Nowadays just have the similar film in Hong Kong? – by Winnie Lai

In this week, I have watched a movie, called “Brothers” and the director is Derek Chiu Sung-Kei. This is the first time that he filmed the gangster movie. And for the recent years, Hong Kong‘s main theme of the films are publish different kind of gangster movie. Like” infernal affairs” (無間道), “Exiled”(放．逐), “Election” (黑社會) and “Election 2”(黑社會2之以和為貴). These films are also focus on the men, their relationship, and show out the men’s power. And in this kind of film, we cannot always see how the women show out their power, and they are just stay in a subordinate position.

Some of the famous directors like Johnnie To, Lau Wai Keung, Mak Siu Fai, they have some skills that can always achieve the goals and rewards. Although Derek Chiu Sung-Kei seems did not as famous as the above directors. And it is a good try for him.  

On the other side, if we go on the street, we can very easily to see that different artists and singer becomes the spokesman of the products, in this film also. Some things make me feel shock is that there have some products show in the film, but I do not think that the products are necessary to show out in the movie, and I think maybe this is the spokesman responsible to do that; this is the way to remind the audience remember their products. This film got much more reveals the advertisement than the other film.

 

In this film, I think that the most attraction point is that the artists, the main characters are acted by “Five tigers” (五虎), except for Tony Leung. They are very popular started from 1980 in TVB. After more than 20 years, they join together to act this film, audience would like to see them. In this film, it does not only include how the men’s power, how they use the gun. It also shows out the relationship with the buddy; also have some joke, love, family, and friends elements inside there. Moreover, the song of this film is sing by Andy Lau and Eason Chan who are the main character of this film. This is the selling point for this film; they want to attract their fans to see this film.

And the main message of this film is show out how the relationship between the brothers. I am very appreciate the skills that the director film it, in the beginning of the film, it bring out the message that two brothers cannot live together, and they did not trust this myth, but in the last, the younger brother killed his brother.  Also, the film’s last part, it has not tell the audience what the ending is about, it let them to think about it. Compare with “infernal affairs, the ending is more unclear.

Also, if we pay attention on this poster, we can see the below word ”弟” have reverse direction, that mean brothers in this film should be enemy at the end. Moreover, In this film, also some part was shot from Thailand. And it shows out that the music in that place are also have Chinese song, that mean even in the other country, we can also very close with Chinese culture even in Thailand. In the recent years, after we saw so many these kind of film, some of the people may think it is very boring, nothing special in this kind of theme. And they seem just act the same kind of film. But the director still tries to use different artists join together to draw the audience attention and see their film. “Brothers” this film is also.

Winnie L.

Pop Song as Langusge? – by Zack Lee

Nowadays, there are so many people go to karaoke, whatever teenagers or adults. Cantonese pop songs are permeating to everybody in any way. Many people use the lyrics are talk about ‘love’. This is easier to touch the people’s mind. People are easy to identify the meaning of lyrics.Lots of people have their own theme song. They will feel that the lyrics of that song are suit for their own situation such as fall in love, failure in love or lyrics talk about family. In different situation, people have different theme song. Lyrics such as a language, this tells people how to love, how to handle when failure in love or tell people how to love the family more. It’s easy to touch people mind because of people always think some songs are suit for their theme song and that song must suit for their own situation. It’s because people will find a song to suit them for showing their own feeling or identity. 

When people listen or sing a song, it just like a mirror to reflect the fact. And this fact is people willing to believe that this is true, although it may not true. On the other hand, because lots of lyrics of pop song’s meaning are similar to the people situation, so that the pop songs are recognizable. Pop songs such as language because people will use them to tell people what they think and how they feel. And also, the pop stars are one of the main ways to show the pop song. Pop stars are the idol of teenagers. When the idol sings a song is suit for someone who is love that idol. It can make that person easier to identify that song. So everybody use pop star to deliver the message to others.Except the pop star, songwriters also are the main carrier to deliver the message to people. When they write a song lyric, they not only want to make a song to a singer, but also want to touch the listeners mind. They tell the listeners a message insidiously. The listeners also will follow their message and fall in the song insidiously.  

Actually, the life not completely like the pop song lyrics said. Some of them are similar to our life, but some are not. People just like carriers, they carry the song to others and others. More and more people listen that song, more and more people started to recognize it, more and more people started to believe that it’s true. And then, the song’s meaning is become true little by little. So people started to believe that song reflect the true. People will more and more easy to identify the pop song. After they identify that, they will easy to believe in it.On the other hand, karaoke is very popular in Hong Kong. This is one of the main ways to deliver the pop song to people. In karaoke, the users must sing the song themselves. It’s easier to make people remember and recognize the songs. Karaoke become a Hong Kong culture little by little. When it becomes a culture, more people can know the pop song through karaoke. 

Zack L.

Buy forward, move forward.

In recent ten years, I found that Hong Kong’s football culture has been changed. The elderly dictate that the foreign football match prgramme is not popular in erstwhile unless the match is a big match, such as Manchester United vs. Liverpool. So, the elderly would like to watch local football match at the weekend. However the television broadcast about 10 foreign matches at weekend from evening to the next day morning, and the younger prefer to watch foreign football match. The reason is very simple. Because the audience can’t watch Zidane’s brilliant passing, Beckham’s wonderful goal and Ronaldinho’s flamboyant technique, who would like to be audience? If the local match have few hundreds audience, it should be a lucky day.  Until 3 years ago, the traditional strong team South China failed to beat Citizen in the last game of the 2005-06 season, South China was to be relegated for the first time since 1983. South China Athletic Association (SCAA, Traditional Chinese: 南華體育會) is a Hong Kong football team in the football division of the South China Athletic Association, a local sports club. It is the football club with most honors in Hong Kong having won a record 28 First Division titles. They have also won a record 20 Senior Shields, a record 9 FA Cups and 1 League Cup.  However, on 14 June 2006, the Hong Kong Football Association approved a request from South China to remain in the first division with the promise of strengthening the quality of the club. Afterwards, businessman Steven Lo Kit Shing used few million dollars to takeover for South China to help South China transfer in some qualities foreign players and local players. Moreover, he established SCAA fans club, organized friendly match with J. League Division 1 team Yokohama F. Marinos and others promotion. Also, South China cooperate with local secondary school to set up the system of the youth team to cultivate great local players. Furthermore, South China emploied experience fittess coach to train their first team. Those new policy  made the drear Hong Kong football reappeared the vital.
On 15 April, 2007. South China played draw 1-1 with Kitchee in the penultimate game of the league season at Mongkok Stadium. The game attracted a full house of over 8,000 audience, the first house for 11 years a Hong Kong league game at Mongkok Stadium.  
 
This incident was stirred Hong Kong’s media. Newspapers reported this news in the cover story. At the same year, South China has secured the League title, and their 28th title overall that season. As South China motivated local football. In this year, another traditional team Eastern also back to first division. Thus, South China does not lower one’s guard instead of buying some Brazilian quality forward to retain the League title. I really hope that they can make Hong Kong’s football reappear the vitality and bright. Just move forward and brings glories with them even as Hong Kong.

Pay for credit card or cash? (By Stella Lai)

Hong Kong was named as “shopping paradise” many years ago. Living here, you can buy everything you want, such as clothes, electric equipments, jewellery, cosmetic etc. And their prices are all reasonable. So, even travelers are like shopping in Hong Kong. People in Hong Kong also like shopping very much, because they are in materialism. Their consuming pattern was changed from pay for the money into the bill which pays for the credit card. Credit card is not the new term for the public, it is an easy way for us to pay the bill but do not need to pay it immediately. However, people would think that it is very convenient for them to shop.

Moreover, many banks are providing such service in the public. Also, it is simple to get one; even they are under eighteen years old. Why people would like to get one? Since the banks always promote that is a kind of smart and civilized consuming, if you do so and you will have a cheerful experience of shopping. Those images would always appear on the advertisements, like TV and magazine. In addition, there are lots of special gifts to draw your attention and receive one. However, ideology happened in it, using the credit card is civilized and smart and that is a false form of consciousness. No one judge that is a smart paying mode but only the banks advertise you to do so.

When the banks to persuade people to get a credit card, they would often bring you by using the social constructionist theory. On the advertisement or the TV commercial, they will get you in the environment like talking to you, to seek construction of truth through their own meaning. Furthermore, the mass would accept that message deep in mind from the media. 

Everyone believe that using the credit card is desirable for them, the issue come out which many people would have varied credit card payments and some people can not afford such big bill. Then, some banks or finance company would present the loan which suitable for paying the credit card bills. Through the advertisement, they come up the theory of social constructionist, too. Say as same as helping you or support you with the money and throwing the idea “it is not hard for you to pay the bill”. As reported in Choice (2002), those advertising claims often exaggerated. And offer the customers an interest rate reduction, and interest free credit.

 

Such promotion of the credit card and the credit card loan seem have the relation between them. That is, someone use the credit card in a huge quantity, if he/she can’t replace the payment, he/she would look for the loan. When the bills all fix it, he/she may be shop again. Is that like a circulation?

The credit card loan or private loan services are overflowing in these days. We can see their promotion or commercial everywhere, and they always persuade you to purchase as they can make the profit on that. In fact, the credit card is a good way for us to pay, but use it in an appropriate process is indeed.

Hand-painted cinema billboard. (by lau pak kei)

 

One of the oldest cinemas in Hong Kong, Queen’s Theatre has closed recently. It was stated “The largest and finest theatre in the Colony” on 30^th April 1924. I lived in Central when I was studying primary school. I remembered that I would via the Queen’s Theatre everyday, however I haven’t watch any movies inside. So when I know about the Queen’s Theatre have to close, I really feel regret that I have got no chance to watch a movie inside. But the stuff I cherish is not Queen’s Theatre entrance, it is their hand-paint-billboard.

As my memory, I remember that Queen’s Theatre used the hand-paint billboard to advertise the film which is playing. But when I read the newspaper, I wonder that the billboard of Queen’s Theatre is not hand-paint again instead of the laser one. Actually, I really like those traditional art especially made by hand. Previously, handicraft is rely to the designer’s hand, but now those designer just need to click the mouse to draft some graphs to produce advertisement. So besides idea earlier designers require the handwork skill too.

According to kinds of books, the step to post a hand-paint billboard is quite difficult. Firstly, those workers have to mount a canvas into the picture frame, and then draw the picture on the canvas refer to the film’s title and the dimension is refer to the cinema’s size. Owing to the billboard is a very big picture, painters need to describe the actor’s charm and facial expression vividly so painter’s skill is the soul of the production. Also, the scale of graphs is a test of their ability. If there a mistake of scale, it would affect the whole picture’s aesthetic. Except the billboard poster, painters have to paint another poster too. This type of poster is rectangle and posted on bottom of the screen. The function is helping the audience to distinguish the film, because those citizens are the illiteracy most likely. For the painting material, painters usually use the paint to draw as it is the inexpensive material. Moreover, the paint likes the oil painting that the works can be cover by paint. So, the prime cost is very cheap.

As time goes by, every field is improving. Most of the cinema use the computer to draft and paint it by the color separation publishing that cause the hand-paint be decline. But here is some of my suggestion, I am not saying that the hand-paint billboard is better than the publishing in handicraft perspective. However, I think the hand-paint is still have attractive. If the public relation use both hand-paint and publish poster and billboard to advertise the film, I think it would be a great mix and match to be a good gimmick. Even those traditional cinemas’s billboard is being lost, but we still can recall our memory from those old photo.

The Shopping Mall Culture (by Patrick Lee)

Along with the development of new town, nowadays the structure of living is standardized, a large residents housing, railway connected for transportation, with an integrated shopping mall which provides everything you need. In recent years, more and more shopping mall opened, shopping mall is being necessary in Hong Kong.
While malls are omnipresence, it changes the life style of Hongkongers. People can spend the whole day in malls, they can buy commodity in the supermarket, they can eat in the restaurant, and they can buy clothes in the mall too.
Yesterday I went to a new shopping mall in Kowloon Station, Elements, which is developed and managed by MTR Corporation. Elements positions itself as a high class shopping centre, most shops are international brands.
Apart from streets, the final objective of shopping malls is consumption; people are hardly escaping from the consumer area in shopping malls. There are two methods that people are focused to consume, convenience shopping and compulsory shopping.
Convenience shopping means people are easier to consume, constrains are decreased and lots of benefits that attract people consume. Shops are welcome in EPS, Credit Cards or even Octopus Card which ensures most of the people can afford if they are interest. Also, shops like IKEA and Broadway, provide delivery services, consumer no need to worry about the trips after shopping. Shopping malls always held activities and create theme decoration to increase flow, let consumer enjoy to stay in the mall, increase the chance of consuming.
Compulsory shopping is another methods that credit cards rewards and coupons encourage people to consume a much higher to get a discount. For example, a $100 coupon can be used when consumed $1000 clothes.
Malls are an integrated consuming area which encouraged consuming. The “ingredients” in the malls are well formulated. Besides restaurants, clothing, and entertainment shops, banks is another important issues that determine the successful of the malls, malls with banks ensure people can get the money and continue consume.
In order to have a higher rental in the shopping mall, the owner will attract big store like Marks and Spencar, H&M, and Body Shop. Because these international chains stores can bear a high rental and increase the shopping centre level. Big stores are in oligopoly situation in malls which small store are hardly entering the market. Big stores also dominate the promotion of their products, which affect consumers’ ideology, believe that big shops must better than small, unique shops. Big shops dominate the market lead to the control of prices, while bearing a high rental, the prices of the product are relatively increase. Also, the illusion of choice is created, people in the malls seems can choose what they like, but actually choice are limited, we can only consume what the chain store provide.
Nowadays, shopping malls are being important in Hong Kong retailing, the consumption mode of Hongkongers have changed, people are much more like to spend in shopping malls than streets, and we are get used to stay in shopping malls, as well as stay in the consumption area. 

Media create the ideal image of people?

In the past, male were dominant, independent, talkative, rational. Also, they were considered to be strong and so intelligent that they could handle everything. Moreover, they were mostly being a professional or discipline such as Doctor, Lawyer, engineer and policemen. Therefore, male were asked to be the economic foundation. On the other hand, female were submissive, emotional and dependent.Furthermore, they were considered to no need in success on pubic while only needed to support male (subordinate) and being private (e.g stay at home or concentrate on housework). They were mostly being a subordinate position of job. For examples, nurse  , secretary and so on. Society and the media creates ideal masculine and ideal feminine attributes, people tend to follow these attributes to be an ideal person at the past. Still, the gender concept and gender role are changing nowadays.  

Different modern images of women were presented in the media. They varied from the traditional women who stayed in the private sphere as a housewife. More exposure of professional women image was presented in the media like Lawyer, Doctor and Pilot. Women who shown in the media, can participated in more workforce in society than before. They were actively participated in the society. As media had great power penetrating to different social class, the working women’s image presented in the media inspired women in becoming more independent in the society.

In the past, people always thought that male should be masculine and male were responsible for making money outside. It was mother’s duty to nurture her children. It seems there is a clear line defining father’s role and mother’s role. In the modern society, media presented a modern image of male.Female used to rely on male in the past because they were lack of job opportunities. Women didn’t have economic ability to support their living. However, nowadays, female are given more job opportunities. They had stable income from their jobs. Women were economic independent than before. Men were no longer the only support of women. As a result, women were independent compared to the past.  Women are more involved in tertiary education in the modern century. The higher education level women attained, the higher position they attain in different job fields. More respect was given to women. Women earned for their living and they contributed to their family. The impression of subordination of women is lessened. Women status was upraised. Therefore, men couldn’t look down to women. The patriarchy influence in some way was deducted.   

Do we buy handbags or simply brand? (By Genki Mak)

 

Have you ever buy a handbag with brand name such as Louis Vuitton? In Hong Kong, people choose handbags depends on their utility, price and so on. Nevertheless, I think brand is the most important reason why people buy the handbags. Brand is a kind of recognition which includes a name, logo and slogan associated with the product. Nowadays, we can see many people bringing handbags with brand names like Agnes b and Gucci on the street. Even teenagers consume brand handbags. This phenomenon is so popular in the consuming culture of Hong Kong. It arouses a question: “Do we buy handbags or simply brand?”

In my opinion, brand name of handbags is a guarantee for customers. Some brand handbags such as Agnes b are more than $1000 HK dollars. As people usually believe that expensive products are equivalent to good products, they have more confident in brand products. Furthermore, Advertisements and magazines affect us to consume the brand handbags. For example, when pictures of famous stars or models carry brand handbags are displayed in magazines, people will be fascinated after reading them. They would like to buy those handbags to imitate idols or to be fashionable. For me, I also buy the brand handbags which I can afford such as Puma when I am attracted by those advertisements. Therefore, we can conclude that people are more willing to buy famous brands which can afford the huge amount of advertising expenditure than those without well-known brand names.

On the other hand, people purchase personal identities other than the brand handbag itself. For instance, a student takes Gucci handbag to school, other classmates may think he or she is from a wealthy family. Brand makes us feel more confident and noble. It seems to have a value which can satisfy material needs of consumers. Consequently, brand generates an effect that increases consumption. As a result of the above reasons, teenagers in Hong Kong love to pursue brand handbags. However, they have no economic source to afford expensive handbags, thus this kind of consumption is just wasting their families’ money. The brand effect is so serious and has a great influence in the consuming culture. It causes a majority to buy handbags because of the brand.

As high-priced brand handbags like Vivienne Westwood target at middle class or above, for those who cannot afford may turn to pirated goods. Although selling pirated goods are supposed to be illegal, people still sell those goods to make profits. When people buy more and more counterfeit goods gradually, we are difficult to distinguish between fake goods and the real one on the street. Despite the goods are not useful to them, consumers still buy fake brand handbags with low prices to satisfy their desire. I think this consumption behaviour of counterfeit goods show that consumers simply want the brand rather than the handbag itself.

In fact, some people still choose handbags which are without brand names. However, in my opinion, brand attracts most people to buy their products like clothes and shoes. Consumptions of handbags are more obvious to show the phenomenon of which consumers pursue brands in Hong Kong. When they consume handbags, they are consuming brands at the same time. In the consuming culture, people purchase products continuously without any purpose. Nowadays, brand is so popular because it is well-liked by the mass. Moreover, media imply ideology to us that we buy the products with brands is a correct choice. Therefore, I think many people do not simply buy handbags, but also their brands. 

Genki Mak

Reference:

Wikipedia – The Free Encyclopedia. “Brand” 16 Oct 2007. 17 Oct 2007
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand >

Lost In Technology

 

I feel that nowadays people are always busy because when I am on the bus or on the MTR even I am walking on the street, I can see most of the people they are not just sitting or standing, they are always doing something else, for example they will listening to the music, some are playing their PS or NDS and they are not just the adult, I see many children are also like this, they don’t like the past, they don’t going around and just sitting there and playing the games. When I am looking at them I always feel that they seem not in our world because they can’t feel the things which is happening around them, they are only focus on the music player, cell phone or the game and people are always keep their mouth shut, they

 

When I see the people like this, I always think that although technology make our life more confidence and can entertain us, I still think that technology is also bring many problem to our life and I think the biggest problem is the communication. It seem technology can make communication more easier, for example, we can use the cell phone to contact our friend or use SMS to chat with the friend but on the hand people are always use the phone but not going out to see the friend. Nowadays people are more used to use the technology to contact, they will use SMS, MSN, E-MAIL but I think that actually this is not a very good way to communicate with the friend because using the SMS or MSN, actually we can’t exactly understand the meaning, maybe the words can’t express how happy or how sad she is and when we are using the technology to communicate, I feel that it is lack of hospitality and I can’t feel the passion. Also I hate my friend always focus on the technology, for example when we are having dinner, they are still playing with their NDS, when we are walking on the street they are still using their MP3, when we are watching movie they are still playing their cell phone and send the SMS, when I seeing this I will always think that they are not respect me or all of the friend.

 

I just don’t understanding why people can’t only focus on one thing and always let themselves very busy and I feel that when we didn’t have many technology, the relationship between people are more close than now. Actually in the world there are many beautiful things, people should more enjoy the world and try to feel the world. When people are walking to school or work, try not to listen to the music, try to listen and the see the world, this much funny than the music or the game. And also I hope that people can use the time to talk with their friends or the family rather than focus on the NDS because I believe that the communication and the relationship between people are more valuable than using the time on the technology.

YouTube

My friend had send a clip to me, is about a teenager eating a mice on a yacht.  She watched it on YouTube and forwards it to me.  That video is really disgusting and rude.  I do not dare to finish it so I just take a look and close it immediately.  Then, I also forward this clip to other friend through MSN.  I think most of people had similar experience and YouTube seems being a trend in Hong Kong.  

YouTube is a popular free video sharing Web Site which lets users upload, view and share video clips.  The wide variety of site content includes movie, TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging. After the “Bus Uncle Accident” (巴士阿叔事件)  Youtube is hot and popular in Hong Kong.  Many newspaper and magazine report that issue, even attract the foreign media like Times magazine to report it. 

 Due to the technology advance so people are easy to upload the video on the internet. Mobile phone, digital camera and DV are convenient to let the people take the video.  Youtube is a swift channel to let the people share the hottest thing.  It not only can view, but also can leave the comment.  At the beginning, people uploads the video on the internet for sharing the happiness and funny things.  But I think the principle of it had distorted a lot.  Nowadays, people upload the clip for notable, no matter good or bad.  They always take a lot of disgust, violent or stupid things to draw others attention.  You can easy to find this as you search on YouTube.   

Upload the video on internet seems is a trendy, YouTube is just an example. It is easy to find this kind’s website on the internet, like GodTube, it is a website for the Christian to share their belief. “Yoqoo” is a website like YouTube but published by China.  The phenomenon of this can reviews internet is a part of our life. To be honest, I am hard to separate with Facebook, MSN, Email and Blog. William suggests culture is a particular way of life, whether of a people, a period or a group.  We have different culture in certain period and I think internet must relate to our culture deeply on the future.