend to use delivery apps nowadays as it is useful, convenient, and safe. Some delivery companies even promote a new service: contact-free delivery. The delivery workers leave the food in assigned places, which is usually outside of the door or at the corridor.
Before the pandemic, neighbours used to open their doors and chat with each other. However, for the reason given above, we can see that the doors in corridors are mainly shut. Walking along the corridor, it is so quiet and I seldom see people. As the corridor is so quiet, I can listen to the sounds that come from the rooms. There are babies crying, sounds of television, people talking and more. I start wondering what they are doing. Probably having online lessons? When I am filming the video, it is afternoon. Parents go to work and only kids are left at home. I start to think the impact on people when they are “stuck” at home. In terms of mental health, if a person cannot go out for a long time, he/she will get lonely, depressed and anxious. He/She will lose his/her relationships with others too. People are not able to talk to neighbours, resulting in disappearing of connections and social ties. Although people live so close, corridors act like invisible walls that people cannot pass through, so they cannot get in touch with their neighbourhood. In short, people are physically and mentally subdivided.
Method/Making of video:
To do research, I went to different places that have corridors, including residential buildings, hotels and hospitals. I observed carefully the places and feel the connection of corridor and the pandemic. However due to private concerns, I did not use the videos I took in hospital. I then decided to construct the story that I am familiar with, which is close to daily life. The first part of video is taken in a hotel, while the second part in taken in a residential building. I took the second part just for fun at first, and I decide to include it in my video so to make my video less depressing or boring. For the same reason, I made the end of the first part of my video to be more hopeful. To do further research on how people are affected and why there is such a change between the neighbourhood relationship, I refer to some research journals and some news about the outbreak of diseases in Kwai Shing Estate. In the making of video, I decided to use a first-person perspective as I would like the audience to “walk” along the corridor together and experience the impacts on citizens under the pandemic. I film this video with my phone and a camera, while I use Movavi Clips and Movie Maker to edit the video.
Bibliography
Mezzina, R., Sashidharan, S. P., Rosen, A., Killaspy, H., & Saraceno, B. (2020). Mental health at the age of coronavirus: time for change. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 55, 965-968.
Nguyen, T. H., & Vu, D. C. (2020). Food Delivery Service During Social Distancing: Proactively Preventing or Potentially Spreading Coronavirus Disease–2019?. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 14(3), e9-e10.
姚穎彤. (2020, December 14). 新冠肺炎｜葵盛西邨、麗晶花園多幢大廈現小型爆疫 如何防走廊病毒入屋? 曾祈殷建議3件事:勿長開大門、冷氣、常開窗. 明報.
BGM:
108 – Chris Burrink – Confidence
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez – Do You Want To Build a Snowman?
I think your video is pretty cool, the structure is clear. First of all, you introduce the background of covid-19, then you start your theme. The BGM is really light which can help audience to focus on your story. Creativity can be seen from the last part, you imitate the Disney movie——-Frozen that amazed me! From this part, you emphasize the topic again—– everyone should keep a distance between each other and stay at home. Thank u 🙂
I really like the frozen part!!! 🙂 Your video can really show the subdivided city to the audience. After watching your video, much happy memory with my friend come out of my mind. The COVID-19 has really subdivided us. In these two years, there is really a wall between me and my friends, relatives, and neighbors. When can COVID-19 is completely gone? When can we go out without a mask? When can we show our smiling faces to others?
Zachery (3035691535)
I enjoyed watching the video and like the organization and content of the video essay. The theme is apt for a Covid-19 impacted word, in which the usual way of living has been affected deeply. Things which we used to take as a given, like chit-chat with our neighbors or seeing hustle-bustle in the ‘Corridors’ are passe. The video depicts the desolate corridors aptly in a manner which highlights the quiet and the loneliness that surrounds us today. Through your video essay you have clearly explained the term subdivided city. The first person perspective really helped as it made me feel like I was walking in the corridor. Your video made me realize how there is a huge gap between my friends and me. The video ending containing the theme scene from Frozen is superbly conceived and captured. The video in an essence resembles my own video essay, which goes a step beyond and explores the scenes behind the closed apartment doors.
I really enjoy watching your video essay. And the visual design and creativity of the video essay really attract me. For the visual design part, It is really cool to use a long-take video to show the whole corridor and how you and your neighbor are being subdivided under the Covid-19 pandemic without editing. For the creativity part, it is really creative to utilize the song in the movie Frozen to show the loneliness and boredom.
I really liked your video that showed the current life of people living in Hong Kong. No people walking around the corridors and no communications with neighbors. I also liked your skill for your video which was a long take and zoom-in, it showed the whole situations of corridors in the apartment. How people stay away from each other is kind a bit sad but it is necessary for coping with COVID-19. I also liked your Frozen part!