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Webisodes and YouTube Whatnots
Please post a webisode or youtube video that's entertained you lately. Don't worry about commenting much on it in introduction, but please use your 200 words to comment on a clip that another class member uploads.
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ReplyDeleteI watch a lot of YouTube. My favorite kinds of videos to watch on YouTube are fashion hauls and/or favorites videos (feel free to judge). Sometimes I feel stuck in Ann Arbor when I'm at school when all I really want to be doing is shopping in Los Angeles. Melrose is my fav. I like watching fashion hauls and/or favorites videos because I like to see whats out there, what people are buying and I'm just nosy. These types of videos prove to be very entertaining to me. Here is an example of the kids of videos I watch on YouTube:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWn8WWyC2sU&t=25s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWn8WWyC2sU&t=25s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWn8WWyC2sU&t=25s
Tried for a good 30 minutes to embed or link the video but it wouldn't work, sorry.
What’s so interesting about the post you uploaded is that I’ve heard of Maddi Bragg before, but I’ve actually never seen one of her videos. I find that so amazing because it truly shows how far YouTube and its creators have come. Started in 2005, YouTube was mainly a format for a people to share their videos to a mass format, but now creators are making videos in the hopes of becoming famous and others are making millions by uploading and advertising a product. What’s also fascinating to consider is that in just 12 short years, YouTube creators have moved from the digital space into traditional Hollywood formats. Many creators, like Grace Helbig and Miranda Sings, have gotten their own television programs on channels like E! and subscription based platforms like Netflix. This really shows a blurring of the digital and traditional media that has never been seen before. When digital entertainment first became a concept, traditional creators in Hollywood didn’t know what it was going to do to their careers and livelihoods, and though I expected there to be some sort of mixing between digital and traditional, I didn’t expect it to be at the level where traditional celebrities and YouTubers are hanging out and creators in the digital space are bringing in more income than television and films stars. I’m excited to see where this trend goes and to see if there’s more mixing between the two platforms.
DeleteI've never actually watched one of these videos, but have only heard about them when reading about or discussing topics like the newfound YouTube celebrity or the unexpected rise in popularity that original content on the platform has seen in recent years. Watching this was definitely a new experience; I always had a problem with these videos as an outsider because I thought these kind of videos, depending on the personality of the creator, could come off as shallow and fake. I was pleasantly surprised by how drawn in I was this time. Not only did I watch the whole video, but I then watched another one of hers that was recommended after (it was about how she edits her Instagram pictures, I was so curious). I standby thinking that these videos are relatively shallow, but I don’t mean it as a critique or insult. The content is entertaining and that’s all it really needs to be—the viewers and Maddi Bragg herself probably know that she isn’t there to be posting about the opioid crisis. She was able to draw me in pretty quickly which, I think, is a testament to new age media and the ability to pander to large audiences even if the content is somewhat niche.
DeleteOne of my favorite YouTube channels of all time is JacksGap. Two twin brothers from England run the channel. The reason I love the content so much is because it's high quality and the content they discuss is interesting, relevant to the real world, and usually has a bigger message. The clip I'm sharing today is from their Rickshaw Run series. This is a set of videos the brothers made in India of them driving rickshaws from one side of India to the other. The point was to raise money for charity. This series is not only interesting, but it gives me an inside look into India. Basically said, the content is clear, concise, and interesting and it goes towards an amazing cause.
ReplyDeleteThis is the link!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3wd0ii2oQ
I absolutely loved this video and actually watched the next three episodes after that. What i found so interesting is that this is an example of immaterial living that people are so disconnected with in today's society. Today, people are more focused on purchasing and selling items rather than sharing experiences, and learning about/from other people. This show is an example of a departure from the media norms and using the world as commodity, using experiences and cultural exposure to bring people together and actually make a little money by providing a service, an experience, rather than a product.
DeleteI found this video interesting. I would not say i enjoyed it, but it made me think about how much things are different culturally. The first thing that came to mind as i watched this was how cool of an opportunity this is. To be able to take a road trip across India with some of your closest friends and having the means to do so and record it. To me, a lot of youtube channels portray a life that is not obtainable for the average working class person, which is how they get their viewers. People tune in to watch other people do the things that they wish they could in order to try and experience it. Most people would not be able to afford to take a trip to India, let alone take off this long from work. It makes me wonder how old they all are and if this youtube channel is their job/career/profession. Are they film makers like I attend to be, and if so where do they get funding to do things like this. They are definitely lucky whatever the case maybe.
Deletehttps://youtu.be/j7rJstUseKg
ReplyDeleteThis is a Vice Webisode of the current status of right wing militants known as the 3% that claim they are preparing for an uprising. What is interesting is that while stereotypically racist, this group features members from all demographics.
The thing that struck me most about this is the comments section. I feel like people show their true colors in the YouTube comments section, and it shows how ugly the world is. Here are a few of my favorites:
Delete"I still say liberals are more delusional than these guys, and I also wonder how many democrats think this is legit right wing behavior."
"When the governent brings tyranny they will be fighting for your rightz while you snowflakes cry and ask for your rights back on your knees"
"I have more respect for these people than black lives matter thugs"
"What's the difference between this and a isis camp?"
I am genuinely unsure if these comments are sarcastic or not. Because the internet takes away tone and context, any of these could be read as bias in either direction. It also paves the way for trolls who simply choose whichever side will cause more controversy and push to create chaos, but you can never tell if it IS a troll or not. The one thing that's undeniably clear from the comments is that no one knows a) how to spell, b) proper conventions in grammar and punctuation, and c) A LOT IS TWO SEPARATE WORDS, JUST LIKE A LITTLE.
I watch a decent amount of YouTube, but I never jumped on the web series/YouTube celebrity trend that is so popular right now. I spend most of my free time watching movies and television, so naturally I find myself on YouTube watching mostly celebrity interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, or blooper reels. These kinds of videos are the perfect combination to cure boredom or kill time; they're entertaining enough while still being basically mindless. The clip I'm posting is a good example of what I'm looking to get out of the videos I watch - it's Andy Samberg being interviewed on Conan, telling a cute but quick anecdote about a dinner party he attended and what happened as a result. The content is, to me, interesting, funny, and entertaining; it lets me peek into the life of a celebrity that I love and feel like I know him on a more personal level.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEKPJBWVEKw
I similarly like to watch videos of celebrity interviews behind-the-scenes footage, and blooper reels from my favorite television shows and movies. I find it equally entertaining as inspiring. I especially like the clip that Melissa Barnes posted because one, I am a fan of Andy and Brooklyn 99, second I am a fan of John Mulaney (did not know the two were friends) and third, I love SNL, so it is very interesting to hear about the infamous life of Lorne Michaels. For me, these interviews make all of my favorite celebrity’s seem more relatable and accessible. I find it really interesting to see what my favorite actors and directors are like in real life and their inspirations for their different projects.
DeleteAnother direction I sometimes take down the YouTube rabbit hole, is watching Dialect coaches breaking down actor’s accents in certain movies. In the clip I have attached, Erik Singer, a dialect coach, examines a plethora of performances from the worst: Cameron Diaz in “Gangs of New York” and Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, to the best: Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain” and Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”. I especially like these videos because it is one part of a performance in movies and television that I do not have the tools necessary to critique. I don’t know the difference between a good and bad accent, so it is interesting to learn how these actors have succeeded or failed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDvESEXcgE
Like most of the late night talk show youtube channels, these videos are perfectly consumable and marketable in every way. Conan specifically is underrated because of his move to TBS years and years ago, but when these late night programs post clips from their full show, it's so engaging. I find myself falling down a rabbit whole where I am looking for more interviews with celebrities I like. Andy Samberg's personal story is great, and it's funny enough for a lot of people to continue binge-ing Conan content. However, what's super fascinating about this trend of putting content on youtube is that a lot of fans of specific shows may have never even seen a full episode.
DeleteA great example of this is with "Last Week Tonight", John Oliver's version of shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Their youtube page posts their feature of each episode, sometimes at a run-time of 20+ minutes. It feels as though I watch each week's piece and neglect the real show, considering it is so easy and consumable on Youtube's platform. It's a trend I can see encouraging more programs to join the internet market (like Netflix originals), but Youtube in particular is just so interesting when it comes to this intersection of TV and on-demand video.
In the inordinate amount of time I spend watching youtube videos and content creators, nothing gets me more excited than video essays. In this specific video essay, nerdwriter goes in-depth as to why a movie's transition matter and carefully picks apart a movie, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, to do so. It's insanely engaging and I highly recommend it:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k
As much as I dislike Nerdwriter, something can definitely be said about how he manages to keep his audience's attention. Alongside his slick video editing and lo-fi backing track, his voiceover is delivered compellingly, and his script always amps up at the end the leave the viewer awed at the amazing points he made in the video (even if at closer look those points are a bit lacking). I think Nerdwriter is someone who truly understands the importance of surface level interest, even in what is supposed to be a high level essay. There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of channels out there delivering intellectual points about film on the same level, if not higher than Nerdwriter, but they lack that gloss that really grabs attention. I think what's most astonishing about Nerdwriter is that he managed to blow up from obscurity to the million sub club without making videos that are over ten minutes long. The YouTube algorithm favors videos over ten minutes, and videos with longer "audience retention" so it's surprising to see a creator rise to the top without gaming the system. I suppose its a testament to how visually and aurally engaging his content is. Even for people like me who don't generally like what he has to say, his presentation is so engaging it almost feels like a crime to click off halfway through.
DeleteI watch way too many niche content creators I don't think anyone else here would understand, so here's a video from a more normal source. Mark Brown is a video game analyst, and in this video he talks about a few of his favorite levels from 2017. If you're into video games at all, I recommend checking out everything else on his channel.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lamAqI8v7Y0
I usually only go to youtube when it comes to trying to learn how to do a new hairstyle or I need to see a couple of reviews on hair products before I buy them. So this here is a video of an African American woman doing a flexi rod set in her hair.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idAMXID4bnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxZmWuib_Bk
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of physical humor. Failarmy reminds me of the hours I used to spend as a kid with my siblings watching America's Funniest Home Videos and trying to catch our own perfect moment on video. It never worked, but I still love watching a good piñata crotch shot.