This is a video I just finished called “Red Light, Green Light”, and it focuses on the awful state of Taiwan’s roads and drivers/riders, including the rising number of accidents, drunk driving etc. This is meant to be an eye opening and informative video, aimed at the general public, but though the eyes of a foreigner (me). I am hoping that it it somehow manages to get a message across and even if it is only a drop in the ocean, I still hope it can change at least a few people’s perspective of themselves and others and so create a change for the better.
Please take the time to download it. I know it’s 152mb, but I can’t compress it any more without losing quality from the text within, that is most important in the way of facts and statistics.
It would be a pity if it wasn’t on Youtube, more people need to see it. Maybe you can make the text bigger and scroll it ? I think you might have spelt “Annual” wrong.
Yes. Bigger, scrolling text over a solid background should fix that. I think it’s worth it to get it to a larger audience.
Then you can wait for the knock at the door when they come to deport you!
SV -
Truly a well done commentary.
I would like to see your efforts and BelgianPies combined somehow into a presentation with a greater audience. Hopefully to include some who can actually act (I know - its a fantasy) on this travesty.
When I ride on the streets, and even sometimes walking on the sidewalks, I have the same tingle of danger usually reserved for a war zone. And I am not exaggerating. Its like one is almost under attack.
Best of luck with your efforts. Well done.
very well shot and edited, quality stuff… I must say though, I was well impressed with how comparatively good the driving and parking standards are in the video… I don’t mean to take the wind out your sails, because it really is a great idea and production, but in all honesty, what occurs on a daily basis here in Taichung, especially in Taiping and surrounding areas makes the footage of those pavement parkers, light jumpers, buggered vehicles etc. look exemplary… I don’t have a video camera, but what I could get in one afternoon in Taiping would blow people away… I love driving in Taipei, it’s so civilized… if it’s true mayhem and reckless endangerment you’re after you’ve got to come to Taichung, or the wild wild South…
love the last scene BTW… cue green light… and stop…
Wow, I’m blown away by the positive comments you have all made, thank you very much.
I would love to do a video with someone such as BelgianPie. In fact anyone that is interested, and has some good ideas or Premiere editing skills, is welcome to give me a knock anytime.
I would love to eventually put this whole thing into a Chinese version, but in the meantime, I am trying to promote this as a video in the eyes of a foreigner for more impact. There’s nothing like a loss of face to get more attention, and if the local audience can see that they don’t weigh up to foreign standards, then they might hopefully start making more of a comparison to driving standards abroad.
Well that’s my theory anyway, and a couple of people suggested that I take this approach.
I would love some help however getting some addresses and e-mails of relevant government offices that this video can be sent to. If anyone could drop me some info, then I’ll be personally taking some copies of this video to those places.
Indeed there are so many worse places than the shots that I took of mostly Chung-Ho/Yung-ho in this video, and eventually I would like to make a longer documentary. In the meantime with my limited shooting skills, camera quality and editing skills, this is all I could muster.
Again, if anyone would like to collaborate in shooting another video as a more lengthy,more specific version of a documentary, then please let me know.
Any chance you might make VCDs and sell them to us at happy hours?[/quote]
I can make CDs and give them to you free if you like.
Just give me a time and a place, and I’ll see what I can do.
Of course, a small donation for the price of the CD would be nice, but I’m not demanding one.
I’m sorry for any mispellings in the video, and in fact I think the word “Annual” may have even been a cut and paste from another site, if you check the source, if there is one.
Indeed it should be on youtube and if anyone can master a way to get it on there or Google video without loosing too much clarity, then I would be thrilled. I have tried and I can only loose all quality when I put it up there. It wouldn’t even matter how small I made the words, when I upload it to youtube it just goes all blocky and crap looking.
If anyone perhaps knows of a way to render it better through Premier, I’ll give it a try.
seeing Sulavca’s excellent example reminds me of how I’ve often thought about setting up a website called www.therealtaiwan.com [don’t click it’s not real] or something, in order to combat those fantasy, feel good, dream world Taiwan promos that the government produces from time to time to support their WHO/WTO/flavour of the month bid for acceptance… You know the ones where it’s “Taiwan, a vibrant, first world democracy…” BS with soft focus shots of squeaky clean streets, birds flying by, nature shots from YuShan, sunsets at Kenting, well turned out friendly laughing people etc. etc. pure fantasy that portrays Taiwan as some kind of utopia… well this website would show case with photos and youtube videos, the flip side of this fake veneer of civility… it would show the filth… the xenophobia… the illegal waste dumping… the lethal traffic… the ineffectual police… the “finish them off” truck drivers… the wanton polluting… the corruption… the rundown buildings… the appalling infrastructure… the piss poor roads… the shoddy workmanship… the wholesale abuse and neglect of animals… the ‘f*ck your fellow man for a buck’ mentality… the carnage and death on the roads… I could go on and on, but basically the real every day experience the defines Taiwan, but that the government and TW apologists conveniently ignore and sweep under the carpet…
name and shame… it’s the only way to bring about change…
[quote=“plasmatron”]seeing Sulavca’s excellent example reminds me of how I’ve often thought about setting up a website called www.therealtaiwan.com [don’t click it’s not real] or something, in order to combat those fantasy, feel good, dream world Taiwan promos that the government produces from time to time to support their WHO/WTO/flavour of the month bid for acceptance… You know the ones where it’s “Taiwan, a vibrant, first world democracy…” BS with soft focus shots of squeaky clean streets, birds flying by, nature shots from YuShan, sunsets at Kending, well turned out friendly laughing people etc. etc. pure fantasy that portrays Taiwan as some kind of utopia… well this website would show case with photos and youtube videos, the flip side of this fake veneer of civility… it would show the filth… the xenophobia… the illegal waste dumping… the lethal traffic… the ineffectual police… the “finish them off” truck drivers… the wanton polluting… the corruption… the rundown buildings… the appalling infrastructure… the piss poor roads… the shoddy workmanship… the ‘f*ck your fellow man for a buck’ mentality… the carnage and death on the roads… I could go on and on, but basically the real every day experience the defines Taiwan, but that the government and TW apologists conveniently ignore and sweep under the carpet…
name and shame… it’s the only way to bring about change…[/quote]
I have thought about that a lot from the environmental aspect. What I have seen around here (mainly outside of Taipei) makes me wonder how on earth people don’t get sick.
[quote=“plasmatron”]seeing Sulavca’s excellent example reminds me of how I’ve often thought about setting up a website called www.therealtaiwan.com [don’t click it’s not real] or something, in order to combat those fantasy, feel good, dream world Taiwan promos that the government produces from time to time to support their WHO/WTO/flavour of the month bid for acceptance… You know the ones where it’s “Taiwan, a vibrant, first world democracy…” BS with soft focus shots of squeaky clean streets, birds flying by, nature shots from YuShan, sunsets at Kending, well turned out friendly laughing people etc. etc. pure fantasy that portrays Taiwan as some kind of utopia… well this website would show case with photos and youtube videos, the flip side of this fake veneer of civility… it would show the filth… the xenophobia… the illegal waste dumping… the lethal traffic… the ineffectual police… the “finish them off” truck drivers… the wanton polluting… the corruption… the rundown buildings… the appalling infrastructure… the piss poor roads… the shoddy workmanship… the wholesale abuse and neglect of animals… the ‘f*ck your fellow man for a buck’ mentality… the carnage and death on the roads… I could go on and on, but basically the real every day experience the defines Taiwan, but that the government and TW apologists conveniently ignore and sweep under the carpet…
name and shame… it’s the only way to bring about change…[/quote]
Let’s do it! I’m up for it. I can make a website, I’ll set it up if you like. I need input though, and much of it. I have the tools and the time. I just need resources, people, ideas, pictures, stories, etc. It’s not hard to do if enough people are willing.
If you want, you can give me a shout. We’ll have a pint and talk about it.