Paul- E.T’s Video on the underlying work that went into making Robby Coltrane’s Hagrid so Big feels like a labor of love for a time and a character that meant so much. It’s always so interesting to see behind the scenes footage from movies that were prominent in my childhood. But the way that Paul was able to explain how production assessed the issue, and how they attempted to fix the issue in every conceivable way. I especially like the editing. Everything feels so intentional. The introduction to Martin Bayfield is engaging enough that each step into getting Martin to fit within the Hagrid Role functioned as another step for all of us to see Martin and Robbie as the same character. He even shows us at a certain point how easy they found fitting into each other’s shoes, mimicking mannerisms.

Showing how the technology for The Double developed was also extraordinary to see. Going from the “dead head” to the animatronic face was cool. But seeing just how successful it was utilizing Martin Bayfield, essentially allowed for Hagrid to co-exist alongside Harry, rather than having to work the scene out to exclude Hagrid just showed how much Hagrid was at the heart of this project. The video does an excellent job differentiating old footage from the movie, with Behind the scenes footage, and it all feels well crafted in a way that left little room for confusion. I also appreciated the onscreen text that help identify whether I was looking at Bayfield or Coltrane. All in all, I absolutely recommend the video as it shines a light on something that’s already so beloved. It’ll allow you to enjoy it on an even deeper level!

I’m not sure if I simply stumbled upon this video one day or If I was searching for it while developing my short film last spring, but as soon as I started watching, I was immediately hooked. There are so many videos about the various processes in writing for a script. But LocalScriptMan and his videos attempt to succinctly and concisely teach valuable writing skills with his entertaining video essays.

The video tackles how in a script, every line of dialogue, every single action or inaction that your characters do, and every reaction that they have should be valued and treated with the utmost care. Every line has the potential to further thrust the story and narrative into something that can be considered works of art. He starts off the video explaining how information is conveyed to the audience through a scene, and how if it isn’t conveyed within the confines of a scene, then it isn’t conveyed at all. That being said. People aren’t robots, and within every scene, people are functioning with a filter. Their wants and desires drive the manner in which they behave, and so we need to examine that in order to accurately and properly depict a scene between characters. He also talks about a concept known as the alleyoop line, and how to avoid it, or place characters in interesting situations where them utilizing the alleyoop line benefits the whole scene.

If you’re interested in scene analysis, or breaking down a scene, LocalScriptMan does a really insightful breakdown of a moment in Arcane. Additionally, the video is really interesting for people that could be interested in psychology- as it allows people to move forward analyzing behavior on the basis of what they could desire, and how having that “filter” might influence themselves, or others.

I think the example of how to properly utilize the filters, alongside the visual example is what works incredibly well in this video. And I think that LocalScriptMan’s explanation and style of teaching is what makes this video worthy of highlight.

For this past week, I’ve decided to plug a video Essay that I watched recently as I have been looking for research material for my thesis. This video essay by Thomas Flight Explores a really interesting aspect of Atlanta that is simultaneously overlooked yet ever-present in almost every episode of the show. To clarify, it is the theme of Afro-Surrealism that Flight explores throughout the video. He First breaks down how Afro-Surrealism functions within the show. He explains how within any given episode, the feeling of something being off, and it’s something that the show utilizes throughout as texture to further flesh out the world and the inhabitants of the world. Flight then explores the history and emergence of the term. I really liked the visuals that he provided throughout the video, especially when it came to the highlighted text portions that helped to enhance how Afro- Surrealists differ from general surrealists. The spaces of Black- specific surrealism felt very much like an untapped well that artists, and creatives are now beginning to tap into. Towards the end of the video, Thomas explores the possibility of whether or not Donald Glover was intentional behind this consistent insertion of Afro- Surrealist, I think his notes surrounding everyone around Glover point towards one direction. But I think that it is framed in a way that allows audiences to still come to their own conclusion. I think I found his interview with D. Scott Miller to be the most interesting and almost inspiring aspect of this video only in the reflection of how a video essayist was able to interview someone who has so closely connected to the entire concept. All in all, its a fascinating video, and definitely worth the watch.

I really wanted to start this post off with an interesting hook, but it does feel a little awkward. Like I’m creating an advertisement as to why people should watch this:

Have you ever thought about what makes a video game boss truly unforgettable? “How Undertale Put Sans Over” was a solid watch. More than anything, Daryl’s editing style really pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout the video. The visuals were well-chosen and did a great job supporting the story, especially alongside how he broke down each step of how Undertale—and more specifically, how Toby Fox—created Sans to stand out as a unique character, unlike any other boss in the game. You can tell a lot of thought went into making Sans feel different, and that’s something Daryl captured well without being too heavy-handed.

The comparisons to wrestling were a clever touch, and they gave me a new perspective on Sans. It made me realize how much power a character gains based on who they defeat, which I hadn’t really thought about before. It added a layer to the way I viewed Sans’s importance in the game. But beyond that, the video didn’t drag—it kept things moving at a good pace, and I never felt lost in overly detailed explanations. It was casual but still packed with interesting points.

Overall, this new take was definitely worth watching. The way it all ties together in the end feels smooth and satisfying. I’d definitely recommend this video for anyone into video commentary. It’s informative without feeling like a lecture, which I really appreciated. The balance of analysis and entertainment made it a strong, well-rounded breakdown of Sans’s role in the game. Plus it gives some cool insight about wrestling.

I’m not gonna lie, I saw this video a while ago, but I still think it’s really worth the shout out! This video takes what feels like a simple question—“Who made the Disney Channel theme?”—and turns it into this weirdly captivating treasure hunt. You’d think someone would know where that four-note jingle came from. But as it turns out, almost no one does, and that’s where the premise that hooked me.

Defunctland digs deep, like really deep, pulling together interviews with industry insiders, searching through random internet archives, and following leads that go all over the place. It’s like watching a detective chase a case that seems oddly high-stakes for something so small. But the way it’s told is what makes it interesting—there’s humor, mystery, and this feeling of uncertainty about whether he’ll find the answer. The mystery gets more engaging the further you go, making you care about the outcome way more than you’d expect.

What really makes the video work, though, is how personal it feels. If you grew up watching Disney Channel, this theme is embedded in your brain. Defunctland taps into that nostalgia, but also spins it into a larger story about forgotten media, the quirks of the entertainment industry, and how certain pieces of pop culture just slip through the cracks. It’s the kind of video where you start watching out of curiosity and end up glued to the screen because you have to know how it all ends.

Where this video really shines is in how it evolves. As the top comment points out, by the end, the question isn’t just about who created the Disney Channel theme. The focus shifts to something more profound: What kind of legacy should artists leave behind? It’s a question that sneaks up on you, but it makes the whole video resonate on a different level. The story transitions from being about a forgotten piece of music to a reflection on how artists—and their work—can sometimes fade into obscurity, even when their creations touch millions of lives.

This video explores how propaganda and memes are used to manipulate public opinion, tracing tactics from the early days of film to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The narrator opens with seemingly random pop culture references, discussing the remake of “Indiana Jones” and “Ghostbusters,” but quickly pivots to the viral trend of AI-generated sad cat videos on TikTok. These funny examples lead into a broader conversation about how emotionally charged media can manipulate audiences, especially when the content is easily accessible to young, impressionable viewers. The narrator argues that these tactics, while funny or inconsequential on the surface, echo more sinister historical precedents, where art and new technologies were used to push dangerous political ideologies.

The video then shifts to a discussion of fascist propaganda in the early 20th century, highlighting the work of German director Leni Riefenstahl and the infamous propaganda film Birth of a Nation (1915) by D.W. Griffith. Both works, though technically groundbreaking, served white supremacist agendas. The video suggests that modern meme culture, which gained a broader prominence during the 2016 election, operates in a similar way. Memes, often dismissed as dumb or silly, are shown to be powerful tools in shaping political narratives, especially when targeted at less media-literate audiences.

Connecting and contextualizing this video with today, the video emphasizes how white supremacists, particularly figures like Richard Spencer, have utilized memes and online spaces like 4chan to spread their ideology and influence political discourse. The use of memes is not just a fringe activity anymore but a deliberate strategy for manipulating public sentiment. The video argues that in a world where politics is increasingly mediated through the internet, and younger generations consume more media through platforms like TikTok and Reddit, the line between entertainment and propaganda is becoming harder to discern. This reflects a broader concern about the role of media literacy and emotional manipulation in shaping political realities in today’s digital age. And it’s a fairly engaging watch.