Videomaker (2019-04)

contents contents

full screen

print

contents

full screen

print

YOUTUBER I 58

and part film analysis. In one

of my favorite episodes, Mikey

doesn’t just review Edgar Wright’s

“Hot Fuzz” but also explores how

films can become more cultur-

ally relevant in the years after

their release. It’s that additional

analytical element of the review

that movies the episode into video

essay territory.

SUPER-NICHE

What Makes the Best Video Essays So Great?

CONTRAPOINTS

Video essays have a tendency to be voiceover read-

ings set to accompanying visuals of the topic they

are discussing, but the exact format will differ from

presenter to presenter. Natalie of the YouTube chan-

nel ContraPoints, for example, presents her ideas

about culture and politics more often on camera

with slick visuals than through voiceover. Does that

disqualify her videos from being “true” video essays?

Absolutely not.

Alternatively, a channel like CinemaSins technically

hits a bunch of the criteria we’ve outlined — present-

ed through voiceover, critiquing media, etc. — but

they aren’t trying to argue a thesis about the movies

they critique other than “movies have flaws some-

times,” which... I mean... yeah. Good job, gang.

SO HOW DO I MAKE ONE OF

THESE THINGS?

With that somewhat complicated and not at all ex-

haustive explanation of what video essays are, how do

you go about making one? More specifically, how do

you make a good one?

“Intellectual accessibility, an engaging host, and

hard-hitting evidence” is the formula for making a

great video essay according to Max Marriner, who

IT’S THAT

ADDITIONAL

ANALYTICAL

ELEMENT THAT

MOVES IT INTO

VIDEO ESSAY

TERRITORY.

“

383 010 Superniche - Video Essays.indd 58 2/19/19 3:02 PM

YOUTUBER I 59

hosted the video essayist networking panel at VidCon

2018. “Like, if you’ve ever seen Egoraptor’s Sequelitis
      on Mega Man, it’s basically THAT.”
      Arin Hanson’s 2011 video essay about game
      design titled Sequelitis - Mega Man Classic vs.
      Mega Man X might be relatively old by internet
      standards, but it’s amassed over 13 million views
      in those last 7 years. “Entire towering principles of
      video game design are conveyed into understand-
      able, digestible information that anyone, whether
      invested in the medium or not, can understand,”
      Marriner observes, “I personally think it’s the best
      video essay of all time.” Marriner believes this spe-
      cific video has continued to resonate with viewers
      because it “encapsulates everything great about the
      video essay format.”
      While hot takes about “The Last Jedi” will appar-
      ently always get thousands of views forever until the
      internet rots away, the videos essays that stand out
      the most tend to be well-researched — perhaps overly
      researched — presentations on a topic that either
      doesn’t get enough attention or that deserves a fresh
      look from another angle.

SUPER-NICHE

What Makes the Best Video Essays So Great?

WHY ARE SOME VIDEO

ESSAYS BETTER

THAN OTHERS?

A video essay I’ve watched more

than I should have is H. Bom-

berguy’s Sherlock Is Garbage,

And Here’s Why. It’s a nearly

two-hour long takedown of the

Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock

Holmes television show, and it’s

EGORAPTOR

THE VIDEO ESSAYS

THAT STAND OUT

TEND TO BE WELL-

RESEARCHED

PRESENTATIONS

ON A TOPIC THAT

DESERVES A FRESH

LOOK.

“

383 010 Superniche - Video Essays.indd 59 2/19/19 3:02 PM