Category: video essay

Final Blog Post

gkipp23

For my final project, I am planning on writing and recording a video essay about the absurd tone of Metal Gear Solid 1 and why it functions from a character and thematic standpoint. I think the game is often unfairly distilled to in-jokes and references, and I wanted to talk about some of my impressions with it. It’s a combination of a more straightforward academic essay and my personal feelings towards the project. 

I will mainly be exploring the “video essay” module but there will be elements of continuity and montage with the way I arrange clips of the game. I hope to take what I learned from the last video essay and build on some of the potential missteps pointed out by Dr. Luers and the class. I believe I have a strong foundation and I am excited to finish working on it! 

 

Week 8 Blog Post

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Caleb

Hey everyone,

I myself am relatively new to the video essay genre of content. That being said, I’ve seen a fair share of these works over the years. One that I find particularly interesting is a video essay by Jeffiot about finding the creator of the skull trumpet gif.

I believe this video works incredibly well as a video essay. From the editing to voice-over works, graphics, and sound effects, each piece has purpose and creates an overarching flow for the narrative. Narrative is a key word here, the video is structured almost like a feature film or documentary. A prologue is provided followed by an actual introduction with proper credits and calling card of the episode. There are clear sections designated by the narrator, acts if you will or parts, as the video continues.

The structure appears very well thought out, especially for a channel that isn’t insanely well known, but one with over 100k subscribers. Learning from this particular video, I have several key takeaways that I can and will most likely use in my own video essay.

  1. Script: A carefully written script that progresses the narrative effectively and in a logical direction.
  2. Video clips: The creator utilizes a mixture of their own captured footage and clips from various other sources when discussing ideas relevant to the visual imagery.
  3. Clear topic: The idea of this videos essay is clear, from the title to the content of the video, every piece of information correlates or traces back to the skull trumpet origin in some way or form.
  4. Editing: Each transition and cut has a purpose, following the speed of the narration smoothly and making sense with each word spoken.

These are only a few ideas that I feel would work very well in my own work, yet they convey the success of this type of video essay regardless.

Thanks for reading.

-Caleb

Video Essay Blog Post

gkipp23

The thing about Jason’s essay (which I think is fantastic) is that it is not especially insightful or cinematically literate. There are very few discussions of the jargon of the craft, or the outlying context of Playtime, or really any of the deeper disciplines of creating movies. 

But what it does do is use the form of the video essay in such a succinct and absorbing way. Jason’s editing is sharp and gives you the sense that his excitable voice is commanding the images swiftly shifting before you. Take the introduction of the first shot, where Jason uses editing in multiple ways to communicate the atmosphere of the movie. 

We first are shown some rote footage of a few classic films. Then, when we cut to our main subject, it is cropped to the smallest fragment of the screen. Then the cropping retracts, bringing into focus this expansive and bustling frame, accompanied with the sound of a mechanic lens zooming out, and Jason’s commentary on the effect of the shot. The combination of these aspects of the medium, edited in such fast succession, create this immediate effect of understanding. 

A similar effect is achieved at 4:54- Jason’s language becomes breathless as he describes this scene, and these descriptions punctuate cuts of different scenarios, all while the sounds and music grow more frantic. Then, at 4:54, all of that cuts out to emphasize the sudden passage of time. While Jason is not delving into some impenetrable subtext or element of craft, he is invoking the message of the film that is not outright stated to the viewer. The layered editing of the essay keeps the audience invested and, most importantly, following the threads of logic Jason wants them to.

Jason uses the essay to sweep us up in his passion and share with us the boundless ideas Playtime is brimming with that the audience might never have came upon themselves.