A Year In a Minute
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:00
Sunlight streams through the window. PETER sits on a sofa. He taps his calendar notifications.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, today's my good friend's birthday.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I celebrate my good friends' birthday by sending them my own "Happy Birthday" song along with unique visuals to make their day extra special.
He visits his YouTube channel and finds his Happy Birthday MV 2025.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a cheerful, slightly generic AI-generated animation of baloons, cakes and cartoon characters.
He clicks his Happy Birthday MV 2024 which looks similar.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was fun to create them. They look pleasant, but impersonal.
He closes them.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This year, back to basics.
Act 2
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
PETER opens the iMovie app on his iPad Mini.
PETER (V.O.): Let me start a new project.
He types: Happy Birthday 2026.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Years ago, I composed a bilingual "Happy Birthday" song, and I truly believe it's much more special than the traditional birthday song.
Using a previous MV, Peter re-records his Happy Birthday song.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I won't produce a new version of my song as it'd take hours to get a good take.
We see an audio recording being captured in the project.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Okay, let me choose visuals from the video clips I captured last year, opting not to use any AI-generated drawings.
Peter selects the video clips for the project.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I adore the landscapte in northern Guangdong.
Selecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): During our return trip from Sado Island to Niigata, my wife and I fed soaring seagulls throughout the voyage.
Selecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We admired the sunset on the horizon at the northern tip of Sado.
Selecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, we experienced several spectacular fireworks displays.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In a world of endless footage, it's important to choose my clips with my heart.
Peter reviews all the clips he has chosen for the project.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Time compresses. An old bridge, a mountain, a waterfall, a special encounter, a sunset, firework displays - stack them just so, and a year fits neatly within a minute.
As he listens to his song, he meticulously edits the clips.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd also add the English and Chinese lyrics in the subtitles.
Peter continues to refine the videos.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A year isn't measured in days, but in details. A minute is all it takes to remember them.
Peter adds and edits the pop-up lyrics.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope the recipient of my MV will be able to follow along with the lyrics and appreciate the meaning conveyed by the audio-visual experience.
Peter reviews the final result of his project several times before saving it.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel I fall in love with my life all over again.
After saving it and uploading it to his YouTube channel, Peter sends the link to his good friend.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Great! It's my first MV in 2026.
Peter checks the time: 12:30
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I haven't maintained any of my Duolingo streaks, nor have I practised the piano.
Peter grabs his swim bag.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've to go swimming now, and I'd do some professional work when I return.
Peter dashes out the door.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:15
Peter uploads an image depicting an old intricate brass clock mechanism to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): To make a year in a minute is like being an archaeologist of my joy, uncovering small, perfect treasures.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I used to have photo albums. Now, I've emotions per second. The goal is still the same: to make time tangible.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A minute to remember. A year to live.
The END
FADE OUT
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