Video: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1ewiHJWAcx3WwYyrD9kk3Q5QcIC8McPDC

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For this exercise, my chosen subject is a cafe called ‘Cư Xá’. This cafe has indoor seating which was captured in the first shot and outdoor seatings which was where I filmed the second shot. The purpose of these shots is to reflect the cafe culture in Hanoi. In Hanoi, going to a cafe is a very common activity that is loved by people of all ages. People would go to a cafe to meet with friends, study, work, or just simply relax by having a good cup of coffee.

One can easily find good coffee anywhere in Hanoi. Thus, I believe there are two other important elements that differentiate one cafe to another. The first one is the atmosphere. As this cafe was located inside an old apartment building, it was purposedly decorated with vintage goods. In my first shot, I included the painting of Ho Guom, old cassette, dried flowers, and rustic chair to illustrate the theme of the cafe. For Vietnamese people, these decorations evoke a nostalgic feeling and remind them of their childhood. Since this cafe has a tranquil atmosphere, people tend to come here to work or chat with friends quietly which is also shown in the shot. By filming through the hollow rectangle, I was able to capture the decorations and keep the customers comfortable in front of the camera.

The second factor that people look for is the view. Most Vietnamese prefer cafes with a view of the streets or even have outdoor seating. ‘Cư Xá’ has spacious outdoor seating where customers can look down on the street and listen to the sounds of the motorbike and people.  I chose to film through the iron fence since this a unique feature of Vietnamese old apartment buildings. I also included the wooden chair and the dried flower that was put in an antique vase to portray the theme of the cafe.

From these two shots, I was able to tell about the cafe culture in Hanoi and what Vietnamese look for in a cafe. Despite the reappearance of the interior and decorations, the two shots are very different from each other because ‘Cư Xá’ has a lot to offer.

I’m usually very precise about timing whenever I film. However, this time, I only had to focus on the framing in order to pick up the mood and energy of the cafe. I did not pay a lot of attention to timing because I believe it is better to capture all the movements and activities in the most natural way possible. I’m glad I did that since I’m very satisfied with how the clips turned out.