2020 – the year from a 6-foot distance: Coronavirus and TikTok

Posted on: 1 December 2020 by Harriet Bell in 2020 posts

Film Studies student Harriet Bell
Film Studies student Harriet Bell.

Second year Film Studies student Harriet Bell talks about the unusual year that 2020 has been and how it has creatively inspired her and many others, in ways that she could not predict.


Six months ago, I would have laughed if you would have said that I, at 20 years old, would be downloading and actively participating on TikTok – alas, here I am, fully addicted. The pandemic has meant that many people have nothing to do but go online – many, including myself, to the infamous video creating app. Thanks to the elusive algorithm, any video you post can be seen by millions or less than 10 people, regardless of who follows you. It has encouraged so many people to start small businesses and buy products to improve their living at home.

As few as five years ago the release of a film shot entirely on an iPhone was seen as a novelty but TikTok encourages everyone to make their own 15-60 second videos at home. With variations on transitions, effects and filters, for Gen Z it is as easy as anything. In fact, recently creatives came together and wrote a musical for the film ‘Ratatouille’. Songwriters, singers, costume designers, dancers, actors and many more have come together to create the rodent musical from scratch (get it? Scratch - like a rat? No? Anyways, moving on).

Ratatouille the Musical, TikTok

@rjthecomposer/@danieljmertzlufft/@fettuccinefettuqueen/TikTok

The musical now has its own account and people sending in submissions via email to improve and add to the musical - and it’s amazing! Normally this would take months and funding and countless meetings and, seemingly, old fashioned procedures. However, through the power of social media, the talented people of the world and a pandemic, people are coming together to create amazing things simply because they can!

It has been scary to watch the economy crumble and the Arts suffer greatly, especially as a prospective film graduate. But despite the horrific events of this year, many wonderful and creative things have come out of 2020 which can give us hope.

The world is changing, and younger people have so much power in technology, to see an example of this, I would recommend googling ‘Donald Trump, TikTok, rally’ and you’ll see what I mean. There is power in film and media, exemplified by the pandemic and made more accessible by social media. Anything is possible through the internet, people, and mouthing along to songs on an app. I would be scared for my future – but now I can essentially make microfilms on this app on my phone and be able to connect with like-minded people, and, importantly: network.

As they say so often, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Now I can make my own connections with likeminded filmmakers, I can assist on wider projects on the platform, I can show what I’m capable of – all for free, from the comfort of my sofa.

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Study in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Liverpool.