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About Me Yun Yun Hung
I was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1997. Ever since I was little I love to creative little illustration book to fulfil my passion in storytelling. Storytelling comes in different form such as photography, film, performance, all I know is that it has the power to expand my creativity, and do something meaningful for our society.
Email Elisahung.828@gmail.com Phone +447397816949 Digital Signature
Fashion ”Fashion you can buy, but style you photography possess. The key to style is learning Washable tattoo who youon are, which takes years. model’s face There's no how-to road map to style. , Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200 It's about self expression and, above all, attitude." Iris Apfel
Photographer- Elena Santolaya Model- Yun Yun Hung
"You can never take too much care over the choice of your shoes. Too many women think that they are unimportant, but the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.” Christian Dior •
Photographer- Elena Santolaya
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Model- Yun Yun Hung
Moving Image Theory Representation of urban spaces Compare and contrast Compare and contrast how these films explore and represent urban space. • Both must be 21st-century films • Only one can be American • One must not have been screened on the module.
Photography I.
Demonstrate the ability to use camera equipment to produce a skillful and aesthetic response to the brief
II. To be able to communicate theoretical and conceptual ideas to demonstrate an understanding of the use of composition, tone, subject, lighting, texture, colour in images to convey meaning
Photo taken at 29th April 2018
Photography
C
Modernist staircase Photo taken at SUBU building, Talbot campus, The stairs are build in the middle of the building , gives a natural rounded shape. Camera, Canon 500D. 1/60, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Avant-garde Makeup Using flower petal as makeup Camera, Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Modernist Portrait The model wore a vintage dress, trying to recreate late 90s trend Camera, Canon 500D. 1/60, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Avant-gardist Portrait Using flower petal as makeup Camera, Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200
Modernism lighting Streetlight in the evening Camera, Canon 500D. 1/3, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Schรถnbrunn Palace and Prague
Camera, Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200 Monochrome
Animal Camera, Canon 500D. 1/15, f/8, ISO200
Austria
Prague
iPhone 7Plus
iPhone 7 Plus
Research essay In this essay, I will be talking about how urban spaces are represented in Dystopian Film. Dystopia is an antonym to Utopia. A Utopia is an imaging place which everything in society is perfect, dystopia is exactly the opposite. Dystopian films are often speculative futuristic sci-fic film, e.g. Minority Report (2002) by Steven Spielberg based in 2054 and Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve 2017) as well. Dystopian describes a place where society are facing brutal societal classification contribute to a worse quality of life for its inhabitants. The elements I list down below are often seen in this particular film genre- government surveillance, totalitarian regiment, poor sanitary living condition, brainwashing and class dichotomies between the rich and poor. I discovered the representation of urban space plays an essential for the establishment of a dystopian society, because cities in dystopian films are used to depict the worse side of society. However, one can only distinguish the disorder and chaos within dystopian city by experiencing the perfection within utopian city, like Margret Atwood once said “within every dystopia there is a little utopia.” Good and worse will find a way to coexist in our world and I would like to use my chosen film to interpret this statement by analysing how they displayed urban spaces Thus, the order of faction system created a utopian scheme, however, the requirement of everyone must commit themselves to a single faction uncovers the dystopian aspect in this perfectly ordered society. The other dystopian aspect shown in the film is the existence of ‘factionless’, who fail the mandatory initiation process and therefore must live in poverty and exile as members of the “factionless.” People who do not fit in anywhere become the proletarian under this classification which shows the absence of individualism. Figure 17
Descriptive writing Analytical writing Dystopian Film Divergent/ Snow Piercer The film title also hinted us there is one hidden faction or precisely saying, one uncovered quality called divergent. Divergent are consider as a threat to the system due to their unknown capability and unpredictable mindset. On the other hand, divergent can be describe as a symbol of well-rounded individual, however, instead of celebrating the diverseness and uniqueness of their society, divergent are hunted by others. Combining all these conditions, one can identify the potential of turning this utopian society into a complete chaos and eventually dissolves into a dystopia. “Dystopian authors very frequently focus on the importance of the city as a symbol of the success of power in organizing the new civilization.” (Angle Rodriguez 2014:86). Scholars like Rodriguez recognises the important pattern of how urban spaces are portrayed in fictional dystopian world, like he said, the city (usually is the capital) symbolised the rigidity of a totalitarian regiment, and the setting of urban spaces are used as a tool for government surveillance or segregation. For example, in divergent, Chicago becomes a newly designed enclose city, the remaining building from the “old days” are rotten and ruins in the city, which simulates the bygones. Comparing to its newly constructed buildings, they are excessively sterile, minimalism, and decorated with each factions’ symbols, it can be explained as the sign of social unity or the lack of individualism and creative expression.
Snowpiercer, an English-language South Korean-Czech sci-fic film based on French graphic novel called Le Transperceneige (Jacpues Lob 1982). The story based on a giant train runs tirelessly in a post-apocalyptic world which is caused by an environmental catastrophe, human race is forced to face another new ice age. In 2031, Wilford (Ed Harris), the inventor and caretaker of this sacred train, carries the last remaining human species on board and travels in a circumnavigation route incessantly. Wilford set up a newly designed classified system, according to him, everything in this system is preordained when everyone boards his train. With this social classification, Wilford can control the population and resources precisely over time. Obviously, first class passengers travel in the front luxury carriage (Figure 7) and the proletarian inhabitants, which identified as the “scum”, travels in tail section in a squalid and brutal conditions. Snowpiercer can be seen as an allegorical train, a futuristic version of Noah’s ark, however, in the bible this inhumane classification amount the remaining species simply does not exist. The tail section in Snowpiercer perfectly interpret the ideology of a dystopian, where the roles of nature falls under the power of totalitarian regiment and humanity is degraded. One can easily identify several dystopian aspects within this film. For example, the phrase they describe the classification is “preordained”. In the film, there is not a satisfy explanation of how this system is predesignate for all passenger, however, the loophole in the script is not affecting the purpose of this essay. “Order, is the barrier that holds back the frozen death, we must all of us on this train of life, we must occupy our preordained particular position.” (Minister Mason, Snowpiercer) This “preordained system” is obviously put in contribute to a worse quality of life for all proletarian passenger, e.g. limited resources, limited living space, monotonous food choice and rights of passengers are eroded. The design of this train brings the entire city on board, urban spaces are uniquely presented in Snowpiercer. Besides grimy and chaotic tail section, first class passenger enjoys the access to unlimited luxury entertainment, e.g. in-car aquarium, sushi bar, kindergarten and hair salon, all beautifully designed and miniature in the carriage.
Referring to the introduction of this essay “one can only distinguish the disorder and chaos within dystopian city by experiencing the perfection within utopian city”. This train is an example of the coexistence of utopia and dystopia, however, the price people paid for this coexistence is by sacrificing the freedom from tail class passengers. Protagonist Curtis (Chris Evans) who identified as a proletarian, refuses to resign himself to Wilford’s authority, even the price paid for disobedience is harsh, he still forms a riot fearlessly. The brutal environment works consistently as a motivator for Curtis, the inhumane system gives him a reason to breakthrough each door on the train and reach the engine room to negotiate with Wilford. The next passage of this essay will be comparing how urban spaces are used as a power apparatus by totalitarian authorities in Divergent and Snowpiercer to rule over a dystopian society. The aim of essay is to investigate and study the usage of urban spaces in dystopian society. Spaces are a barrier that can restrict one’s mobility, and for that segregation can easily be performed amount the society. We can all agree that segregation eventually led to the loss of individual freedom, and in order to implement the complete loss of individuality, the occur of technological advances such as surveillance tool is crucial. In reality, surveillance such as CCTV in urban spaces are used for security purposes, any unauthorised surveillance activities are described as voyeuristic crime. However, in dystopia society, authoritarian use surveillance method to spy on individuals for strengthening their status quos. For example, in Divergent, Dauntless people needs to inject a tracking serum into their body so they can be manipulated by Erudite (Faction of intelligent), therefore the city guardians are turned into stone cold killing machine obediently for disgraced purposes. (Figure 12) In Snowpiercer, CCTV were built on trains for Welford to spy on Curtis’s movement, although he cannot fully render Curtis’s into mindless machine like Dauntless in Divergent. Welford still have the ability to control the present condition on the train. Welford preassigned different group of outpost and killers in behind each door (Figure 13), waiting for the riots. Welford watches the riot through CCTV and counted precisely “74%” of the riot must die so the “population” can be controlled, and therefore the first-class passenger can remain in their utopian environment. “The number of individual units must be very closely, precisely controlled. In order to maintain the proper sustainable balance.” (Minister Manson, Snowpiercer)
Another example of how spaces are used as a powerful tool in totalitarian authorities is the encapsulation of the cities. In Divergent and Snowpiercer, both of their stories are set in an enclose cities, a place to protect unknown threat from the outside world or, to prevent the strife within the inner society. Threats from the outside world is identified in several dystopian film, e.g. natural disaster, post-war riot. However, the image of this threat is portrayed by the authorities. In Snowpiercer, the plot indicates the weather outside is better for human species to survive again, but the entire train is designed as a protection for passengers from the frozen death, but it also stops the connection from passengers to the outside world as well especially for tail section. There is not nay single window designed for tail carriages, their access through doors are limited. And lastly, in the film, all passengers saw their first sight of sunlight after seventeen years after they broke into first class. “This chaos, a thousand people in an iron box, 18 years I've hated this train. 18 years I've waited for this moment.” (Curtis, Snowpiercer) Under this horrible condition, people who had limited knowledge to the world is way easier to be manipulated. With the help of an enclose space and rampant propaganda, totalitarian regime is easy to achieve, and so does dystopian society. The case in Divergent is different from Snowpiercer, the environment for Tris to survive is not a direct motivator for her to persuade a better life. Frankly saying, the social structure in divergent does successfully form a utopian for everyone to live in harmony, if Erudite did not overstep and destroy the peace and tranquillity, Tris might stay the same forever. Yet, she discovers her hidden identity as a divergent, and sees the inequitable treatment she will receive in the future, she finally strikes for her freedom. “Fear does not shut you down, it wakes you up.” (Four, Divergent.) “Since dystopian cities are, thus, undesirable societies, the opposition between the city and natural environment means that nature stands out as a welcoming shelter for the characters that try to escape from the totalitarian rule.” (Angle Rodriguez 2014:88) Referring back to the previous paragraph, an enclose city space can be simulated as a prison for its inhabitant, and therefore, revolutionist like Cutis and Tris strikes for their freedom. To conclude this essay, one last similarities on urban representation in dystopian film will be used. Like Rodriguez pointed out, in contrast to a dystopian city, natural stands out as a better place to go
. In the ending of Divergent and Snowpiercer, characters finally escape from the city (postwar Chicago) or train into the nature (Outside world). Looking back to the early passage in this essay, one can identify that urban spaces can be simulated as tool for totalitarian regimentation in dystopian, it is set up for fear instead of trust. And often, the conventional family unity is dead, people are unified in spaces by social segregation under authorities’ surveillance. Beside the repeating elements mentioned earlier, Dystopian cities are typically visualised in one of two ways. They can either be Hyper sanitised, monochromatic and minimalistic, where the rigidity of social order is echoed in the appearance of cities, e.g. Divergent. (Figure 14) On the other hand, they can be shown as dirty, overpopulated and chaotic (Figure 15), e.g. Snowpiercer. Although this essay illustrates a rather negative representation of dystopian urban spaces, however, “within every dystopia there is a little utopia”, this quotation in the introduction passage explained the necessity of embracing negativities, without dystopian elements, there would be no incentive to improve for our society, and the roles that varies the balance between negative and positive must be fulfil.