How Video Essay's have changed the way I view Media

As human beings, we love to consume entertainment of any medium. Whether we enjoy binging a favorite series of ours, watching a classic film we have seen countless times, or grabbing the controller and immersing ourselves in a virtual world. Entertainment, along with art, has been a vast way for us to find meaning in our daily lives. Within that escapism, we find places and stories that we can live in. Even if it is just for a limited amount of time. Sometimes it's our lives being reflected in a narrative sense. We can step into the spotlight of another character that we adore or in some cases revere. The statement that I have always followed in my life would be that "Art gives life meaning". Naturally, people love to express what their favorite Book, Movie, Series, Anime, Comic, or Video Game means to them. Some people can articulate their opinion incredibly well and then there are those that like to point to special effects or certain scenes to showcase their love for the product. However, I have discovered an art form that encapsulates this viewpoint better than anything else out there. Incorporating appreciation for art across all aspects. One that has taken a writer like myself and inspired him to expand his views on storytelling and society. I've discovered the YouTube phenomenon known as video essays. A form of expression that has impacted my life for the better.

A good amount of you reading this are probably asking. "What is a video essay?" To put it in the simplest terms I possibly can. A video essay is a single point of view given by a consumer of art, who provides an argument or praise of that art. Though to get deep with this meaning. A video essay is an extension of an essay film. What is that you ask? The essay film is a thoughtful analysis of a film or TV series. Usually written by a viewer of the medium. Often times a film student or aspiring writer. Many times, however, it's an ordinary person looking to express their love and appreciation for something that left an impact on their life. Other times it's a person expressing disdain for a form of art in a passionate but well-articulated viewpoint. That's the key here and why a video essay is not the same as a video review. At times video essays focus on a theme or an element of the product. Sometimes it can be a deconstruction. The structure of a video essay is as follows. Someone views or plays the content then writes out a formal essay exploring what they are trying to convey. Then they record themselves reading and expressing their point of view. Using specific clips and images from that film or tv series to help get their point across. Also, images and references further their point of view. Ultimately resulting in a very passionate and well-thought-out analysis. Sometimes this doesn't just focus on one film or tv series. It can center around an entire series of films. Focusing on the journey of the character. This medium has even extended itself beyond just entertainment. It extends to politics and world events. People giving careful and objective viewpoints on many things that are happening in our current time. How they relate to the past and what could transpire in future events. At this point, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there are video essays revolving around food.

It's a little difficult to determine exactly who started this trend. Going by my own experience with discovering this art form. It began with me coming across a little old channel known as Every Frame a Painting. At this particular time in my life, I had been heavily involved in the production of a local independent movie. While also working on my own screenplay on the side. Trying to rich my mind with as much inspiration and learning as I could. I found myself watching old behind-the-scenes documentaries on some of my favorite films. It is a little hard for me to pinpoint exactly what led me to this video. Though the title, which is the enticing element of a video essay from the start, had led me to watch the video. A video from the channel mentioned previously titled Martin Scorsese - The Art of Silence. Which focused on how director Martin Scorsese uses sound and music in his films to establish tone and moving his story along. Which is something that really sets him apart from his peers. Needless to say, I watched that video and my appreciation for the director grew exponentially from what it already was. Scorsese was already one of my favorite directors working in the field. The video helped me appreciate his work that much more. From that video, I went straight to the channel and browsed the rest of the videos they had made. Videos such as The Spielberg Oner, which focuses on Steven Spielberg's use of the "one-shot take" and how he goes about it in every one of his films. Also what sets him apart from other directors using it. Then I came across Edgar Wright - How to do Visual Comedy, which is a critique of how most comedy films tend to use montage cliches to move the story along from one location to the next. While Edgar Wright uses clever methods seen in films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz to move the story along and get a good laugh out of his audience. Other filmmakers and actors have been covered on this channel such as Robbin Williams, Jackie Chan, David Fincher, Akira Kurosawa, and Satoshi Kon. This channel covers movies like Drive and Snowpiercer. Even going into animation with a very interesting video on Looney Tunes artist Chuck Jones. They even covered a filmmaker that they were known to not be a huge fan of with a little video titled Michael Bay - What is Bayhem. Going into detail about Michael Bay and his directing style. Almost a dissection of the man's films. After an hour of watching five of these videos. I gained more knowledge and appreciation for the craft than any textbook could provide. Honestly, if you are looking for a great channel to start with on video essays. I cannot recommend Every Frame a Painting enough.

Sadly, the channel has stopped making videos as of 2016. Though in its wake. Countless channels have sprung up producing similar content from a wide variety of topics. Some have taken more of a long-form approach to their videos. So let's say for a moment that you, the person reading this text, likes a certain genre of films and wants to focus on that. For instance, superhero and comic book films have been immensely successful since 2008. If that's a genre that you have enjoyed like myself. Take some time to check out HiTop Films. A channel dedicated to covering a variety of Superhero films and TV shows. The guy behind the channel, Alex Hunter, is an independent filmmaker exploring subjects like Batman's No-Kill rule. Along with an extensive appraisal of Sam Rami's Spiderman trilogy. Even recently releasing a video in defense of Batman Forever titled Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever - A Misunderstood Masterpiece. Though maybe your not a fan of Superhero films. That is completely understandable. Maybe you enjoy some darker entertainment. You might be someone who is a long-time horror movie or literature fan. Well lucky for you, the channel known as In Praise of Shadows has just what you are looking for. A channel dedicated to exploring horror films, books, video games, comics, and art. Most notably a video titled The Nightmare Artist focuses on the history and appreciation of the Polish painter Zdzislaw Beksinski. Other films covered by the channel include The Exorcist, Halloween, Gremlins, Return to Oz, and one of my personal favorites from Italy known as The Beyond. In a video titled Exploring the Cosmic Horror of The Beyond where he illustrates what sets the Lucio Fulci classic apart from other films in the genre. Alrighty then, horror isn't your cup of tea perhaps. Maybe you are looking for something broader. A channel focusing on pop culture in general? One channel that comes to mind in that area would be Lindsey Ellis, formally known as youtube personality the Nostalgia Chick. A channel known for comedic style reviews based on past films and TV shows. Essentially an offshoot of the Nostalgia Critic. Which was essentially a more character-based series incorporating skits to accompany the review. After the channel closed sometime in 2014. The channel, named after the creator emerged from that. Providing more personal and thought-provoking videos covering films, TV, Literature, music, and even some political issues. Though not without some humor thrown in for good measure. Videos like Stranger Things, IT and the Upside Down of Nostalgia, Bright: The Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding, and The Ideology of the First Order are all solid examples of the type of content you will find on her channel. Also worth mentioning is her Loose Cannon series, which is an ongoing character study on various fictional and non-fictional characters. One channel I would like to make mention of is titled Filmento. A channel that's rather more of a review/essay channel if you really wanted to get technical. Though he has a number of great series to view covering all genres of film. Series such as Anatomy Of A Failure, which delivers some in-depth analysis and criticisms of Hollywood's most universally panned movies. The antithesis of this series would be one called Film Perfection also from the same channel. Which represents a more in-depth appraisal of movies that are universally praised. Both of these series mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg on what the channel offers.

Now, not every form of art is going to be appreciated by everyone. Nothing is immune from criticism it seems, and video essays are no exception to this rule. The criticisms you will often hear in regards to this is that Video Essays are pretentious, deceiving, and oversaturated. All of these criticisms I wish to address here. The first being that they are pretentious. While I can see why some would think this about them. I've always found video essays to be the most articulate expression of a viewpoint on something out there. Which is one of the ways it separates itself from a review. Video Essays focus on an element or theme of the art or subject. It is an individual's deconstruction of media or art. So that individual, through their passion, may come across as pretentious to some. This goes to show that Video Essays are not for everyone. Something that I will agree with. Which is perfectly fine and why people have different tastes, to begin with. The other criticism you will find is how oversaturated the medium has become. I have mentioned previously that there is a whole sea of videos and channels that specialize in this. However, I would make the argument that there is endless content to view on this subject. You have plenty of options to chose from. So if one channel doesn't do it for you, there may be another one that you enjoy. You have variety, both in videos and topics, all centered around this medium. Far beyond the channels, I have mentioned. Although this is my appraisal of video essays. I feel the need to stress that I don't enjoy all of them myself. There have been some that have left me uninterested or just plain scratching my head. Though the same goes for reviews and art itself. All of these are subjective viewpoints at the end of the day. It is up to you as an individual to determine what you enjoy.

Now with all this being said. I'm going to take this time to express why they have left an impact on me. As someone who is highly creative and loves to tell stories. Video Essays have helped me answer the simple question of "What" and "Why". What do I mean?

"Why does this character operate the way they do"

"What makes this person a hero? Beyond their powers, they have been given"

"Why does a director make the films the way they do?"

"What is this scene, movie, book, game, or song trying to convey?"

These are questions that the medium raises along with many more. They have helped me become a better storyteller. Become a better writer. Video Essays have helped a deep thinker like myself, to think even deeper on elements and art. To have an understanding of how certain things work and how others don't. Yes, all of these things mentioned above are subjective. So is art. Video Essays have encouraged me to revisit films and TV shows that I originally didn't enjoy. To see it from someone else perspective. They deconstruct things that we may have missed and things that we enjoy. They show us the wonderful side of things, and not so wonderful. Not everyone is going to enjoy them. Nor should they in all honesty. Though I personally think that people should give them a shot.

So to the person reading this. Here's a challenge for you. The next time you hop on youtube wanting to view something. Instead of looking up cat videos or reposted TikTok videos. Go into the search bar and type in your favorite movie, game, or tv show. Then type in Video Essay next to it. See what you come up with. Give it a viewing. You may love it, or you may hate it. You may even feel indifferent about it. One thing that I feel though is universal. It'll make you think and maybe even feel. That is the greatest thing art can do. Thats what makes it art.