Blade runner

The dystopian state of "Blade Runner" Chan Chun Ming, Clement Introduction "Blade Runner" directed by Ridley Scott, a British director, was released in 1982. This science fiction film was adapted from the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” by Philip K. Dick in 1968. “Blade Runner” aroused plenty of heated criticisms among audience. There are seven versions of this film but this paper adopts the “Director cut’s version of 1992” so there is no voice over in the film. The theme of the movie points out the hideous side of selfishness among humans who make use of the replicants to work for them as slaves. The purpose behind creating those potential strengths of replicants, through the highly technological devices and sophisticated scientific knowledge, is to satisfy the needs of human beings. The background of the whole movie presents a dismal cityscape of Los Angeles in 2019.The streets are not only suffused with rubbish but also it is a crime-prone society in a futuristic ambiance and stuffy condition. It is strange why a futuristic city looks like a sterile environment. Furthermore, the only sunlight in the movie that can be seen is in the scene of Tyrell’s apartment while darkness is enshrouded in the entire movie, giving an unsettling feeling to audience. All the phenomena depicted in “Blade Runner” are to mirror the problems of our contemporary society nowadays. Furthermore, the superiority of technology fails to 2. build up an idealistic and harmonious society for people. The basic premise of this paper is to explore the reason behind a dystopian environment in “Blade Runner”. Any powerful functions or benefits that people can enjoy and satisfy through technological advantages of scientific achievement may become a nightmare in the future. In other words, a sense of insecurity becomes an ominous apprehension in a state of dystopian society in the foreseeable future. The definition of dystopia The entire text of "Blade Runner" is portrayed in a milieu of dystopian landscape and this paper, the first and foremost task, is to identify the definition of dystopia based on the binary opposition. The opposite of utopia is dystopia. According to the definition of utopia, it states that a fictive society based around notions of equality, social harmony, economic prosperity and political stability while dystopia refers to fictional societies that are incredibly imperfect, lacking the harmonious and egalitarian qualities of life depicted in utopias. The prefix of 'dys' means bad. Basically, these are two diverse notions in terms of a social concept. In addition, utopia was coined by Thomas More with a combination of Greek eutopia (a happy place) and outopia (no place) together. The difference between these two contrasting terms can outline the meaning of dystopia and examine the understanding of its counterpart about utopia. All in all, the definition of dystopia, which provides a useful vehicle to explore its meaning, can be used to vindicate how the environment of a society looks like and indicate what the problems of a dystopian state exists in the text. Problems of dystopian phenomena Numerous scenes of "Blade Runner" display plenty examples of the dystopian cityscape such as the gushing flames in the first scene, smoggy surroundings of streetscape, incessant falling of acid rain, rubbish-laden streets, insufficient sunlight in the city and the glaring spotlight of spinners (flying vehicles), illustrating the aspect of decadence in a dystopian city. The eco-disaster has devastated the whole city in an alarming degree. Furthermore, the impact of nuclear war produces the massive overkill that brings severe damage to human beings. That's why Sebastian is getting decrepit because of the toxic chemicals. The spotlights of spinners become the essential light source in the evening. Consequently, it constitutes the problem of light pollution as the spotlights give off glaring light at night. Crime is found in Los Angeles as the replicants kill humans as they take revenge on them because they have been under oppression by humans. The replicants are slave labours, working for 4. human beings and, most importantly and ironically, they are looked down upon in society. In fact, their status are the outsiders in society. It also reflects the problem of inequality existing in a futuristic society with such technological advancement. Said (2003:24) maintained that Orientalism not only offers a marvelous instance of the interrelations between society, history and textuality but also the cultural role played by the Orientin the west connects Orientalism with ideology, politics, and the logic of power. The replicants are treated as inferior class in terms of their identities as they are half humans and half machines. They are exploited to serve to humans. The rationale of Orientalism is to illustrate the imbalance of power which is found in society especially some group with stereotype in society. They are regarded to live in a fixed period at certain time in history. Thus, the status of the replicants is considered to be otherness and their identities of being replicants will last forever. To a greater extent, there exists two different classes in society, including humans and replicants respectively. The inharmonious aspect of society is noticeable since replicants are being oppressed by humans. It is ironical to say that inequality still turns out in a highly technology-orientated society in the future. Indeed, the rebellion of those relpicants is really caused by the selfishness of human beings who lead to the root of trouble in society. Different ethnic groups with a mishmash of various languages can be discernible in the movie especially in the crowded streets. The crucial point is to convey an important message that the process of diaspora has been underway and they are left on earth because they have little economic capabilities to settle in the off-world colony and, what's more, they are the underprivileged in society. The society is not in a state of idealistic entity in terms of economic prosperity. It is due to the fact that the economic resources of the society are dominated by a few conglomerates. The Tyrell Corporation, which is a striking example in the text, controls the production in society. It reveals how the capitalists exploit the economic opportunities in a post-industrial stage in the future. Instead of following a right track of utopian development with an evenly economic distribution, the society tends to go down into an abyss of dystopian swirl. The perfectness of society is far way from people. Williams (1988:384) claimed that the following items can be subsumed as the features of dystopia, including irreversible environmental pollution, numbing overpopulation, frighteningly violent crime, intractable bureaucratic administration and authoritarianism and the most heartless forms of economic exploitation. "Blade Runner" can find the above-mentioned characteristics of dystopia. The role of film noir Ostensibly, the dark lighting effect is one the vivid elements of film language to construct a predominant mood of the movie. The centrality of this lighting technique successfully builds up a unique aura to match with the production design of a dystopian degradation prevailing the movie thematically, powerfully highlighting a strong contrast of dark and light visual images. The movie belongs to a film genre of film noir, which was a major film movement in 1940's. Dick (1990:96) illustrated that in film noir, the interplay of light and dark is accomplished by high-contrast photography and low-key lighting, which create a monolinear world of white and dark. Actually, "Blade Runner" is not a black and white film. It makes use of film noir as a medium or a production design to reflect the atmosphere of a dystopian problem to audience, thereby giving a sense of insecurity and uncertainty towards a futuristic city with a strong emphasis of technoscience-based infrastructure. In doing so, it is highly critical of the age of modern technology and science because these two elements do more harm to humans totally. One point is worth noting that the essence of film noir turns into a momentum to reinforce the message of a dystopian state in the whole text thematically and aesthetically. All the crimes are committed at nocturnal timeframe. Several scenes of murder happen at night, including the killing of Holden, Leon, Tyrell, Zhora and Chew. The most stunning visual stimulus is the deadly fighting between Batty and Deckard at the ending of the movie with the downpour of rain elegiacally. It delineates how awful a dystopian situation it is. Darkness is a symbol, implying something terrible that is going to happen. Thus, the foggy streetscape is enveloped in darkness whereas the shining lights of the flying vehicle produce a sharp contrast in lighting effect artistically. There are certain traits of characterization found in film noir such as private detective and a female character who is a femme fatale. Deckard is a blade runner who hunts down and kills those replicants. Actually, his job is similar to a private detective while Rachael is a replicant who belongs to femme fatale. Lacey (2000:65) added that the conventional protagonist of films noir is an alienated male, a drifter or private eye detective and the character of the femme fatale. Deckard comes across Rachael in the course of chasing the replicants and the former becomes infatuated with the latter. The story line turns out a twist as Deckard saves Rachael's lives and they flee together out the dystopian city. In fact, it is an open ending as it leaves plenty of room for audience to figure out their final destiny. The interesting point is that the life span of a replicant lasts for 4 years so it triggers the audience to think of their romance whether it is a happy ending or sad ending. In film noir, the male character will change his fate when he meets a female character. Deckard has to choose to escape with Rachael as their decision because the outcome of being a replicant has to retire, implying extermination. If Los Angeles were a utopian city, social harmony and stability would co-exist in society. However, tolerance and mutual respect will become extinct in a futuristic society so there is nothing more to describe the social milieu of Los Angeles than a dystopian degeneration. The incorporation of film noir in the movie can strengthen the negative aspect of dystopian state. The dreadful nightmare in the movie is an epitome of our deep worry in contemporary society in which the technology has already brought us. Indeed, technological-determinism is not a panacea to everything although technology can help humans make their dream come true to a certain extent. The theory of postmodernism "Blade Runner" has been regarded as a classic example of postmodernism and Sunderland (2009) thought that "Blade Runner" has been seen as a quintessentially postmodernist film. The central notion is how the affinity between dystopia and postmodernism can be bound up together. Basically, postmodernism is anti-technology and skeptical to progress because nobody can guarantee technology is absolute security. Scientists and technicians have a set of beliefs based on truth and reasoning to underpin their conceptualization. Their truths become grand narratives. However, postmodernism totally denies any grand narrative. Science, with its importance of truth behind a set of grand narratives, fades away as it cannot overcome all the problems that human faces in reality. Lyotard (1984:37) asserted that the grand narrative has lost its credibility, regardless of what mode of unification it uses, regardless of whether it is a speculative narrative or a narrative of emancipation. Dr. Tyrell, a scientist, thinks that the replicants can help humans through sophisticated technology. However, it is not case. His purpose is based on the mentality of profit-making. Science, indeed, causes a lot of disastrous result to the earth and even the mutiny of the replicants. That is, the nature of science becomes malfunction. The technological devices or gadgets only make the society become a consumerism-orientated mode. Thus, consumerism is a major trend and a spectacle of society takes shape. This term is suggested by Guy Debord. The advertisement billboards are the bombardment of visual images of commodities found in "Blade Runner". This is the trait of late capitalism put forward by Fred Jameson and Barker (2008: 209) explained that late capitalism extends commodification to all realms of personal and social life, transforming the real into the image and simulacrum. The present trend of emphasizing superficial value through purchasing is a not a healthy practice. "Blade Runner" depicts this phenomenon in a futuristic society in order to satirize the acts of humans in existing society. It demonstrates that people are under economic exploitation and their living standard is not as idealistic as it seems in a technological city. It is apt to mention that some traits of postmodernism can be used to explain how the state of dystopia is formed in "Blade Runner" . The animals shown in "Blade Runner" are the replicas of the real animals as Zhora mentioned that she could not afford to buy a snake. The reason why all the animals are not real is that the eruption of eco-disasters kills all the animals on earth. It is ironical to say that all the animals look more real than the real one. Baudrillard (1983:148) claimed that it is reality itself today that is hyperrealist and we live everywhere in an 'aesthetic' hallucination of reality. It is hard to distinguish all the visual images whether they are real or fake because the age of simulation has already become a way of life in the postmodern period. The outlook of all replicants are as same as human beings except their limitation of memory system because they do not have past memory. Furthermore, their future also looks gloomy as they have 4-year life span. The design of the building identifies the particularity of postmodernism. The golden skyscraper of the Tyrell Corporation is an amalgam of the Gothic design and the modern architecture, becoming a kind of pastiche in artistic formation. The Tyrell building implies a symbol of economic exploitation in Los Angeles. This building does not signify economic prosperity but it denote how Tyrell enjoys a special status, controlling economic resources in society. Kuhn (1990:185) commented that the city is not an orderly layout of skyscrapers and ultracomfortable, hypermechanized interiors. Rather, it creates an aesthetic of decay, exposing the dark side of technology, the process of disintegration. The stylistic design of the building is only for the sake of artistic function rather than for making any positive contribution in a fair opportunity of economic development. The significant point is that advanced technology only results in bringing a dystopian society because the financial resources of a society are controlled by a few people. Conclusion The central focus of this paper places special emphasis on a dystopian state. In fact, it is the selfishness of humans who create the trouble to themselves. Most importantly, technology leads to a dystopian cityscape pessimistically. "Blade Runner" triggers our contemporary society to do reflection concerning technology that brings worry in society and it seems that "Blade Runner" offers an apocalyptic insight towards technological futurity. The significance of postmodernism, with it denial of truth towards science and acceptance of diversity, refuses to acknowledge technoscience as the sole contribution to society and, what's more, espouses heterogeneity, broadening a new horizon for people in contemporary society. In short, postmodernism, so to speak, is a new way of thinking in terms of zeitgeist. References Barker (2008) Cultural Studies Theory and practice.Sage.3rd Edition. p.209 Baudrillard, J (1983) Simulation. New York. Semiotext(e). p.148 Lacy, Nick (2000) Blade Runner- York Film Notes.Longman. Longhurst, B, Smith, G. Bagnall, G. Crawford,G&Ogborn, M (2004) Introducing Cultural Studies. Pearson: Longman. (1stEd) p.214 Lyotard, jean Francois (1984) The Postmodern Condition. Manchester. University Press. Kuhn, Annette (1990) Alien Zone.Verso, London and New York. Said Edward W. (2003) Orientalism. Penguin Books. http://dc-mrg.english.ucsb.edu/WarnerTeach/E192/bladerunner/Dystopia.Blade.Runner.Hoffpauir.htm - information about the meaning of utopia and dystopia. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1600763 (Ideology as Dystopia: An Interpretation of "Blade Runner" : Douglas E. Williams from International Political Science Review. Vol. 9 No.4 Sage Publication. http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/blade-runner-and-postmodernism 14.

Cold war

A good movie but not better than Infernal Affiars

Grasshopper vs Softhard

Definitely concert of the year. Very entertaining. ck

Taken 2

An action packed movie but you've to leave your brains behind in order to enjoy the movie.

Iron Sky

A cult movie that draws a few laughs

重遇——張德蘭

趁幾天復活節假期，一行八人，一起到泉州，探訪岳父岳母他們的故鄉。 車程很長，但不打緊，重要的是那份回鄉的感覺。老婆說，她六歲到香港，鄉下是怎樣的，早已記不得，而對過慣城市生活的女兒來說，鄉下是很遙遠的東西。 在車上沒事可做，都是看點書，聽音樂，來打發時間。現在要用最短的時間量度一個人的品位，通常會問：“What’s on your iPod?”而我的答案，通常令人摸不著頭腦，例如有Adele，One Direction，Simple Plan這些流行的歌曲，亦有Pink Floyd，Yes，ELP，Deep Purple這些在我成長年紀影響至深的音樂，更當然會有大量的jazz和blues，而更重要的當然之選，是她，張德蘭。 回憶總是美麗的。 記得第一次接觸張德蘭的音樂時，我只是六歲。那是跟父親參加飲宴，當晚表演嘉賓，就是那陣子還叫張圓圓的小妹妹，唱了大量的國語歌。雖然當時年紀小，也覺得她的歌聲很甜美，樣子可愛，亦令我開始接觸流行曲。 然後是反叛的年代，大量的重型搖滾，就是我的至愛。接著是出國留學，電視播的是「陸小鳳」，劇情相當吸引，但令我留意的不是鄭少秋唱的主題曲，而是「愿君心記取」，「鮮花滿月樓」這些小調，歌者叫張德蘭，即是從前的張圓圓。 以前資訊沒有現在這麼流通，留學生必備的是那一整套的金庸武俠小說，及好幾盒的卡式帶，而我其中一盒帶，是女友送的，就是張德蘭的歌。 在沒有電腦的年代的留學生，生活總是樸素的，那種「酒無人勸，醉也無人管」的生活是不好受，寂寞時，想起家人，想起女友，就聽聽張德蘭的歌。如是者，便過了五年。 回到香港工作，舊的東西，如事過境遷。留下的，總會留著，但過去的，便讓它逝去，包括那份初戀。雖然已進入CD的年代，但寂寞時，夢回青河，喝一口紅酒，聽一點張德蘭的歌，讓淚水滾動，都是一個好的釋放。 到了早一陣子，我跟老婆結婚週年紀念，和一大班朋友去聽演唱會，而歌者正是張德蘭。隨著她唱著顧家輝的名曲，我便墮進思念之中，現實上拖著至愛的手，回憶中帶著鄭愁予的名句：“我不是歸人，是個過客”，想起從前的往事。 演唱會煞是好看，張德蘭當晚唱的，除了首本名曲外，亦在A Capella的環節，大演功架，還有以不同的形式，演唱別人的歌曲。這幾十年來，我變了很多，而張德蘭的音樂造詣，可算再登高峰。 演唱會後，二話不說，立刻置了她的新CD，叫重遇。是的，如徐志摩所說：“我將於茫茫人海中訪我唯一靈魂之伴侶。得之，我幸；不得，我命”。我找到了，Eureka，亦重新認識張德蘭。便把她的新歌，放在iPod裏，伴我這個回鄉之旅，給我一大發現。 我是頗為抗拒「口水歌」的。心想，任你怎樣唱，也難超越。但張德蘭這張新碟中，有很多「口水歌」，都給我帶來驚喜，例如「偏偏喜歡你」。 在大學時，我曾經喜歡過一位女孩子，但緣分未到，只有分手離場。回港前的幾個晚上，聽的是陳百強的「偏偏喜歡你」，離愁別緒，加上感情失意，卒潸然下淚。但此番聽張德蘭的版本，卻有新的感受。我有妻有女，生活相當愉快，而女兒名字，就叫「翩翩」，所以在回鄉當晚，唱卡拉OK，點了這首歌，唱罷給老婆及女兒深深一吻，多謝她們帶給我的快樂。 又例如「鐵塔淩雲」，除了許冠傑外，怎可以有另外之選？月前他重回港大，一唱此曲，令人回首當年，幾經風雨，香江仍是最美，而張德蘭聲音帶柔，就好像一位愛人，向你訴說多年的支持，給你一個鼓勵，肯定美麗的將來。 至於兩首A Capella，「願」及「陪著你走」，真的好到沒得說。原來在沒有音樂之下，張德蘭的演繹，把歌的級數提高了，好像醇酒般，慢慢品嘗，享受當中的變化。 還值得一提的，當然是電視劇「我的如意狼君」主題曲「朝花夕拾」，就像當年由張圓圓年代變做張德蘭年代一樣，大家會問，這是誰唱的啊？樂壇多了一把天籟之聲，可喜可賀啊！原來是重遇張德蘭，於是奔走相告，她回來了。 其實，張德蘭一點也沒有離開過，隨著年和月，點與滴，天天都在進步之中，此番再戰樂壇是向大家說明一個道理，就是成功永遠留給有準備的人。 四天回鄉之旅匆匆過去，重拾的是那份甜蜜的回憶，陪伴的是美好的人與事。多謝你，張德蘭。 走筆至此，要問一句：以後的日子，可否以張圓圓的名字出新碟呢？反正，圓圓的名字是多麼的好聽啊。不信，你問高圓圓。 「人和人年和月都太類似，無論怎麼都只活一次，晴朗的天空中找到生息的真意，人才能無悔舊時。 在人潮和圍牆下只要願意，憑著一雙手總是可以，晴朗的天空中跨過彼此的疆界，連潮流亦會轉移。」 專輯：重遇張德蘭 歌名：在晴朗的天空下 曲：李宗盛 詞：林夕 唱：張德蘭 張志儉

Batman - the dark night rises

A good movie but not an excellent one. Nolan wants to explore many issues but they are dealt with in quite a superficial manner. Furthermore, he should have employed a martial arts co-ordinator from HK to take care of the fight scene. ck

Time after time - Alan Tam and Teresa Carpio

Alan was confident enough not to sing a lot of his hit songs and Teresa's performance deserved the status of diva. ck cheung

火星媒體Mars

今年年初，香港中文大學新聞與傳播學院獲中大知識轉移基金支持，成立名為火星媒體Mars Media的社區專案，主動接觸中小學生，為年輕人提供新的傳媒教育平台。為了增加趣味，計畫設定以火星小王子登陸地球為引子，喻意由零開始，讓我們重新瞭解地球的媒體。是次分享將介紹計畫理念，創作和製作的背景，並初探此一模式的傳媒教育的優缺。 The sharing session will take place in August 13, 4-6.00pm. If you're interested to join, please send me an meail at chikimcheung@gmail.com

邁向Web 3.0的「傳媒資訊素養」

香港是一個傳播科技發達的城市。專家說，再過四至五年，它就會踏入Web 3.0時代。屆時的傳媒環境究竟是怎樣的一個面貌？我們的新一代要接受甚麼培訓，才能在未來社會揮灑自如地工作和生活？ 認識Web 3.0 香港人剛剛迎接了Web 2.0，正在享受社交網站帶來的樂趣及方便，原來Web 3.0已經悄悄的來到大家身邊。 Web 3.0是互聯網科技更先進的應用。在Web 1.0時代，我們上網大多數只是瀏覽網頁。Web 2.0推出後，大家不再是被動的網頁瀏覽者，而是可以把自己的訊息上載到YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia 和公民新聞網站的「傳媒創作/消費人」(prosumer)，在網上發放資訊與別人分享，已是一般市民日常生活的一部分。Web 3.0將更進一步，超級電腦的人工智能可以為我們分析網上資訊，提供進階個人服務。故此，Web 1.0是「閱覽網」(read-only Web)；Web 2.0是「可讀可寫網」(read-write Web)；而Web3.0則是「可讀可寫可執行網」(read-write-execute Web)。 Web 3.0有幾個特色。首先是網絡運算和數據國際化。未來全世界的電腦將連繫起來，互通消息，構成龐大的全球數據庫。 第二，Web 3.0的互聯網將是一個智能網。那個時候，電腦明白你提出的要求，因為搜尋器不僅能辨認關詞，還結合「語義」分析，解讀你輸入指令的具體含義，繼而懂得精明地回答問題，提供更準確及多元化的搜尋結果。 第三，未來的互聯網透過人工智能，可以全面分析我們多年來在網絡上進行的活動，了解我們的性情、喜好、購買能力和知識水平。當我們到網上尋找資訊時，互聯網立刻就能提供度身訂造的精準資料和有用的建議。舉個例子，如果一個人經常上網查閱旅行消息，又上網買機票訂酒店，在Facebook還大談旅遊經驗，互聯網就知道他是一個熱愛旅遊的人，不僅能為他提供合心意的旅遊資訊，並為廣告客户主動送上適合他看的廣告。此外，將來我們或許不用求職，僱主透過互聯網搜索，就像現時聘用獵頭公司那樣去找尋適合的僱員，主動送上聘書。 第四，Web 3.0將是一個無綫上網的年代，大家都會依賴手機或各類平板電腦作為主要傳播溝通工具，上網變得更方便及普及，個人與國際網絡將連成一體。 從以上的特色可以看到，互聯網將進一步主宰我們的工作及生活。互聯網整合我們在網上留下的足跡，用人工智能客觀分析我們的品性及行為，它將會比我們更了解自己。如果我們在Web 3.0的時代要保持批判自主，不為媒體及互聯網操控，懂得捍衛私穩之餘，還能善用互聯網，那麽我們就必須要掌握新的技能及素養。 傳媒素養概念的伸展 一直以來，教育界人士均認為，在大眾傳媒發達的年代，一個現代人若果只有傳統素養 (即懂得讀書寫字) 是不足夠的，他還需要具備傳媒素養 (media literacy)，以懂得解讀傳媒訊息，因為傳媒的影響力實在太大了。過去幾十年，香港及世界各地都推行傳媒教育，目的就是指導學生認識、分析、善用及監察傳媒。當科技繼續進步，素養的概念也隨之再發展。 九十年代出現一項重要的傳播革命，傳媒科技 (media technology) 和電腦科技 (computer technology) 滙流，學者高爾殊 (Koelsch) 稱之為「傳媒資訊革命」(infomedia revolution)。這個革命隨著互聯網的發展而延續，在現時的 Web 2.0時代，傳統媒體與互聯網的結合已經愈來愈緊密，到了Web 3.0，預計傳媒與資訊科技的界線會很模糊。學者提出，當傳播環境一再變遷，傳媒素養的概念應該再伸延。邁向Web 3.0時代，傳媒及資訊科技正全方位包圍我們的生活，我們需要新的素養來協助我們應對新的環境。 最近幾年，聯合國教育、科學及文化組織 (UNESCO)積極將傳媒素養的概念和資訊素養的概念融合，再加上ICT技能，組合成一個新的概念 ---「傳媒資訊素養」 (Media and Information Literacy)，簡稱MIL。在未來幾年，聯合國將在全球推廣MIL運動。在聯合國教科文組織眼中，「傳媒資訊素養」不僅可用以應對未來的科技環境，還可以協助各國順利過渡到知識社會，建立公義、多元化及鼓吹公平參與的民主國度。 進入知識社會 知識社會是指一個社會裏面大部分人口是知識工作者，而資訊是主要的生產工具，即資訊、傳媒訊息及知識的接收、製作和傳遞對一個社會的政治、經濟、社會和文化具關鍵作用。故此，建立社會架構以方便知識生產是每個政府的要務，而培育具備傳媒資訊素養的公民亦成為教育當局的首要任務。試想想，如果一個社會裏面大部分的人口都缺乏處理資訊的能力，這個社會不可能在廿一世紀成為先進國家。 隨著互聯網科技的蓬勃發展，世界各地已逐步從工業社會邁向知識社會。近年香港政府也鼓勵拓展知識經濟，而香港的重要產業如金融業、物流業及旅遊業等，資訊均在當中担任重要角色。香港在傳媒和資訊領域的建設是理想的，「硬件」沒有問題，需要努力的方向是培養人才，發展軟實力。 其實香港的傳媒教育工作者，早在九十年代末就倡議培育年青人的傳媒資訊素養，而在二零零零至二零零二年，突破機構運用六百萬的優質教育基金發展了「傳媒和資訊教育計劃」(MILE)。天主教石鐘山紀念小學和天主教善導小學在二零零九至二零一零也推行「我是未來領袖」計劃，結合傳媒教育和資訊科技教育。香港的學者們也參與了聯合國的MIL計劃，和專家小組合作撰寫了「傳媒資訊素養教材」的教師版；又協助聯合國研發「傳媒資訊素養指標」(Media and Information Literacy Indictors」，這項計劃打算未來幾年，展開全球的有關評估工作。 甚麼是「傳媒資訊素養」？ 「傳媒資訊素養」是將傳媒素養及資訊素養的內容整合，提出在廿一世紀，社會大眾 (尤其是年輕人) 應具備的一系列能力。這篇文章將這個新概念分為三個部分。 (一) 尋索傳媒訊息和資訊的能力： 有效及快捷地從不同的訊息源 (傳媒、圖書館、博物館、各類資料庫) 尋找有用的傳媒訊息及資訊，警覺它們對個人及社會具有很大影响力。 (二) 認識、分析和整合傳媒訊息和資訊的能力： 了解媒體 (例如明報) 及資訊公司 (例如Google) 的性質、功能及運作，了解不同媒體 (例如報紙、電視、互聯網) 對同一事件會呈現不同的現實，具批判力地分析及評價傳媒及資訊內容，懂得如何選取、組織及綜合傳媒訊息及資訊。 (三) 使用及創造傳媒訊息和資訊的能力： 有效及安全地利用各種傳播途徑 (例如電話、博客、社交網站) 和其他人溝通及分享資訊，合乎道德地使用媒體及資訊，用美學眼光欣賞媒體及資訊，透過媒體學習及了解世界，將個人從傳媒及資訊提供者得來的訊息應用到日常生活中，具創意地製作多媒體作品，並懂得監察傳媒及資訊機構，促進改革。 廿一世紀本領 廿一世紀是傳媒科技和資訊科技融合的年代，是互聯網的天下，也是人類社會由工業社會轉型至知識社會的歷史時刻。處於這個科技環境及社會結構急速變遷的香港社會，年青一代必須培養好配合時代需求的素養和能力，才能成為具備批判能力的公民和勝任的知識工作者，而「傳媒資訊素養」將是新一代必備的廿一世紀本領。 李月蓮 2012年6月號《傳媒透視》

RIP Canadian media education pioneer Barry Duncan

Barry Duncan, a pioneer in the filed of media education passed away last week and please read the following written by Len Masterman. A light has gone out in Ontario this week. Barry Duncan's passing will be mourned by all who had the privilege of knowing him, not only in North America but across the globe. Today there will be teachers taking media classes from Madrid to Hong Kong, from Manchester to Tokyo, from Sydney to Manila, who will, perhaps without knowing it, be indebted to Barry's inspirational work in their field. Barry was an educational pioneer. The genuine article. A progressive teacher whose starting point was always the issues and experiences which students were encountering outside of class. His concept of the "teachable moment'- scrapping your pre-planned ideas,going with the issues and stories which were capturing the imagination and energy of your students, and thereby utilising all of the resources which the media bring to contemporary events-still strikes me as being at the heart of what media education is all about: topicality, vitality, creativity, with teacher and students working together to research an issue's wider contexts and implications. Nobody explicated that vision with greater authority or clarity than Barry. It was not only Barry's inspiring personal example, but his wider advocacy and networking skills (though the phrase scarcely does justice to the loyalty he gave, and in turn inspired in thousands of teachers) that made him such an iconic figure in the Canadian Media Literacy movement. And this movement gave inspiration to the rest of the world because it was forged in Barry's image. Academics, researchers, and administrators have made important contributions to it, but it is to a talented network of teachers across Canada, many of them of exceptional ability and commitment,that the movement owes its enduring success. Barry was a man of great personal warmth. He was universally loved and respected. Every movement, every institution has its share of back-biting and petty jealousies. But I never heard anyone speak negatively of Barry- though some his passengers may have harboured occasional qualms about his driving- because the respect he commanded was universally recognised as being fully deserved. Nor did I ever hear Barry speak negatively of the work of others. He was adept at taking whatever was positive from their experiences. What I shall always personally remember about Barry is the way he would always greet you with a warm hug, a Puckish smile, and a teasingly ironic quip. Even after an absence of many years, you could take up a conversation as though you had parted on the previous evening. Like countless others I feel immensely proud to have known Barry, and privileged to have enjoyed his friendship. You cannot be a great teacher without being a great human being. Barry was both. A light may have been extinguished in Ontario this week, but the beacons which Barry has lit across Canada and throughout the world are an inspiring testament to, and an immutable legacy of his life and work. Rest in peace, Barry. Your work is done.

PROMETHEUS

Watched the movie last night. The three important questions asked were 1. Who is our creator? 2. What are we doing here? 3. Where will we go? These questions could not be answered in the movie. Read the Bible instead. One reminder: please warch Alien again before watching this movie. ck cheung

Multi-perspectival Reading of Hero

Hero is an ambitious film written, directed and produced by Zhang Yimou. The film is so popular that apart from having grossed over US$ 170 million in the box office worldwide, it has been frequently discussed and cited by both critics and audiences. As Zhang said, it is a commercial Chinese film aimed at a worldwide audience (Lau, 2007). I propose to view the film with a multi-perspectival approach. People with different cultural backgrounds will have different perspectives to understand it. The story is about how several assassins planning to assassinate the King of Qin. In the beginning of the film, the assassin Nameless had the chance to meet the King face-to-face and gained his trust by telling the story of how he managed to finish off the other three assassins. Then the King saw through his lies and guessed what the real assassination plot was. Finally Nameless revealed the truth that it was another assassin who did not wish the King to be killed and asked Nameless to abandon the plan. The reason was that if the unified ruler (i.e., the King eventually became the first Emperor of China) is dead, “tianxia” (the world) would be in constant war and choas. In the end Nameless spared the King’s life and sacrificed his own for the sake of future peace for all. The use of color in the film is provocative and pivotal. Apart from expressing different emotions through colors, they also differentiate various versions of the story. Like the classic film “Rashomon”, Hero adopts a similar technique to tell a story in contrasting ways. The multi-perspectival understanding of the film is not restricted to the story content only, but can be extended to the viewers’ interpretations of the film itself. Hero has received generally positive reviews from the West. However, many Chinese critics held negative views towards the film regarding its political ideology. According to Hall’s (1980) audience reception theory, different viewers decode media messages with their own cultural positions without necessarily accepting the message creator’s ideas. To the western audiences, the plot in the film seems logical and acceptable. It is more about the stunning visual scenes and martial art action sequences that captured their attention. They are fascinated by various Chinese cultural elements portrayed in the film, such as how swordsmanship and martial art can be related to other forms of high art like music, chess and calligraphy (Louie, 2008). To some Chinese audience, its political connotation is objectionable. The Emperor Qin is viewed traditionally as a brutal tyrant, while the assassins served as heroic symbol of rebel for justice. Now the film advocates a completely reversed conceptualization of the King, and that attainment of peace is only possible through killing. To the Hong Kong audience in particular, many of them would have one additional interpretation. In the movie, it was a painful decision for the King to execute Nameless but he had to do it. The June 4th massacre in 1989 would evoke a parallel thought. The righteous Beijing students were like the assassins, and the Qin Emperor mirrored the Chinese Communist Party/Government. For the sake of “tianxia” (the world, or the whole of China), the Government was said to be justified in brutally cracking down on the student protest in order to secure long-term social stability. To some viewers, Zhang tried to justify the drastic action taken by the King (and the current Government). Was Zhang the great thinker who could see things more profoundly? Was his unique interpretation of hero a “correct” one? Who was the hero? Nameless, the King, or even Zhang himself (in the modern Chinese context)? To whom is the person a hero? These can all be interpreted differently by various people. There is a line in Hero saying, “You think about a person too simplistically.” So while watching Hero, we should not see things in a superficial way. Hero is an interesting film because it invites people to think about some issues. It is like an open text that is up to the readers to interpret. The film is successful in combining commercial interest and artistic appreciation. It tells an ancient Chinese story in a fascinating and stylish way to the West, and at the same time provides an opportunity of reflection for its local audiences. References Hall, S. (1980). Encoding/decoding. In Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (Ed.), Culture, media, language. London: Hutchinson. Lau, J. K. W. (2007). Hero: China's response to Hollywood globalization. In Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. Retrieved February 26, 2012 from ejumpcut.org. Louie, K. (2008). Hero: The return of a traditional masculine ideal in China. In C. Berry (Ed.), Chinese films in focus II (pp.137-143). New York: BFI/Palgrave Macmillan. Vincent So Hoi Sing

Summer school

media education summer school. Please follow the below link http://marsmedia.com.cuhk.edu.hk/

Warrior

wathced this dvd last weekend. Abosultely amazing.

ck cheung

Titantic in 3D

I watched Titantic in 3D last night and was still moved by the story.

Sam Hui @ HKU

A very relaxed Sam Hui gave a great performance today. Welcome home.

C.K. Cheung

From Communication Power Shift to Media Education Paradigm Change: The Case of Hong Kong

Media education has a close relationship with communication technologies. Its emergence and development can be considered an educational response to the concern about media’s impact on individuals and society.



The recent advancement of the new media, particularly Web 2.0, has had a profound social impact. It is arguably the greatest communication revolution in human history. In the past, only media professionals had the power to produce media content. Now with the help of the new media, young people familiar with advanced technologies can also share this power. For example, many of them are active users of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. As the rules of the game for social communication have changed, the power structure is overturned.



Subsequently we have to ask the question: Are the young people well prepared to properly use their newly acquired communication power? Also, media content is not only produced by media professionals but also by the ordinary people. From YouTube to blogs, information is being circulated without filtering and verification. Are the young people well equipped to select and evaluate media messages? In Hong Kong, media literacy educators are trying to address these two issues.





USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN HONG KONG BY YOUNG PEOPLE



Hong Kong is a technologically advanced city. The household broadband penetration rate is 82.3% and the mobile subscriber penetration rate is 180.6% (OFTA, 2010). Not surprisingly, a recent survey found that the lives of Hong Kong youth revolve around their digital gadgets (Fei, 2010). According to Synovate Research Agency, Hong Kong youngsters are ranked first in owning such products when compared to their counterparts surveyed across Asia. They possess an average of 4.1 devices (2 more than the regional average). Across 12 product categories, Hong Kong youngsters top other groups in having the most mobile phones (87% of Hong Kong youth have one), desktop computers (66%), digital still cameras (50%), hand held video games (40%), and TV game consoles (25%).



As ownership of desktop computers among Hong Kong youth is the highest in Asia, it is found that on average local young people spend three hours a day on the Internet. Young people in Hong Kong are also the second group across Asia who spend the most time talking on their mobile phones, close to one hour per day. The Nielsen report shows that local young people use the new technologies mainly for communication, information searching (music, movie and news), and entertainment (Nielsen, 2010).



Hong Kong youngsters are certainly highly engaged with the new media. On the one hand, they are socially well connected. They are also enthusiastic to express their views on facebook, YouTube and discussion forums. It is noteworthy that some of them even use the new media to mobilize social movements. For example, in early 2010 some of the Generation Y young people organized a demonstration through facebook and twitter to oppose the construction of the Hong Kong-Guangzhou Express Rail Link for conservation reason. Obviously, the new media have already become tools for their social and political participation in Hong Kong. Government officials and educators are paying close attention to this new development.



On the other hand, a local survey shows that many young people do not know how to behave appropriately or protect themselves when they go online (Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 2009). Some of them are addicted to Internet surfing and online gaming. Others are involved with illegal downloading, online bullying, posting irresponsible opinions and transmitting pornographic pictures. During the celebrity Internet photo saga in 2008, hundreds of indecent nude photos of a group of local artistes were circulated on the Internet. The incident lasted for a month and it clearly showed that Hong Kong young people are not well prepared to critically consume Web materials and use their communication power in a proper way.





PARADIGM CHANGE: MEDIA EDUCATION RESPONSE TO TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT



Hong Kong youngsters have rich access to new media and they are technologically sophisticated. Yet, they are not considered mature enough and need guidance on how to deal with new technologies. Local media literacy educators hold the belief that media education can help tackle the above mentioned socio-technological challenges. However, they are aware that the traditional way may not work well. In the Web 2.0 era, media education, in terms of its basic assumptions, tasks, goals, curricula and pedagogy, has to undergo a paradigm shift. Its task is not only to guide youngsters how to act as smart media consumers but also to cultivate them as responsible media producers. The ultimate goal of media education is to achieve “reflective autonomy” and the curriculum content will have to focus more on the new media (Lee, 2008a).





NEW DIRECTIONS OF MEDIA LITERACY TRAINING



Under the new paradigm, media literacy training in Hong Kong is expected to play a constructive role in young people’s digital lives. There are a number of new initiatives:




Integrating media literacy training with information technology education:
Two primary schools in Hong Kong are conducting a pioneering media education project which integrates well with information technology (Tsang, 2009).


Teaching media literacy at a younger age:
The Net generation encounters new technologies from a very young age. In Hong Kong more emphasis has been put on primary school media education programs recently. Non-government agencies are also interested in providing more media literacy activities for young children with the aim that they can build up a good relationship with the media in the early stage of their lives (Hong Kong Christian Service, 2009).


Cultivate young people’s reflective thinking skill:
Apart from teaching critical thinking, media education is to guide youngsters to be reflective on their motives of consuming and producing media content. They are also encouraged to think about the consequences of their media use.


Including media ethics in media literacy curriculum:
In the past, media content was produced by media organizations and hence media ethics was a “professional concept”. Nowadays, almost everyone can produce and publish media content and thus media ethics has become a “civic concept” (Lee, 2008b). As a result, young people need guidance on understanding and practicing media ethics.


Encouraging creative media expression and experiential learning:
Various media organizations in Hong Kong have launched production-oriented media literacy activities in the community to promote young people’s creative participation in the media (RTHK, 2010).






PROMOTING FAMILY MEDIA EDUCATION



With the rise of new technologies, the home has become young people’s entertainment center (e.g., going online and playing video games). Hong Kong parents are aware that they have the responsibility to provide timely media guidance at home, particularly about new media use (Wong, 2010). The Yellow Bus, a local children magazine, promotes family media education. The Education Bureau’s Committee on Home-School Co-operation also supports the launch of the family media education campaign in the city.



As new communication technologies have provided the opportunity for Hong Kong young people to share the communication power with the media professionals, Hong Kong media literacy educators are eager to provide guidance to the young people with the hope that the youngsters can make good use of their power to enjoy democratic participation in the media as well as in the political arena. When educators work with the young people, they are encouraged to follow three principles: trust them, teach them, and talk to them.




Alice Y. Lee

The best movie in 2011

Definitely is 'The tree of life'. A beautiful and stunning movie deals with the issues of religion, philosophy, family values, brotherly love and marriage. A poweful performance from Brad Pitt and another triumph from Terence Malick.

The Tree of Life

Either you hate or love this movie. I like it a lot. This movie explores religion, family values, and philosophy in depth. Another classic by Terence Mallick.