Video essays have easily become one of my favorite forms of entertainment over the years. Video essays are essay-like monologues diving into niche yet familiar and interesting topics, supported by video and picture backgrounds, usually lasting anywhere from thirty minutes to multiple hours. They are the perfect distraction to put in the background when doing homework, eating, or hanging out with friends. I’ve compiled a list of my five favorite video essays my friends and I have seen on YouTube that I think are worthwhile to check out.
Quinton Reviews gives an insanely detailed and hilarious overview of every episode from one of my favorite childhood television shows, iCarly, in his almost 5 hour long video essay titled iBinged iCarly. Filmed in the midst of 2021 quarantine, Quinton deep dives and fully immerses himself into the show and reviews each season in parts. He also includes segments that provide information about how the public reacted to it at the time of release and various extras that came from the show. This one is definitely entertaining and took me only a couple days to finish.
In the same realm of the last video essay mentioned by Quinton Reviews, The Failure of Victorious explores each episode from the childhood Nickelodeon show Victorious and includes a full character analysis of the main characters from the series. This five and a half hour video also explores the societal impact of the show such as why it was created and what other things it caused to be developed. This video essay is easily a rewatch favorite that I turn to when I need something playing in the background.
Disney’s FastPass: A Complicated History is a 1 hour and 42 minute video essay on Disney theme parks, the history of queueing and waiting in line, and steps companies had to take to combat multiple customer-related issues. While it sounds slightly like a history lesson, the video is insanely interesting and dives into many aspects that go into the development of products like the Disney FastPass. Definitely worth a watch.
Another look into a popular childhood show, Spongebob Squarepants: Skin Theory dives into a specific phenomenon present in most of the Spongebob Squarepants episodes, producing an equally interesting and terrifying hour long experience. Looking into hidden ways childhood shows can be different than how we perceive them is always exciting and fun for me!
Continuing on a horror related path, How Audio Enhances the Horror of Five Nights at Freddy’s is a much shorter 18 minute video essay that explores audio techniques used in video games and the effects they have on players. With the recent release of the Five Nights At Freddy’s film, this video can help viewers understand the video game a little better. This video is interesting if you enjoy playing video games or if you are interested in how to engineer horror components into different forms of media.
These are just some of my current favorite video essays I have recently watched on youtube or ones that are long time favorites. Long form videos are so entertaining and interesting to watch with friends or put on in the background while doing work. They are also an easy way to get more information about topics you’re interested in!