There is something to be said about how video essays are produced. I personally feel that this type of media is underestimated in its strength to garner an audience, which is potentially world wide. The outreach this medium has is unparalleled and in my opinion is a way to ‘seize the means of production’, equalising a once exclusive media platform and voice the privileged and powerful few had.
Today, we live in a reality where we are no longer at the mercy of legacy media companies such as the BBC, CNN, Sky News etc. Propaganda is not as strong as it once was, as now the internet has democratised knowledge and given the ability to anyone with internet access to research, and voice their opinions.
What is a video essay?
A video essay is a creative and analytical form of storytelling that uses visuals, audio, and narration to explore, critique, or present ideas on a specific topic. Unlike traditional essays, which rely solely on text, video essays integrate multimedia elements like clips, images, animations, and sound to create a more dynamic and engaging experience. This format allows for a unique combination of intellectual analysis and emotional resonance.
Video essays cover a wide range of topics, from film and media critique to cultural commentary, personal reflection, and educational content. They are often used to dissect complex ideas in an accessible and visually appealing way, making them a popular medium for both entertainment and education. The tone of a video essay can vary, ranging from formal and academic to personal and conversational.
By blending narrative voice, technical creativity, and visual storytelling, video essays achieve a depth of analysis that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. They leverage the strengths of the medium to not only inform but also evoke emotion, connecting with audiences on multiple levels. In essence, a video essay is a modern, versatile approach to sharing ideas, offering a rich sensory and intellectual experience that goes beyond the written word.
The below video essay, Black to Techno is a wonderful example of a poetic video essay (Grizzaffi 2020) that persuades us of the unique development of Detroit techno music which was birthed from the black factory workers community and later adopted by the white, but it further explored the community culture that came with it, such as the 24 hour hair salon so you could always look fresh. This was created in a cinematic way, starting with myth on mermaids from the pregnant women who drowned or died in the slave ships. I feel as the this was from an Auto Ethnographic perspective of Jenn Nkiru having been close to the culture as a black artist. the production values are high, in a way… when watching this I felt as though this was a recorded performance piece as it strayed away from the traditional voice over used in video essays, but we had many voices leading us the audience telling us rhymes of glory and peace, of harrowing history and the sound of the machine.
Specifically what stood out to me was the sound design, how certain cuts would be emphasised through the screeching, or how the subject changed with the start of a new sound track. I felt it gave the piece a far more cinematic feel and this is also what I will aim to do in my video essay.
The Kandari Chronicles is one of my favourite channels on youtube. Themes of this channel are based on the Arab and Muslim world, looking at myths and legends, the paranormal as well as more academic topics such as philosophy, art and science. This specific episode was on the ‘The Curse of Orientalist Art’ which I found to be accurate not only to historical portrayals of muslims but also current portrayals of muslims in media as Barbaric. The only thing that changes Is the west and the rest of the Earth hasn’t a clue and live in a backward state on mineral rich grounds to be plundered.
I like that this video essay is so educational in terms of giving great examples of orientalist art and challenges it so strongly. I feel that visually it is strong example of traditional video essay which utilises a presenter. I will also use strong visual examples with a captivating thumbnail image.
The video essay below by Jacob Geller, Is a far more traditional method of video essays, where the narrator is not physically seen as the presenter. In ‘Who’s Afraid of Modern Art’ Geller has captured the essence of the traditional video essay with the voiceover and images and videos as examples to inform us on how regular people feel on modern art. I intend to use this format as I am camera shy.
References
Adams, T. E., Holman Jones, S., and Ellis, C. (2015). Autoethnography: Understanding Qualitative Research. Oxford University Press.
Grant, C. (2018). The audiovisual essay as performative research. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323142725_The_audiovisual_essay_as_performative_research [Accessed 13 Jan. 2025].
Grizzaffi, Chiara (2020). ‘Poeticizing the Academy’. The Cine-Files. Available at: https://www.thecine-files.com/poeticizing-the-academy/ (Accessed: 6 December 2024)
Gucci. (2019). “Black to Techno” by Jenn Nkiru | Frieze & Gucci . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqVq_QMH46E [Accessed: 14/01/2025].
Jacob Geller (2019). Who’s Afraid of Modern Art: Vandalism, Video Games, and Fascism . Available at: https://youtu.be/v5DqmTtCPiQ [Accessed: 14/01/2025].
The Kandari Chronicles. (2024). THE CURSE OF ORIENTALIST ART – Arab Identity of Barbaric Fantasy? . Available at: https://youtu.be/RgxBbnLolqE [Accessed: 14/01/2025].
{URGENT: ABOVE THERE IS AN ERROR SHOWING FOR THE HARVARD REFERENCED VIDEO ESSAY- THIS IS A BLOG-SITE PROBLEM AS IT IS NOT THERE WHEN I AM EDITING}
Adams, T. E., Holman Jones, S., and Ellis, C. (2015). Autoethnography: Understanding Qualitative Research. Oxford University Press.