On a technical level, the essay works by being filled with a lot of parallel media, as in media that often isn’t directly connected to each other in ways that we would expect. The most obvious example of this is the narration, which isn’t a narration but rather an interview on the themes and process of making this essay. In addition, the clips of Lawrence Anyways are sometimes intercut with original shots made by the Torres, often creating interesting and funny gags (ex: someone looks out the window in the film to smile at Torres dancing on the street). The prevalence of multiscreen throughout the essay is another example theme of parallel media, playing clips that aren’t directly connected simultaneously, letting the audience construct their connective tissue.

The only real issue I found with this essay is that the sound mixing wasn’t very good and made Torres hard to hear at times.

I recently watched “Nothing, except everything” by Wesley Wang on Youtube- and it was a dreadful 13 minutes. In summary, the short film focuses on a high schooler as we go through his coming of age journey, from love, graduation, and heartbreak. One comment stated, “This feels like a genre with no story just trying to do all the tropes of a coming of age film.” And I fully agree.
Luckily I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Westfilms Co. created “This guy is making all movies worse,” talking about how Wesley Wang created a pointless short indie film that had a good budget yet no substance.
From the beginning of the film, he mimics his responses to the film when asked “pick a number from 1-10.” While including clips from the short film, he adds his own spice by overlapping clipart or texts to exaggerate how ridiculous their point is. But instead of continuing the introduction, he takes a step back and analyzes the filmmaker, Wesley Wang, instead. He pointed out this filmmaker has created numerous films before- all well-funded and mediocore- yet continues to have millions of views. He then dives into why this short film specifically is the worst through a series of chapters.
One chapter that I consider most significant was “TikTok.” Overall, he explained that the reason the film got such good reviews is because it was created as a trailer and made for people who indulge in a lot of social media. It involved every cliche possible and basically did a fast forward of this kid’s life, while including pointless montage shots or flashbacks. One technique I want to explore more because of this essay is including screen recordings of my in-depth research, comedic side clips that have no relation to the film, and alterting the clip beyond recognition. Overall, I really enjoyed how Westfilms Co. addressed this type of film in the most unserious way possible, it made “Nothing, except everything” a little more bearable.

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!

Like many kids, I too grew up watching Star Wars. I was captivated by the epic tales of heroism, the intricate world-building, and the timeless battle between good and evil. George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away wasn’t just a film series; it was a cultural touchstone that inspired awe and wonder. This video essay delves into how that legacy has been diminished since Disney acquired the franchise, providing a detailed critique of the Sequel Trilogy and the slate of Disney+ shows that have followed. Here I learned how critical storytelling and world-building are to maintaining a franchise’s cultural significance. The essay argues persuasively that Disney’s corporate-driven approach has prioritized profitability over creativity, leading to the erosion of what made Star Wars special.

The video begins by exploring the lack of cohesion in the Sequel Trilogy, highlighting how disconnected storylines and inconsistent character arcs undermined the saga’s integrity. It emphasizes the absence of a unified creative vision, contrasting Disney’s approach with Lucas’ careful planning of the original and prequel trilogies. The essay also critiques the Disney+ shows, pointing out how the oversaturation of content has diluted the magic of Star Wars. While the essay acknowledges the occasional successes, such as The Mandalorian, it laments the overall mediocrity and formulaic nature of the newer offerings.

What sets this video apart is the emotional resonance of the creator’s voiceover. His passionate and candid delivery allows us to feel his genuine disappointment as a lifelong fan. The script he has crafted adds another layer of personality to the video, revealing his character as someone who deeply cares about the franchise and longs for it to regain the respect it once commanded. This personal touch gives the essay an authenticity that makes it stand out in the crowded space of Star Wars critiques.

This video essay offers a comparative analysis of how both Whiplash and Black Swan portray the journey of artists consumed by their craft. It explores the character motivations and thematic elements that drive the protagonists in their relentless pursuit of perfection. I learned how these films parallel one another, each following a trajectory where an inciting incident sets the protagonist on a path of obsession. Both stories vividly depict the physical and psychological toll of this all-consuming ambition, culminating in climactic performances that represent both the height of their achievements and moments of profound personal reckoning. This comparison reveals the universal tension between ambition and the sacrifices demanded by the pursuit of artistic excellence.

Regarding the videographic form, the essay effectively employs side-by-side comparisons and interwoven clips from both films to illustrate parallels and contrasts. The use of voice-over narration guides the viewer through complex analyses, while on-screen text emphasizes key points. The pacing is deliberate, allowing viewers to absorb the information without feeling overwhelmed. This approach demonstrates how visual juxtaposition, combined with clear narration, can enhance understanding of comparative film analysis.

It shall end as how it began, with an analysis of a Tony Zhou video. I wanted to see if there was one last major takeaway I could have from  these writings about the form of Video Essays, so why not consult my favorite Video Essayist on how the medium works?

F for Fake is a video essay by Orson Wells that I haven’t seen, but now really want to. Zhou explains that a majority of the things he has learned about the medium have been taken from this film. Tony explains that Fake taught him two major lessons. First, avoiding “and then.” Tony References the South Park guys in their lecture on how to structure a narrative. Every scene change should never be about “and then” but should be motivated by the words “but” or therefore. Tony makes the claim this this extends to video essays as well. Each point should be related to each other either logically or emotionally. You can’t have a splatter of random ideas, you need to have a line to follow. 

He then mentions this idea of “back at the ranch,” essentially, as a narrative reaches its climax, you switch to another story to keep the audience engaged and on their toes. Zhou says that F-For Fake does this in spades as it bounces between six storylines and points. 

At the end of the video essay, he mentions how that video essays are really pieces of art, not entirely essays, I feel like this sentence perfectly encaptures what i’ve learned throughout working in this class. 

I feel that Nerdstalgic does a good job of creating a similar jovial atmosphere to the film in this video essay. Maybe this is in part due to the themes of Paddington being heavily mentioned and demonstrated through clips from the film. Nerdstalgic also strengthens his assertions by contrasting the film with the CGI 2019 The Lion King film. He says that, while Paddington is a CGI animal, he is still expressive and humanized which can be contrasted against the more realistic stoic depictions of lions seen in the Disney film. The pace of the film is quick, but this doesn’t make it the focus of the video. The right amount of information gets communicated at the right time.

This video essay by Just One More Thing, on the film Yi Yi (2000) by Edward Yang, is not satisfactory in the sense that it does little more than explaining to the audience the message of the film, which people who have watched the film do not need since it is directly stated, and for people who have not, the message, when offered as a summary, only reduces the profoundness of the film.

Nonetheless, I would like to point out two moments when the essayist’s manipulation of the visual, at its most distinct, albeit an illustration of the voice-over, not only proves what the essayist is arguing, but conveys to the audience what has not been expressed through words.

First, from 3:36 to 3:40, the essayist juxtaposes two scenes of NJ at a bar. The jump cut emphasizes the comparison between NJ sitting with the bartender, which the essayist describes as “his true self,” and him sitting alone, “his present self.” What the audience plainly sees, which the essayist does not articulate, is the dramatic change of NJ’s facial expressions, all the more striking because of the essayist’s editing: together with the bartender, he smiles relaxedly; alone, the corners of his mouth droop. This moment, hence, gains its power independent of the voice-over.

Second, at 8:27, when talking about the two sides of a person, the essayist juxtaposes two shots showing the front and the back of A-Di: one shabby, the other neat. He uses the wipe effect to call the audience’s attention not only to the difference, but to his revelation of the difference, which corresponds to one of the central actions of the film: the little boy, Yang Yang, taking pictures of people’s napes to let them know about the half truth that they cannot see. To me, this is the kind of moments the advantage of video essays shine out. With the same medium that embodies films, video essays pay more direct tribute to films than texts ever can.

A few days ago, I watched Kairo (2001) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This video essay by Spikima, opening up with a list of horror movies, points toward the core of Kairo, that is, its unconventionality in creating fear. Spikima makes a strong case by focusing on one single scene. First, he plays the scene for the audience, making them feel, rather than explaining its effect. Then, he replays it, using slow motion and multi-screen to accompany his verbal analyses of the scene’s controlled lighting, the ghost’s unnatural movement, as well as the deadly quiet sound design and the still camera.

This video is particularly successful, I think, in its recreation of the scariness of the film itself. The texts on screen are not only concise, which resonate with the scene’s wordlessness, but interact with the visual. At 4:41, for example, the phrase “Uncanny Valley,” albeit legible, appears obstructed by the woman figure, a shadow with blurry edges. This way, Spikima simultaneously replicates the feeling of unknowingness which haunts the audience throughout the film, and emphasizes the existence of the woman, who serves as the core to the scene’s horror effect.

What’s more, Spikima keeps the original soundtrack as the background for his voice-over. It’s achievable because, as Spikima explains, this scene has a minimum of sounds: electricity flowing through circuits, plus inauspicious scores sung by a woman. Consequently, the video gains the roughly made appearance of the film, which far from discrediting it, adds to its sense of reality. Then, from that uncanny reality devoid of rationalization, horror arises.

Disney has created a number of films, set in different locations around the world. This means that they sometimes incorporate culture from the setting of the film, particularly when it comes to language. For example, in the film Moana in a song they use a polynesian language as part of the lyrics, incorporating the culture that is important to Moana and the rest of the characters. And while this is a good example of positively using the different cultures and languages, there’s also the risk that using another culture in a film can lead to cultural appropriation. 

Brother Bear uses music that incorporates Bulgarian singers, and while there isn’t anything inherently wrong with that, it’s the fact the producers didn’t take into consideration the native language of Alaska and used it for the song instead. When it comes to communicating that a film is set in a different country, and speaks a different language, songwriters need to focus on the fact that the song can’t cater to the English language. Rather, the music should be written/produced in the native language they use in the film because its meaning gets lost in translation if the song was written in English. There’s a level of care that needs to be taken when creating a song from a different language because the same process as English can’t be used as it’s often the writers don’t speak the language. 

However a problem within the films is the audience can’t actually distinguish when a movie is set in a certain country because the characters will sing/speak in English. In order to change that the music would have to cater to the diegetic world because even if the audience didn’t know what was being said there would still be an understanding that the film is taking place within a specified country or region. 

The video essay gives its information through a voice over of clips from various Disney movies. It’s effective because the focus of the video is language, having the voice over lets the audio be the focus while being able to visually see how it fits in the movie or where the movie is taking place. The same effect could not be produced through text because seeing a different language written isn’t the same as hearing it spoken, especially when the point of having the native language of the film be heard is to demonstrate to the audience that another culture is the center point.  

Having recently watched “Come and See” by Elem Klimov, I was eagerly searching for a video essay to discuss my feelings about the film. Upon finding Spikima Movies’ video on the film, I was immediately satisfied with the quality of the analysis conducted and the clever presentation of information. The author starts by showcasing some of the disturbing imagery of the film; However, the analysis does not begin until Spikima goes over his most impactful shot of the film. At this point, you begin to appreciate the quality of the video essay when the author introduces high-quality animations and visual effects. This explanation of the diopter lens comprehensively analyses its application in films to convey certain messages. The author effectively shows several examples using clips from films like “The Departed” and “Pulp Fiction.” He references the unsettling feeling using these clips, which are quite easy to see with the clips shown. In this way, this video essay is a great example of why written paper essays can only do so much to convey a different level of understanding to the viewer without the ability to show clips from the source content.

Another excellent example referenced by the author is the use of sound in the film – especially after the first bombing. He provides the audio from the film that is almost deafening, and I vividly remember a moment from my viewing experience. The author is successful in conveying the sheer discomfort of the scene. In addition to effectively showing these great clips and using fonts and video effects, the video is also extremely well-organised, making it easy for the viewer to follow the author’s analysis. I would have to say that this video essay serves as a perfect example of the level of quality I would hope for my final project to achieve.

This video essay by Dream Dimension Productions is one of the coolest video essays I’ve seen recently. The whole video is a mixture between clips of Richard Linklater movies and interviews with Linklater himself. There is no other VoiceOver, text, or explanation behind the clips besides these interviews. Linklater talks about how he sees movies as moments and the plot is only the vehicle to express those moments. He discusses how everything is inherently autobiographical because life is also just a series of moments and cycles so all art draws from those moments and experiences and that is what makes movies so enjoyable to watch. Essentially his argument is that movies are about emotions and those emotions are prompted by certain moments that remind us of our own lives and not really the plot itself.

I think the use of the Linklater interviews as the main explanatory function of the video essay is super cool. Dream Dimension Productions does a really good job of finding moments from Linklater movies that work well with the overarching interviews and show the autobiographical elements of his movies. He includes a clip from Before Midnight where Ethan Hawkes character discusses how everything is autobiographical, a clip from Slacker where Linklater himself explains how every moment and decision of your life is crucial. It just does such a good job at illustrating the unifying themes within Linklater’s body of work while using his own voice to do it. It’s just awesome. I think the best part of this video essay is the way the tone mimics that of a Linklater movie, with the background music and all the clips, the viewer feels all the emotional weight. It almost feels like the 10 second flashing before your eyes of your life before you die, which is exactly how a Linklater movie is supposed to feel, like a series of moments.

I chose to watch this video because I am a fan of the Gorillaz but also since I know that a part of the appeal of this “band” is the animated characters that are the face of Gorillaz. The creator explains the history of Damon Alburn (lead singer of Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (animator) – the complicated yet simple relationship between them lead to the creation of the Gorillaz. Something that really caught my attention was the success the artists had and how there was a correlation between their music content and artistic content – as Alburn evolved as a musician so did Hewlett as an animator, moving on to 3D and even giving the characters more mature forms in terms of age. 

The videographic form of this video was actually quite well put together. There were clips of the artists themselves working on their project, peers they have collaborated with, and some interviews that shared their relationship. I particularly liked the way the creator used some movement when there was only one thing on the screen that was being talked about (simple still picture). The video did a great job of keeping my attention and directing it easily to information on the screen. One thing I did not like, which Mittell has mentioned is important, was the kind of font the creator used. I can see that it added some indie alternative vibe that they wanted to capture but I was not a fan and I think a simple font could have the same effect.