When it comes to movies, it’s truly incredible everything that directors, screenwriters, editors, actors, designers and everyone in between are able to accomplish in such a brief period of time. In fact, it’s almost as amazing how much may go unnoticed or undissected when it comes to movies. Until only recently, I never really thought about movies and what makes certain movies stand out from others. That was until I discovered the magic of video essays covering the topics of all things film. If you’re a movie-lover or just curious, here are 5 video essays you should watch on YouTube:
1. Nerdwriter1 – “Scott Pilgrim: Make Your Transitions Count”
Transitions are a part of filmmaking that can go unnoticed if you’re not looking for it, but when it’s done as ingeniously as in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, it’s worth learning more about.
2. Lessons From the Screenplay – “Rogue One vs. The Force Awakens – The Fault in Our Star Wars”
Two Star Wars films with female leads? This video essay goes in depth about just how strong the characters of Rey and Jyn actually are in terms of their character development and the plots of their respective movies.
3. Patrick (H) Willems – “Why do Marvel’s Movies Look Kind of Ugly?”
For a film franchise that’s on top of the world and only continues to grow, especially with the recent release of Spider-Man: Homecoming and the anticipated release of Thor: Ragnarok this November, there’s no doubt that Marvel is doing a lot of things right. But in this video essay, we take a look at what Marvel is doing wrong with its movies.
4. Karsten Runquist – “How Mean Girls Tells a Joke”
There’s no denying how iconic Mean Girls is now and will remain for its generations of viewers. This video essay looks into what makes it so funny and how the jokes themselves are hilarious and recognizable both onscreen and in real life.
5. Now You See It – “Costume Design: The Hidden Layer of Movie Magic”
An aspect of film which can be easily overlooked, this video essay goes in detail about why costume design is such an important aspect of storytelling and how some costume designers have used their talents for the film’s advantage.
A movie can be so helpful, whether it’s at the end of a bad day or a way to hang out with friends. Hopefully, these video essays will teach you something new about some of the movies you love and possibly change the way you see things the next time you go to a movie.