video essays tumblr

cheerful oblivion

some recent very good video essays <3

• James Baldwin and the Annihilation of Gender by Anansi’s Library - stunning essay about gender, sexuality, and Blackness in the works of James Baldwin, and Moonlight (2016).
• astronomy has a colonialism problem by Dr. Fatima - Libyan-American and former physicist Dr Fatima discusses the links between colonialism, scientific academia, and the Palestinian liberation movement.
• Saltburn: The Tumblr-ification of Cinema by Broey Deschanel - fun essay on how Saltburn is a cheap rip-off of The Untalented Mr Ripley and refuses to admit it, and how such pastiche is a growing problem.
• How Shirley Jackson exposed the horror of home life by Books n Cats
• This Video Isn’t Just About Taylor Swift. It’s About You. by Alexander Avilla - a juggernaut of an essay about how so much of Taylor Swift’s success is just about the weaponisation of whiteness in marketing.
• Time Travelling While Black by Aishyo - comparative essay about media that portrays Black characters who time travel.
• Why We Can’t Build Better Cities by Philosophy Tube - Abigail Thorn investigates the ideological links between gentrification and the 15-minute-city conspiracy theory.
• Why Sci-fi Can’t Fix Its White Savior Problem by Princess Weekes - an essay about how white supremacy and white feminism is baked into science fiction.
• Eminem and the White Rapper Problem by F.D Signifier - a retrospective on Eminem’s impact on rap, for better and worse.
• Why YouTubers Hold Microphones Now by Tom Nicholas - a fascinating piece about how the slow corporatisation of YouTibe has impacted content creators’ aesthetics over time, and how this is also a wider trend on the internet.

I WAS JUST SAYING I LOVE VIDEO ESSAYS AND THEN I FIND THIS ON MY HOMEPAGE

some recent very good video essays

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video essay watcher

See, that’s what the app is perfect for..

i watch video essays and other similar forms of media typically centered around left wing politics and ideas and then link them here w/ some takeaways

feel free to send in suggestions

open to discussion

still learning

I don’t have time to go deep into discussion and recap and review and takeaways rn but I will be sharing the videos anyway

Fuck the Police

Leeja Miller - Why Are US Police So Bad

Length: 23:28

I saw this one a while ago so I don’t remember exactly what it went into but I remember it being good. It was also unfortunately heavily censored to please youtube’s filters so it might not be very accessible to some folks.

F.D Signifier - F*ck the Police

Length: 1:56:50

Goes into a history of police & prison abolition, copaganda, prison-industrial complex, etc etc. Good stuff from F.D, as always.

veritae et caritas - How police vocabulary justifies violence

Length: 43:23

A breakdown of different tactics & vocabulary that police and the media use to justify or sanitize stories of police violence and brutality, particularly towards protesters, and it discusses the actuality of police crowd control weapons & tactics and how the language and nomenclature around them is decieving. For example, tear gas is a chemical weapon that is banned in war, yet acceptable to use against rowdy civilians.

I’ll reblog this with more videos as I see them

Length: 30:58

Very interesting

It primarily draws and interprets quotes from Marx’s Das Kapital and On the Jewish Question. I have read neither, so I cannot say if he is cherry-picking or whatever.

Though it makes clear that Marx himself was anti-semitic, it has some very strange interpretations and logical maneuvers that try to prove that socialism is inherently anti-semitic and that anti-capitalism is inherently anti-semitic, which I feel fall short because they interpret the excerpts from Das Kapital in some strange ways in order to prove this point.

Marx was anti-semitic, some of his writing was anti-semitic, but we can both acknowledge that Marx was anti-semitic while also acknowledging that his descriptions of class antagonisms and capitalism were largely correct, and that while Jews were forced into the role of money-changers due to the Church banning Christians from usury some hundreds of years ago, we can also understand that the bourgeois exploitation of the proletariat and extraction of labor is bad for workers, without thinking that capitalism and the pursuit of profit is inherently Jewish or that Jews are inherently greedy capitalists, because it’s simply untrue.

Watch it with a critical eye.

Sophie From Mars - The World Is Not Ending

Length: 2:21:28

Unless I’m misinterpreting the whole thing (which I may have, feel free to discuss your takeaways), as capitalism continues to destroy the planet, the climate apocalypse will create material conditions so extreme that capitalism will have finally killed itself, completely obselete, as people have found other ways of organizing to be the only way to effectively survive.

Climate change has happened and has been happening and we’re not gonna be able to reverse it anytime soon, but to keep the damage and the death toll to a minimum in the meantime we must act now. This will require a diversity of tactics. We must actively sabotage capitalist and fossil fuel institutions. And we must organize and build systems that allow us to thrive outside of capitalism and it’s institutions. That is how revolution will happen.

TLDR (it’s not even that long tho, go watch the video it goes into way more depth): Through the climate apocalypse, capitalism will create the conditions that will require us to socialize our way of living to continue living, finally killing itself.

Additional Comments

I really liked it. I was recommended it by a community post from F.D. Signifire (he’s also good, check his stuff out), and I’ve seen and enjoyed some of Sophie’s work before (her video Conspiracy on the Left is really good). I’ve taken some Environmental Science classes that I really enjoyed and this allowed me to connect various areas of my knowledge (I had a good teacher and so I surprisingly find myself connecting stuff I had learned from those classes to all sorts of socialist topics and discussions etc, it’s fun), which also allows me to share with you this tool: En-ROADS Climate Simulator

It allows you to play around with policy scenarios and show you their impact on CO2 levels and warming rate in the long run. (It’s impossible to cool by 2100, but in an ideal policy and technology scenario you could get down to like +0.6 degrees or something. In a more realistic scenario but still decent scenario it’s like +3.)

Sophie in her video addresses a lot more topics and ideas and standpoints and scenarios than I’ve mentioned in this post, I recommend you go watch it.

Robert Reich - Is Donald Trump a Fascist?

Length: 6:57

Keep reading

Then & Now - Mr. Beast: Capitalism & Philanthropy

Length: 1:20:06

This video discusses for-profit philanthropy, citing examples from the past Gilded Age and this one, describing how corporate philanthropy serves and has served as an indirect form of lobbying and advertisement, affecting the opinions and actions of non-profit organizations and the people, and thus policy, in their favor, while also recieving good press for their philanthropy, distracting the people from their wrongdoings.

Leeja Miller - Philanthropy is Ruining America

Length: 27:59

Leeja also discusses and criticizes the practices of philanthrocapitalism, with a greater focus on how billionaires use charitable foundations and donations to control how their wealth is utilized, avoid taxes, and maintain private influence over social programs instead of government regulation and welfare.

The two videos go well together but are also each good on their own.

Second Thought - Why Liberalism Won’t Solve Anything

Length: 18:46

Neither the Democrats or Republicans actually represent your interests. They serve the rich and powerful, not the people. We spend too much time and energy on electoral politics, and not enough on real action. Vote blue (for the lesser evil) in order to slow down the rightward shift and prevent the far right (the greater evil) from taking power, but in places where the Democrats already and always hold power, vote third-party to threaten their establishment.

However, do not spend your time and effort on electoral politics. Most of your political activity should be involved in organizing your community, building solidarity, resisting capitalist power, and educating yourself and others.

Good vid from JT, as usual.

Unlearning Economics - Free Stuff is Good, Actually

Length: 1:24:40

This video explains how free stuff (healthcare, education, etc) is good, actually, from an economic perspective, citing studies that show long term economic benefit and profit, as well as expanded rights and quality of life for workers.

(Forgive me for the short and undetailed recap, I watched this one a while ago. Also note that beyond this point is my opinion and ideas, not just what was stated in the video iirc)

Of course, the reason why the United States doesn’t then fund these systems and give away free stuff is that despite being more profitable in the long term, is that capitalists are short-sighted, and these systems of welfare and public access expand the rights and access of the working class, making them less vulnerable, more powerful, and more educated, and thus less exploitable, and the one thing that capitalism places above profit is exploitation.

Marxism Today - Cornel West for President? The Pros and Cons

Length: 36:19

The folks at Marxism Today, who as far as I am aware are Marxist-Leninist-Maoists, discuss the presidential candidacy of Dr. Cornel West, pros, cons, and predictions.

My takeaways of the pros and cons discussed are as follows:

West can appeal to the right-wing proletariat with his Christianity

West is a popular black figure and public intellectual that actually stands for black liberation

West represents a third party option that could rile up the non-voting population and others that feel unsatisfied with the duopoly

West is outspokenly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, etc, an actual lefist/socialist

Dr. West is not a Marxist

West has questionable party affiliations (the People’s Party has been the subject of scandal, controversy, and and has been known to support conspiracy theories)

As a third party candidate, West is very unlikely to win, and could end up being a spoiler, throwing the election to the Republican fascists. Cornel West links on his Linktree to an article about this scenario , though the author of it (Norman Finkelstein) has questionable background (transphobia, conspiracy theories, etc)

In the case that he does win or become even more influential, he will almost certainly be sabotaged by the estabilishment.

Leeja Miller - Unions Will Save America.

Length: 28:33

Leeja explains why currently so many unions are striking, the history of labor organizing in the 20th century, union busting, and her ideas of how unions and labor organizing could unite people across party lines over shared class interests.

Just a schmuck who writes and draws — Okay, this is why I feel like video essays on...

See, that’s what the app is perfect for..

Just a schmuck who writes and draws

Okay, this is why I feel like video essays on YouTube are a little out of control. Like, do we REALLY need five hours and sixteen minutes (not counting bullshit, randomized ads) to talk about The Suite Life on Deck and why it’s a “disaster?” The goofy sitcom on the Disney Channel that most didn’t watch since they were a kid and has more than forgotten about?

Why can’t we ever have a five hour and sixteen minute long video essay talking about something GOOD? A show someone enjoyed, an artist who deserved more praise than they’ve got, a franchise that meant the world to a person. Instead, we have people doing shit like…this. Like, genuinely, do you really need FIVE HOURS to explain that something was just “goofy” or “stupid” for a show that was just catering to the demographic of kids like me who went to Disney Channel because Spongebob wasn’t on? GET. REAL.

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reblog to give all ur period cramps to bill cipher

I saw this three times on my dash from multiple blogs…At this point, I HAVE to reblog it. It’s fate.

Trapped Family in Gaza Appeals for Help to Survive

A plea for help from gaza: a family seeking safety.

Hello, I am Rehab Shamia, married to Hussein Shamia ( @husseinshamia ) ,from a family of 4 members .

We live in the midst of the ongoing hellish war in Gaza, trapped between walls of fear and despair.

In light of the israeli aggression on the gaza strip, we went through very difficult circumstances. we were displaced several times. we lost our house, which i had paid for with all my savings, to the enemy's bombs shortly after our first displacement. we lost all the beautiful things that my family and i used to enjoy, and the most difficult beautiful thing we lost was safety in peace, due to the violent bombing that surrounded us in all the places to which we fled..

to say the least, our days were difficult, as there were no viable sources of employment to obtain the money we needed to meet our needs.Our situation is especially dire because my wife was born in the war, I have an infant and a 4-year-old and we are still stuck in a tent where there is no healthy food, no medicine, no water and no electricity. During the process of displacement, we lost the stable and recreational life that we used to live with me, the family, and the child, Ayham, who lost all the toys that he loved and played with all the time, and was deprived of the beautiful childhood that he lived in the first days of his childhood. My wife, who is constantly tired and exhausted,moving from one tent to another, is slowly sliding towards despair. Every nature of life, from a beautiful house to a tent in the middle of the street, a place to sleep. I need your help in raising money to leave the Gaza Strip

I need to raise money to restore a beautiful life and stability outside the Gaza Strip Everything I tell leaves only a small amount of the suffering we are experiencing. Below is a glimpse of the contrast between our lives before the aggression and the nightmare we've been enduring since it began. Thank you for your support and solidarity

GoFundMe Campaign Link:❤️

With deepest respect and gratitude,

Rehab shamia

My account vetted by :

• @bilal-salah0

• @queerstudiesnatural

Vetted , shared by @bilal-salah0 here .

…What happened to the other comic? The new addition to Hero’s Complex? I went searching for Stringbean comics and found this instead of Hero Complex.

The Evil Owl Lady

Okay, that’s actually a hilarious concept. A person who wants to be evil and destroy everything can’t help but accidentally do good deeds? It’s just perfect.

Titan Princess: Luz Noceda 👑✨

This looks like something Amity would dream about, either in a case of saving a princess from a magic castle or being whisked away by a princess to live happily ever after.

In honor of Marvel turning 85, here’s a list of at least my 10 favorite Marvel characters in no particular order:

Okay, I’ll accept this possibility.

Anonymous asked:

Wait, you were actually born in the 1900's? Thats so cool

orteil42 answered:

i am going to eat my own entire skin

Reblog if you were born in the 1900's.

The upsetting thing about the Internet Archive situation is that they decided to bet everything - their credibility, the crucial work of preservation they've done on the net, the accessibility of materials that otherwise be legitimate lost media - on a truly idiotic proposition for the sake of either "changing bad law" or martyring themselves to it.

And now they're getting martyred for it.

And it's their own goddamn fault.

And we're still going to pay for it, as a society, either paying for their dumbfuck legal pirouette, with the loss of all the material that they claimed to be custodians of but instead endangered recklessly, or realistically, both .

It's fucking maddening.

I'm reblogging this from myself because I realized that, actually, I have Opinions and I want to express them. I'm an academic librarian, for context.

I saw the 2020 Internet Archive post about their "Emergency Library" and my immediate response was, "But isn't that a huge violation of copyright? I hope they know what they're doing." Spoiler alert: I do not think they knew what they were doing. I think they fucked around and are now finding out.

The thing which makes me the most mad about this (up to and including the potential loss of everything in their archive) is the fact that this whole court case--this court case which is really and truly the Internet Archive's fault, not an overreach on the publishers' side--has made it so, so much harder to ever even potentially get legal sanction for actual controlled digital lending.

What the Internet Archive was doing Was. Not. Controlled Digital Lending (CDL). Actual CDL is when a library takes a book out of circulation, scans it, and then makes the scan available to one person at a time while the physical copy remains non-circulating. One copy of each book to one patron at one time--that's why it's called "controlled".

CDL is most often done for materials which don't have an ebook version.* For instance, the library I worked at in 2020 used CDL to make certain course reserve textbooks available to students remotely.

Librarians are and were aware that while they consider this a Fair Use exception to copyright, CDL occupies a legal gray area.** The case for fair use rests on the arguments that such use is not (or is very minimally) impeding the market because 1) the library is not loaning out more copies than they have already paid for (just doing it in a different medium) and 2) in most cases, there is no competing product from the publisher (the libraries aren't using CDL to replace available ebooks and therefore aren't causing market harm to the publisher). This use is also argued to be parallel to making digital copies of print books to allow visually impaired readers to access them,*** which is a legally established fair use case.

So libraries (some libraries) were cautiously forging ahead with CDL, hoping that if it was ever challenged, it would be found to be fair use, and that maybe it would make the digital lending/ebook landscape just a little bit less broken, and in the meantime knowing that we were making materials more accessible to our patrons.

And then along comes the Internet Archive with their "Emergency Library" where they just make every scanned book they have available to use with no restrictions. No limits to one user per physical book at a time. No considerations based on whether or not a publisher's ebook version is available. And they called that "Controlled Digital Lending".

And in doing so they have potentially harmed actual controlled digital lending for all libraries in the US.

Now every publisher who hears "controlled digital lending" is going to think of the Internet Archive's abuse of the term. Now there's legal precedent that a thing called "controlled digital lending" is a violation of copyright (even though the substance of what's meant is different). Now CDL is forever associated with actual, clear copyright violation.

And that makes me mad because this was all so preventable and is due entirely to the Internet Archive's choices.

*Partly for copyright reasons, but also because scanning a book is actually a lot of work, so buying an ebook is a lot easier. And even with how much libraries get charged for ebooks (if you weren't aware, it's often at least 3 times as much as the retail version, and we don't always even get to keep the license in perpetuity), scanning is so much work it can be more cost-effective to buy a publisher's ebook even leaving aside copyright issues.

** Almost all fair use is technically a legal gray area. Fair use is a defense against copyright infringement (that is, it is essentially permitted infringement), so any fair use case that hasn't been litigated is a sort of Schrodinger's fair use. We (general) act on the considered belief that the use is legally fair, but until and unless it's hashed out in court, no one can know for sure whether a certain use would be considered fair or illegal infringement.

***They're both forms of digitizing owned physical materials to provide access in an alternate format.

I stand with the Internet Archive. Yes they’re breaking the law, but the law sucks and worth taking a large risk for taking a stand.

Technology should be used to make the world a better place. Price gorging for licenses to share digital assets, and adding artificial limitations for an infinitely shareable resource though either public libraries or a non profit service is such bullshit.

None of what you're saying is wrong.

I want to emphasize that. I agree with all the points you're making.

However, bad copyright law is not changed by purposefully breaking said bad copyright law and then offering an insustantial legal defense to it that boils down to: yeah, but the law sucks tho!

That's what the IA did.

The IA fucked over authors and libraries everywhere by poisoning the well of an actual fair use scenario, by calling blatant piracy by the same name. This has created legal precedent that attacks that fair use scenario because it has been defined as blatant piracy.

Look, I think piracy is mostly ethical under the capitalist hell scape we live in.

But the IA is not the folk hero they're pretending to be. They made a shortsighted, stupid decision that contradicts their stated purpose and endangered their core function.

They fucked up and all the lip service in the world won't change the fact that what they did was look at a clearcut law and said: but what if I don't want to?

There are actual, badass ways to challenge copyright law or to enshrine fair use scenarios. Do you know who is at the forefront of that?

Actual libraries.

You know, the ones the IA refused to work with and recklessly endangered over a stupid PR stun.

As someone who thinks the IA is deeply important and their mission crucial for the future of a free internet? Fuck the IA and everyone who looked at "let's just become a piracy site and see what happens!" This is what happens! You get sued out of existence! Just like all other piracy sites that aren't smart enough to hide!

Piracy is not risk free!

Did you know their stupidity almost got the entire organization reclassified as a commercial venture? Because that's what piracy websites are. The only good thing that came from the latest failed appeal is that at least the judge agreed they're not a for profit.

That's how stupid they've been! They risked everything and nearly lost everything, pursuing an avenue that would never yield the change they say they wanted.

That's the other thing I have to emphasize. The kind of better copyright law they insist they are trying to being about? That's not possible through the judicial system. That's the kind of thing that takes lobbying the legislative on a local level all the way up to federal, one bloody step at the time! Again, look at libraries! Look at the work they have been trying to do, to fight against misinformation, censorship and copyright overreaching.

Libraries have been doing all the heavy lifting, and then the IA fucked up and nearly fucked them over in the process too.

Is the IA important? Yes! I hope they survive this. But this is their fault. They're not hapless victims of the evil corporations.

They fucked around and now they're finding out.

@cardigarden what’s your take?

Oh man, I have so many thoughts that I actually came off mobile to type this all out on my laptop.

For those of you who don't know me, I recently had to leave my job for childcare reasons, but for the last 6 years I've been an academic librarian doing CDL on a large programmatic level with stuff on IA (no I won't say where).

I had the exact same reaction OP did when IA launched the National Emergency Library, and I knew this final judgement was coming as soon as the district court ruled in March 2023. In fact I remember telling my staff the next day "they officially girlbossed too close to the sun, but don't worry, I've been working on things to make sure none of you lose your jobs." Yep. That was a real conversation IA's choices made me have with my staff.

OP goes into fantastic detail about what CDL is, so I won't do more of that, but if anyone wants further reading, this white paper from 2018 is a great resource.

My firm belief on all of this is that things would have been very different if we had one of two different alternate realities.

Alternate Reality 1: Brewster Kahle had a little less "rich white guy with a savior complex" and a little more realism in his personality. Brewster founded IA and this is how he thinks he's gonna save the world. Look. I'm a librarian and I believe access to information is a human right. HOWEVER. I'm not about to use a global pandemic to break my own rules that to date had kept publishers from suing me. My guess is that he didn't care and actually welcomed the lawsuit because he thought he would win because he was on the side of righteousness. Given how IA's lawyer argued the case, this seems pretty plausible.

Alternate Reality 2: IA existed as brick-and-mortar or some other brick-and-mortar library was the defendant. The district court judge could not wrap his head around the idea that IA counted as a library because it didn't have a building you could go to to check out books. He also had a huge problem with the fact that their "defined userbase" was The World. An academic library's userbase is limited to students and faculty and maybe the local community if they're either a state school or feeling generous. Your local library's userbase is limited either to your town or your county depending on how the library system is set up. In other words, there are limits. The judge Did Not Like that IA was for everyone on the planet. I genuinely believe that a library with a closed ecosystem that focused entirely on books that didn't have e-versions would have survived this.

Now, when I got hired, my manager at the time sat me down and said that the ultimate goal of the institutions doing CDL was to bait a lawsuit because of the legal gray area borne of the fact copyright law has not kept pace with technology, and they asked if I was okay with that. I was (and still am) because I both like being on the cutting edge of things and feel that the legal theory has merit. During my time on the job, the only books we did were titles that were either out of print, or old enough that they had been superseded by enough new editions that they could be considered "a history of [topic]" rather than current knowledge. None of these books have or will ever have an ebook version.

Which brings me back to the National Emergency Library. Not only did IA remove lending limits to books currently in print, they did it for books that had a publisher-available e-version. How could you be so stupid, I shouted daily into the void since then. Did you think the lawyers a non-profit can afford can punch in the same weight class as the in-house counsel for Harper?? The fourth of four legal tests to support a claim of fair use is "does the use cause market harm".

IA's defense boiled down to "let's not talk about the NEL, that was an aberration of the concept put in place only because of covid lockdowns and let's assess CDL on its own". This opened the door for the publishers to argue that IA has already broken the rules once and can't be trusted not to do it again. The publishers also successfully argued that the Works In Suit did not pass the transformativeness fair use test.

(IA argued that the increased efficiency made the use transformative not derivative, which.... is weak sauce honestly.)

Basically yeah. IA fucked around and now we're all finding out. What happens next depends entirely on how bad the damages are. While the Wayback Machine had no part or relevance to this suit, the monetary damages could be bad enough that they can't afford to keep it running. AND, IA is basically facing the same lawsuit over music. They either need a way better lawyer for that suit or just give up.

Brewster, buddy, you gotta let the idealism go and be a bit more pragmatic jfc

Verified Palestinian Fundraisers

Here are some more fundraising requests I've received from the last day collected into one post to help prevent individual fundraisers from becoming lost. If you have the money, please donate to one or more of these campaigns, or if you don't please share the donation links for the people in need mentioned here.

@ashraf-baker5 - Verified here - GoFundMe (85%)

@ahmadresh - Verified here - GoFundMe (38%)

@aahed-family - The post is gone but this was vetted by association through @mohammedalanqer - GoFundMe ( 3% )

@m8hammed - The original post was removed but this fundraiser is vetted - GoFundMe (40%)

@anas--basil - Verified here - GoFundMe (17%)

@amalgheelan - Vetted by association - GoFundMe ( 2% )

thinking mood

🌊 — some of my favourite vídeo essays about art...

See, that’s what the app is perfect for..

so let me stay tender-hearted,

despite despite despite

some of my favourite vídeo essays about art history:

whose migrant mother was this? the story of the native american woman who became the face of the 1930s depression (and got almost nothing for it)

bauhaus design is everywhere, but its roots are political how even a simple choice between what font to use can be a political act

edvard munch: what a cigarette means munch + tobacco = art? (yes we’re still on the topic of art as a political weapon)

art that was never finished how great masters sometimes even didn’t finish stuff. also! the history behind the colour aquamarine

fka twigs on mary magdalene (if you like asmr you’re gonna love this)

having a coke with frank ohara (technically not art history but this video is too good for me not to mention)

video postcard: woman at her toilette a quick dive into my favourite painting of woman impressionist berthe morisot

this documentary about georgia o´keeffe (that ive seen about 10 times)

david hockney on vincent van gogh on love of nature, beauty, attention, and the art of looking (essentially a mary oliver poem in interview format!!!!)

See more posts like this on Tumblr

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Franny Choi,  The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On

jstor and mubi end of summer vibes

Caleb Hahne Quintana (Mexican-American, 1993) - Brushing My Mother's Hair (2022)

— Joe Moran, “ Why you should read this article slowly ” in The Guardian

every three weeks on the dot the voice of frank ohara comes into my head and he read me that line from having a coke with you in his 60s new york accent: and what good does all the research of the impressionists do them / when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank

…… and i loose it all over again

oh my god. most of life really is about the little things. a good haircut, a nice playlist, trying a new recipe that turns out well, a poem that hits home, a comfortable spot in the sun, spontaneous messages, a pen you enjoy writing with, tea with the right temperature to drink, buying that thing you’ve been eyeing for a while, a warm bed. yeah. im so grateful for the little enjoyments

Early morning at the orchard.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order—willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living.

Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

best friend, salman toor

Robert Wood Lynn, “Aftermath”

• Scriptwriting

What is a Video Essay? The Art of the Video Analysis Essay

I n the era of the internet and Youtube, the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of expressing ideas and concepts. However, there is a bit of an enigma behind the construction of the video essay largely due to the vagueness of the term.

What defines a video analysis essay? What is a video essay supposed to be about? In this article, we’ll take a look at the foundation of these videos and the various ways writers and editors use them creatively. Let’s dive in.

Watch: Our Best Film Video Essays of the Year

Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this.

What is a video essay?

First, let’s define video essay.

There is narrative film, documentary film, short films, and then there is the video essay. What is its role within the realm of visual media? Let’s begin with the video essay definition. 

VIDEO ESSAY DEFINITION

A video essay is a video that analyzes a specific topic, theme, person or thesis. Because video essays are a rather new form, they can be difficult to define, but recognizable nonetheless. To put it simply, they are essays in video form that aim to persuade, educate, or critique. 

These essays have become increasingly popular within the era of Youtube and with many creatives writing video essays on topics such as politics, music, film, and pop culture. 

What is a video essay used for?

• To persuade an audience of a thesis
• To educate on a specific subject
• To analyze and/or critique 

What is a video essay based on?

Establish a thesis.

Video analysis essays lack distinguished boundaries since there are countless topics a video essayist can tackle. Most essays, however, begin with a thesis. 

How Christopher Nolan Elevates the Movie Montage  •  Video Analysis Essays

Good essays often have a point to make. This point, or thesis, should be at the heart of every video analysis essay and is what binds the video together. 

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interviews in video essay

Utilize interviews.

A key determinant for the structure of an essay is the source of the ideas. A common source for this are interviews from experts in the field. These interviews can be cut and rearranged to support a thesis. 

Roger Deakins on "Learning to Light"  •  Video Analysis Essays

Utilizing first hand interviews is a great way to utilize ethos into the rhetoric of a video. However, it can be limiting since you are given a limited amount to work with. Voice over scripts, however, can give you the room to say anything. 

How to create the best video essays on Youtube

Write voice over scripts.

Voice over (VO) scripts allow video essayists to write out exactly what they want to say. This is one of the most common ways to structure a video analysis essay since it gives more freedom to the writer. It is also a great technique to use when taking on large topics.

In this video, it would have been difficult to explain every type of camera lens by cutting sound bites from interviews of filmmakers. A voice over script, on the other hand, allowed us to communicate information directly when and where we wanted to.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses  •  Video essay examples

Some of the most famous video essayists like Every Frame a Painting and Nerdwriter1 utilize voice over to capitalize on their strength in writing video analysis essays. However, if you’re more of an editor than a writer, the next type of essay will be more up your alley. 

Video analysis essay without a script

Edit a supercut.

Rather than leaning on interview sound bites or voice over, the supercut video depends more on editing. You might be thinking “What is a video essay without writing?” The beauty of the video essay is that the writing can be done throughout the editing. Supercuts create arguments or themes visually through specific sequences. 

Another one of the great video essay channels, Screen Junkies, put together a supercut of the last decade in cinema. The video could be called a portrait of the last decade in cinema.

2010 - 2019: A Decade In Film  •  Best videos on Youtube

This video is rather general as it visually establishes the theme of art during a general time period. Other essays can be much more specific. 

Critical essays

Video essays are a uniquely effective means of creating an argument. This is especially true in critical essays. This type of video critiques the facets of a specific topic. 

In this video, by one of the best video essay channels, Every Frame a Painting, the topic of the film score is analyzed and critiqued — specifically temp film score.

Every Frame a Painting Marvel Symphonic Universe  •  Essay examples

Of course, not all essays critique the work of artists. Persuasion of an opinion is only one way to use the video form. Another popular use is to educate. 

• The Different Types of Camera Lenses →
• Write and Create Professionally Formatted Screenplays →
• How to Create Unforgettable Film Moments with Music →

Video analysis essay

Visual analysis.

One of the biggest advantages that video analysis essays have over traditional, written essays is the use of visuals. The use of visuals has allowed video essayists to display the subject or work that they are analyzing. It has also allowed them to be more specific with what they are analyzing. Writing video essays entails structuring both words and visuals. 

Take this video on There Will Be Blood for example. In a traditional, written essay, the writer would have had to first explain what occurs in the film then make their analysis and repeat.

This can be extremely inefficient and redundant. By analyzing the scene through a video, the points and lessons are much more clear and efficient. 

There Will Be Blood  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Through these video analysis essays, the scene of a film becomes support for a claim rather than the topic of the essay. 

Dissect an artist

Essays that focus on analysis do not always focus on a work of art. Oftentimes, they focus on the artist themself. In this type of essay, a thesis is typically made about an artist’s style or approach. The work of that artist is then used to support this thesis.

Nerdwriter1, one of the best video essays on Youtube, creates this type to analyze filmmakers, actors, photographers or in this case, iconic painters. 

Caravaggio: Master Of Light  •  Best video essays on YouTube

In the world of film, the artist video analysis essay tends to cover auteur filmmakers. Auteur filmmakers tend to have distinct styles and repetitive techniques that many filmmakers learn from and use in their own work. 

Stanley Kubrick is perhaps the most notable example. In this video, we analyze Kubrick’s best films and the techniques he uses that make so many of us drawn to his films. 

Why We're Obsessed with Stanley Kubrick Movies  •  Video essay examples

Critical essays and analytical essays choose to focus on a piece of work or an artist. Essays that aim to educate, however, draw on various sources to teach technique and the purpose behind those techniques. 

What is a video essay written about?

Historical analysis.

Another popular type of essay is historical analysis. Video analysis essays are a great medium to analyze the history of a specific topic. They are an opportunity for essayists to share their research as well as their opinion on history. 

Our video on aspect ratio , for example, analyzes how aspect ratios began in cinema and how they continue to evolve. We also make and support the claim that the 2:1 aspect ratio is becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Why More Directors are Switching to 18:9  •  Video analysis essay

Analyzing the work of great artists inherently yields a lesson to be learned. Some essays teach more directly.

• Types of Camera Movements in Film Explained →
• What is Aspect Ratio? A Formula for Framing Success →
• Visualize your scenes with intuitive online shotlist software →

Writing video essays about technique

Teach technique.

Educational essays designed to teach are typically more direct. They tend to be more valuable for those looking to create art rather than solely analyze it.

In this video, we explain every type of camera movement and the storytelling value of each. Educational essays must be based on research, evidence, and facts rather than opinion.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement  •  Best video essays on YouTube

As you can see, there are many reasons why the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of communicating information. Its ability to use both sound and picture makes it efficient and effective. It also draws on the language of filmmaking to express ideas through editing. But it also gives writers the creative freedom they love. 

Writing video essays is a new art form that many channels have set high standards for. What is a video essay supposed to be about? That’s up to you. 

Organize Post Production Workflow

The quality of an essay largely depends on the quality of the edit. If editing is not your strong suit, check out our next article. We dive into tips and techniques that will help you organize your Post-Production workflow to edit like a pro. 

Up Next: Post Production →

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Complete Guide How to Write a Video Essay: Steps and Tips

• by Joseph Kenas
• September 11, 2024
• Writing Tips

Making a video essay has become an increasingly popular way of presenting ideas and concepts in the age of the internet and YouTube.

Video essays are an engaging way to express ideas, arguments, or critiques using both visual and auditory elements.

In this guide, we present a step-by-step guide on how to write a video essay and tips on how to make it.

While it is easy to write a normal essay, the structure of the video essay is a bit of a mystery, owing to the newness of the term.

However, in this article, we will define what is a video essay, how to write a video essay, and how to present a video essay well in class.

What is a Video Essay?

A video essay is a video that delves into a certain subject, concept, person, or thesis. Video essays are difficult to characterize because they are a relatively new form, yet they are recognized regardless. Simply, video essays are visual compilations that try to persuade, educate, or criticize.

These days, there are many creatives making video essays on topics like politics, music, movies, and pop culture.

With these, essays have become increasingly popular in the era of video media such as YouTube, Vimeo, and others.

Video essays, like photo and traditional essays, tell a story or make a point.

The distinction is that video essays provide information through visuals.

When creating a video essay, you can incorporate video, images, text, music, and/or narration to make it dynamic and successful.

When you consider it, many music videos are video essays. 

Since making videos for YouTube and other video sites has grown so popular, many professors are now assigning video essays instead of regular essays to their students. So the question is, how do you write a video essay script?

How to Write a Video Essay Script

Unscripted videos cost time, and effort, and are unpleasant to watch. The first thing you should do before making a video is write a script, even if it’s only a few lines long. Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of writing a script. All you need is a starting point.

A video script is important for anyone who wants to film a video with more confidence and clarity. They all contain comparable forms of information, such as who is speaking, what is said, where, and other important details.

While there are no precise criteria that a video essay must follow, it appears that most renowned video essayists are adhering to some steps as the form gets more popular and acknowledged online. 

1. Write a Thesis

Because a video essayist can handle a wide range of themes, video analysis essays lack defined bounds. The majority of essays, on the other hand, begin with a thesis.

A thesis is a statement, claim, theme, or concept that the rest of the essay is built around. A thesis might be broad, including a variety of art forms. Other theses can be quite detailed.

A good essay will almost always have a point to express. Every video analysis essay should have a central idea, or thesis, that ties the film together.

2. Write a Summary

Starting with a brief allows you and your team to document the answers to the most pressing project concerns. It ensures that everyone participating in the video production is on the same page.

This will avoid problems of mixing ideas or getting stuck when you are almost completing the project.

3. Choose appropriate Writing Tools

When it comes to writing your script, use any tool you’re familiar with, such as pen and paper. Also, find a writing atmosphere that is relaxing for you, where you can concentrate and be creative.

Consider what you don’t have to express out loud when you’re writing. Visual elements will be used to communicate a large portion of your content.

4. Use a Template

When you don’t have to reinvent the process every time you sit down, you get speed and consistency.

It’s using your cumulative knowledge of what works and doing it over and over again. Don’t start with a blank page when I sit down to create a script- try to use an already made template. 

5. Be Conversational

You want scripts that use language that is specific and targeted. Always avoid buzzwords, cliches, and generalizations. You want your audience to comprehend you clearly without rolling their eyes.

6. Be Narrative

Make careful to use a strong story structure when you’re trying to explain anything clearly. Ensure your script has a beginning, middle, and end, no matter how short it is. This will provide a familiar path for the viewers of your video script.

7. Edit Your Script

Make each word work for a certain position on the page when you choose your words.

They must serve a purpose.

After you’ve completed your first draft, go over your script and review it.

Then begin editing, reordering, and trimming. Remove as much as possible.

Consider cutting it if it isn’t helping you achieve your goal.

 8. Read your Script Loudly

Before recording or going on in your process, it’s recommended to read your script aloud at least once. Even if you won’t be the one reading it, this is a good method to ensure that your message is clear.

It’s a good idea to be away from people so you may practice in peace. Words that flow well on paper don’t always flow well when spoken aloud.

You might need to make some adjustments based on how tough certain phrases are to pronounce- it’s a lot easier to change it now than when recording.

9. Get Feedback

Sometimes it is very difficult to point out your mistakes in any piece of writing. Therefore, if you want a perfect video essay script, it is advisable to seek feedback from people who are not involved in the project.

Keep in mind that many will try to tear your work apart and make you feel incompetent. However, it can also be an opportunity to make your video better.

The best way to gather feedback is to assemble a group of people and read your script to them. Watch their facial reaction and jot your own comments as you read. Make sure not to defend your decisions.

Only listen to comments and ask questions to clarify.

After gathering feedback, decide on what points to include in your video essay. Also, you can ask someone else to read it to you so that you can listen to its follow.

A video essay can be a good mode to present all types of essays, especially compare and contrast essays as you can visually contrast the two subjects of your content.

How to make a Good Video from an Essay Script

You can make a good video from your script if you ask yourself the following questions;

• What is the video’s purpose? What is the purpose of the video in the first place?
• Who is this video’s intended audience?
• What is the subject of our video? (The more precise you can be, the better.) 
• What are the most important points to remember from the video?- What should viewers take away from it?

If the context had multiple characters, present their dialogues well in the essay to bring originality. If there is a need to involve another person, feel free to incorporate them.

How to Present a Video Essay Well in Class

• Write down keywords or main ideas in a notecard; do not write details- writing main ideas will help you remember your points when presenting. This helps you scan through your notecard for information.
• Practice- in presentations it is easy to tell who has practiced and who hasn’t. For your video essay to grab your class and professor’s attention, practice is the key.
• Practice in front of your friends and family asking for feedback and try to improve.
• Smile at your audience- this is one of the most important points when presenting anything in front of an audience.
• A smiley face draws the attention of the audience making them smile in return thus giving you confidence.
• Walk to your seat with a smile- try not to be disappointed even if you are not applauded. Be confident that you have aced your video presentation.

Other video presentation tips include;

• Making eye contact
• Have a good posture
• Do not argue with the audience 
• Look at everyone around the room, not just one audience or one spot
• Remember to use your hand and facial expressions to make a point.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

oh no, it's TBSkyen — A quick list of favorite video essays on YT?

See, that’s what the app is perfect for..

oh no, it's TBSkyen

mybrainisnotasquid asked:

A quick list of favorite video essays on YT?

You fool! You have activated my trap card! Now suffer the flood of recommendations!

We’ll start with the more famous ones and work our way down to smaller and smaller creators as we go:

The Nostalgia Critic and The Wall by Folding Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokAtlFGa7Y

Violence & Protest by Philosophy Tube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh4G1Gjv7bA

Mel Brooks, The Producers, and the Ethics of Satire about N@zis by Lindsay Ellis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62cPPSyoQkE

Weighing the Value of Director’s Cuts | Scanline by hbomberguy and Shannon Strucci: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6OT77T7YlE

Incels by Contrapoints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD2briZ6fB0

POLYBIUS - The Video Game That Doesn’t Exist by Ahoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7X6Yeydgyg

Disney’s FastPass: A Complicated History by Defunctland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjZpBq1XBE

Dropping the Bomb: Hiroshima & Nagasaki by Shaun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCRTgtpC-Go

The Alt-Right Playbook: How to Radicalize a Normie by Innuendo Studios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P55t6eryY3g

TRAINWRECKORDS: “American Life” by Madonna by Todd in the Shadows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCMNzdm_RKo

The Speedrun Where Link Stares at Rupees for 17 Hours by Lowest Percent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2nRW3wKnVY

The Simpsons and the Death of Parody by Jonas Čeika - CCK Philosophy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_fxwLBSFo

CATS & The Weird Mind of TS Eliot | An Analysis by Maggie Mae Fish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tYcPuVYDHw

Fashion in Final Fantasy by ThorHighHeels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3Yl0Moy_ic

action button reviews boku no natsuyasumi by Action Button: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=779coR-XPTw

Transvestigation: The Conspiracy Theory That Everyone Is Transgender by Mia Mulder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5-MDXzfmg

The Matrix Sequels Are Good, Actually by Sophie from Mars and Sarah Zedig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0VnYcMHuDc

The Last Unicorn: Why Must You Always Speak In Riddles? by What’s So Great About That?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNrTM74pdTk

Bisexual Lighting: the Rise of Pink, Purple and Blue by KyleKallgrenBHH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gU3IA4u-J8

I Watched ALL the Swan Princess Sequels by Laura Crone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saM3afhPfO8

Knives Out: The Simple Art of Trolling Everyone by let’s talk about stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_2kzuC3GM0

Crime & Humanity in Yakuza by HeavyEyed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbElfOjJJbw

FAKE FRIENDS EPISODE TWO: parasocial hell by Shannon Strucci: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLA-uFKjQ-g

Left Wing White Supremacy? by JohntheDuncan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZaOCR-mUm8

How Will Games Be Preserved? | Capturing the Frozen Flame by Transparency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVo4M57wWLc

Queer Relativity by Aranock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di1aTOJUncM

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The best video essays of 2020

Creators continue to push the envelope of criticism on YouTube

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

by Wil Williams

For the last few years, video essays have gained more and more prominence on YouTube . With more and more creators choosing a video essay — or video essay-inspired — format, there are video essays about almost any topic you want to learn more about.

To discuss what makes a video essay one of the best of the year, let’s first break down what a video essay was in the year 2020 . There’s more gray area between formats than it initially may seem, especially given how many videos that lack an essay structure take on an essay aesthetic. We used the following criteria for this list:

• The video must be scripted. Momentary improvised asides are fine, especially if they come in the form of voice over added in editing, but the video must otherwise follow a written script.
• The video must have a thesis, and that thesis must be more than “this is good” or “this is bad.” The thesis should concern the impact of the subject matter, not just its content. This means no straight reviews (like La’Ron Readus’s review of Candyman ), no commentary/discussion videos (like Sherliza Moé’s series on cultural appropriation in the Star Wars prequels and Avatar: The Last Airbender ), no lore recaps (like My Name Is Byf’s meticulous archival works of the Destiny 2 lore), and no straight-up histories (like Sarah Z’s retelling of the infamous DashCon).
• The video also shouldn’t be a documentary (like NoClip’s documentary about the making of Pyre ). The focus should be a subject from an analytical standpoint, not an interview standpoint.
• But this doesn’t mean the video should necessarily aim for pure objectivity; personal video essays are, in fact, a thing.

This isn’t to say the excluded videos aren’t great. On the contrary: the ones mentioned above absolutely rule. Defining the parameters of a video essay, though, puts the videos discussed here on an equal playing field. When you watch, you know you’ll come away understanding the subject matter, and likely how art and society impact each other, a little better. Almost all of these videos contain spoilers, so watch at your own risk — but most can be enjoyed regardless of your familiarity with the subject matter, too.

1. “In Search of Flat Earth,” Dan Olson (Folding Ideas)

Dan Olson of Folding Ideas has been a video essayist for years, helping solidify the medium on YouTube. “In Search of Flat Earth,” though, is his masterpiece to date. The video is shot beautifully, with loving and reverent shots of nature that not only contribute to the video’s content and concepts, but also capture a sense of still beauty. If the video seeks to claim that flat earthers feel powerlessness in the face of the government and science, the way this video is shot makes the claim that maybe our powerlessness can be good, actually. But “In Search of Flat Earth” isn’t just a response to flat earthers; it’s also a response to Olson’s contemporaries who have made videos trying to convince flat earthers that their ideas are wrong. “In Search of Flat Earth” argues that flat earthers, and people with similar mindsets, can’t be logicked out of their mindsets — which turns into a surprise, mind-blowing third-act twist.

2. “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness,” Yhara Zayd

Yhara Zayd is somewhat of a newcomer to video essays, posting her first, “The Remake That Couldn’t: Skins U.S. ” in June 2019. Her catalogue of work has boomed in 2020, making selecting a video to feature difficult; her work is consistently standout, mixing analysis with dry comedy and heavy aesthetics. In a landmark year for marijuana legalization, “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness ” feels especially timely and important, but it’s also just a delight to watch. The video is not just a look into a criminally underrated musical starring Kristen Bell, Alan Cummings, and Ana Gasteyer. It’s a look into the real 1936 propaganda film of the same name, how the laws around marijuana criminalization were formed, and the deeply racist roots of anti-marijuana campaigns. Zayd’s soft but direct voice and distinctly internet-culture-informed humor make the video consistently engaging and fun while never shying away from what makes Reefer Madness so worthy of a campy parody musical.

3. “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon,” Jacob Geller

Roller Coaster Tycoon is a nostalgic classic — but what can it teach us about death? A weird amount, as Geller explains in “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon .” This video opens with the sentence, “There is at least one roller coaster designed specifically to kill you.” The “Euthanasia Coaster,” Geller explains, was never made, but would effectively kill a rider in just about a minute. As he breaks down the rituals around death, he winds his way around curves and loops, masterfully bringing the audience back to the game at the core of the video: Roller Coaster Tycoon . In just over 18 minutes, Geller’s analysis breaks down how the game allows for meaningful struggle in its mechanics — which the video essayist notes are similar in their coding to a roller coaster — while allowing for monstrosities, lethal roller coasters that bring your virtual park-goers to their grave. A roller coaster is meant to scare us, meant to spike adrenaline, meant to put the fear of death right in us, but fun! Geller’s discussion of Roller Coaster Tycoon shows just how much coasters, real or virtual, say about how we deal with death.

Disclosure: Jacob Geller has written for Polygon.

4. “ CATS ! And the Weird Mind of TS Eliot,” Maggie Mae Fish

Cats may have come out in 2019, but Maggie Mae Fish’s video essay on it came out in March 2020, so early into what the rest of the year would become. It was a small, but wonderfully unhinged blessing for video essay lovers who needed something bonkers to keep us afloat during quarantine. Fish’s performance background is in comedy and improv, notably working with Cracked before starting on her own video essays. Her writing and performance have a level of effervescent delight and bewilderment at most of the trash media she discusses, coming through most in her discussion of Cats .

But while a video on why Cats was bad could have been engaging and funny, Fish takes a step deeper, looking into the musical’s source material: the poetry of T.S. Eliot, a homophobic, antisemitic weirdo. Fish doesn’t just express Eliot’s politics, but explains why Cats pulls from fascist ideologies in its depiction of a tradition-heavy death cult. (Just, you know, with cats.) From there, Fish’s analysis goes even deeper. This video isn’t about not liking problematic media, or even “bad” media. It’s a video about deeply loving something that winds up parodying and subverting its roots.

5. “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Elexus Jionde (Intelexual Media)

Historian Elexius Jionde of Intelexual Media often takes a cultural anthropology lens in her videos, discussing topics like life in the American 1970s and the history of Black homelessness . In “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Jionde breaks down a current social phenomenon through a historical lens, asking why we stan and how we got here. Jionde dissects “celebrity worship disorder” and how fans obsess over their favorite celebrities, while not letting people who think they’re too good for the goss off the hook either. Using examples ranging from Bhad Babie to Selena Quintanilla to Victorian actors, Jionde shows how current celebrity culture is rooted in everything from politics to evolutionary biology. This 18-minute video is a crash course in how the celebrity industry runs, and it’s also an analysis of how we interact with celebrity right now. How do stans go from liking Ariana Grande’s music to replicating Ariana Grande’s voice to sending death threats to people who besmirch Ariana Grande’s name? Jionde doesn’t necessarily judge stans; instead, she shows how celebrity culture affects the rest of culture.

6. “On Writing: Mental Illness in Video Games,” Tim Hickson (Hello Future Me)

Before talking about what makes this video essay great, a warning: this video discusses struggles with mental health, including several aspects of suicide. It’s the heaviest video essay on this list, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you watch.

Tim Hickson of the channel Hello Future Me opens the video by disclosing his experience working for a youth mental health and suicide intervention hotline. From there, he first discusses the ways in which video games, immersive narratives where players have control and make choices, can be cathartic for people with mental illnesses and informative for people who don’t. Citing games from World of Warcraft to Celeste to Prey to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice , Hickson shows the different ways games dive into depression, social anxiety, and schizophrenia. A segment focused on Life is Strange ’s Kate Marsh dissects how a story can be cathartic for one person, but harmful for another. It’s a deeply empathetic video essay with rich research. It’s sobering, emotional, and moving.

7. “Why Anime is for Black People - Hip Hop x Anime,” Yedoye Travis (Beyond the Bot)

Beyond the Bot is a new New York-based collective making video essays about how anime impacts culture, and like with Yhara Zaid’s work, it was difficult to choose a favorite. “Why Anime is for Black People” is a standout for just how deep the analysis goes into the crossover between Black and East Asian culture. Going back to ’70s Blaxploitation and kung fu films, host and writer Yedoye Travis chronicles how East Asian media permeated Black culture, eventually leading to the Wu-Tang Clan sourcing their samples from films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Shaolin and Wu Tang . Legendary producer J Dilla would later go on to sample East Asian music as well. And, of course, Travis spends a good deal talking about the important of the Toonami block of Adult Swim, and the importance of the network playing music from bands like Gorillaz and their lo-fi hip-hop bed music for bumps. Travis explains how the shows themselves — namely Cowboy Bebop , Samurai Champloo , and, of course, The Boondocks — made an impact on Black youth who grew up alongside the programming. The historical lens of the cross-culture influences allows this analysis to go deeper than similar video essays, but the tone stays casual, giving plenty of asides and jokes for people familiar with the content.

8. “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?,” Princess Weekes (MelinaPendulum)

2020 has been a landmark year for queer representation in the media, and Princess Weekes’ “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?” seeks to pick apart what has been “good,” what has been “bad,” and most often, what has just been complicated. Like any discussion of representation, Weekes talks about how important it is for queer people to see different versions of queer people in a variety of media, and the tendency for queer people to overlook works by queer creators, or judge them more harshly than works by creators who aren’t queer. She breaks down queer assimilation and respectability politics, taking a stance that’s emotional and personal, while still being relatable and pervasive. This video essay is a great start for how we can start discussing ways to complicate representation, to move away from the sanitization of queer narratives, and understand that what makes one person feel seen might do the opposite for someone else.

9. “Fallout: New Vegas Is Genius, And Here’s Why,” Harry Brewis (hbomberguy)

Harry Brewis’ trend of surprisingly long videos with sarcastically simplistic titles continues with his hour-and-a-half testament to what makes a good narrative-heavy RPG, using Fallout: New Vegas as an example of the best of the best. Don’t let the title trick you into thinking the video is a review. It’s much closer to a masterclass on writing for games, and implementing your story and worldbuilding into every single aspect of that game. From the world to the companions to the main plot to the side quests to the combat to the continuity of consequences, Brewis lays out how Fallout: New Vegas gives its players genuine choices, and then makes those choices genuinely significant in the game. He argues the game actually deals in “gray morality” instead of just saying it does while pushing players to be Good or Evil. The choices in the game often leave the player ambivalent, while placing them in a wild world that players can choose to make even wilder. Brewis uses the video to talk about what makes Fallout: New Vegas work, and why so many games pale in comparison. It isn’t just that Fallout: New Vegas is good —it’s that it’s a meticulous game made by people who cared about every single detail they developed.

10. “Whisper of the Heart: How Does It Feel to Be an Artist,” Accented Cinema

Whisper of the Heart is one of the quieter Studio Ghibli films, and likewise, this video essay by Accented Cinema is quiet, lovely, and tender. Accented Cinema is a video essay channel that focuses on foreign (at least, foreign to the United States) media and its impact. “ Whisper of the Heart : How Does It Feel to Be an Artist” is the most personal essay on this list, a necessity for an analysis of the very personal feeling of creating art. In the video, the host discusses how most artists don’t have the frenzied drive media often depicts. Instead, they have the slow, sometimes frustrating, sometimes euphoric drive of anyone who does something because it’s who they are. This video also comes with a warning that it discusses a tragic death in the studio — but the way it brings the discussion of that death back to the essay’s thesis is spectacular.

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Making Video Essays

What is a video essay.

A video essay is a piece of video content that, much like a written essay, advances an argument. Video essays take advantage of the structure and language of film to advance their arguments - Wikipedia

Using this Site

This site will take you through the basics of how to make your own video essay. Below you will find some introductory content that will prime you how to think about making your essay. The other pages on this site, reflected in the menu, will be divided into specific technical tasks involved with producing your video essay. 

An Introduction to Video Essays

In this short 6 min video, youtuber Indietrix Film Review describes some strategies for coming up with ideas for your essay, explains some of the common themes that are explored, and lastly gives some insights on how they use their experience with writing written essays as a lens to create scripts for their video essays. 

" Think of one of your favorite films, pick something distinctive that you like about it, or a particular scene or sequence, and try to work out what makes it so good. That's a great way to approach a rough structure for your video." -Indietrix Film Review

Example Video Essays: Professional

I n the short video essay below, the author examines how the film is composed visually creates tension in storytelling. This is a great example of how you can reuse the same clips to emphasize an argument. The example made at 1:29, in particular, is very compelling. 

In another example by Every Frame a Painting, the video essay below examines how choices made by the main character are represented by either facing or moving left or right on screen and parallel the characters moral development and progression

Example Video Essays: Student

Video Essay on White Narrative by Alexa de la Fuente, analyzes how films around social justice issues, specifically in Latin American countries, are framed around the white narrative.

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France Confronts Horror of Rape and Drugging Case as 51 Men Go on Trial

A man is accused of drugging his wife and then inviting dozens of men to rape her over almost a decade. The questions raised by the case have unsettled the country.

By Catherine Porter and Ségolène Le Stradic

Reporting from Paris

For years, she had been losing hair and weight. She had started forgetting whole days, and sometimes appeared to be in dreamlike trances. Her children and friends worried she had Alzheimer’s.

But in late 2020, after she was summoned to a police station in southern France, she learned a far more shattering story.

Her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot, had been crushing sleeping pills into her food and drink to put her into a deep sleep, the police said, and then raping her. He had ushered dozens of men into her home to film them raping her, too, they said, in abuse that lasted nearly a decade.

Using the man’s photographs, videos and online messages, the police spent the next two years identifying and charging those other suspects.

On Monday, 51 men, including Mr. Pelicot, went on trial in Avignon, in a case that has shocked France and cast a spotlight on the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse and the broader culture in which such crimes could occur.

The accused men represent a kaleidoscope of working-class and middle-class French society: truck drivers, soldiers, carpenters and trade workers, a prison guard, a nurse, an I.T. expert working for a bank, a local journalist. They range in age from 26 to 74. Many have children and are in relationships.

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I Asked Trump the Viral Question About Childcare. What His Answer Tells Us

O n September 5, like millions of parents across America, I got up, got my kids ready for school—and, as always, worried about childcare. “Who’s doing drop-off today,” I wondered to myself. “Will I have to leave that meeting early to get to pick-up? How are we going to make this work?”

But, unlike those millions of parents, after drop off, I came home, put on a suit, and had a rare opportunity: I got to ask former President Donald Trump what he plans to do to fix the problem.

Trump’s  rambling, word-salad of an answer  to my question at the Economic Club of New York set off a firestorm. We’ve learned something about Trump: he has no plan to address the childcare crisis. That much is obvious. But we’ve also learned something about this election: childcare is, for the first time in a national campaign, a top economic issue. 

To be clear, I didn’t  ask Trump  a gotcha question. In fact, it was a softball: “If you win in November, can you commit to legislation making childcare affordable? And, if so, what specific piece of legislation will you advance?”

Name one bill—that’s all. He could have said he’d expand the child tax credit , or reinstate the pandemic-era funding for childcare centers that expired last year, for starters.

Instead, Trump took a hard pivot into his tariff policy, before concluding, “as much as childcare is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in.”

But when childcare costs more than rent in all 50 states, when it’s costing our country $122 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue, and when childcare prices are rising at nearly double the pace of overall inflation —there’s no question that it is expensive and families are feeling the pain.

Childcare is an economic issue. Full stop.

Parents already know this. They’re the ones sitting at the kitchen table planning out their budgets for the month and seeing on paper that the numbers just don’t add up. As the founder and CEO of Moms First—a movement for affordable childcare, paid family leave, and equal pay—I’ve heard from countless women forced out of the workforce because they had no other way to take care of their families. Even worse are the heart wrenching stories from moms forced to make impossible choices, like deciding between paying for day care and feeding their baby.

Read More: Positive Economic Data Is Still Hiding Bleak Reality for Families

Moms are drowning right now. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Trump’s comments have sparked outrage—from people on  both sides of the aisle .

Trump has never treated childcare as a serious economic issue with consequences for working families. At the debate back in June, he spent more time talking about his  golf game  than about childcare policy. In fact, during his first term, his administration killed a  bipartisan deal  that would have doubled funding for childcare. 

Trump is not alone. Republican leadership has  never  treated childcare as a serious economic issue, either.  JD Vance  is another obvious offender—with his delusional proposal that we fix the crisis by asking grandma to pitch in, or his equally baffling suggestion that education requirements are what is preventing people from becoming childcare workers—not the fact that we  pay them less  than dog walkers. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, has put forward serious policy proposals and yet, every time big, transformative childcare policy is on the table, Democratic leadership has traded it away instead of making it the non-negotiable that American families deserve.

So Trump hasn’t changed—but maybe we have. Maybe  this  was the final straw after years of disrespect from politicians. Maybe parents are bone tired and have reached their breaking point. Maybe we’re ready to express our collective anger and disappointment at the ballot box. 

As we head into the final stretch of the election, one thing is clear: Something has shifted. Childcare finally has been vaulted into the national conversation. 

Candidates, take note. It’s time to treat childcare as a top economic issue because it is. When voters say that they can’t get to work because gas prices are too high, politicians take them seriously and do something about it. When parents say that they can’t get to work because daycare is too expensive, they deserve the same treatment and consideration.

And parents, what we’ve seen in the last week is that childcare can be a galvanizing issue. The biggest mistake that we could make right now is to let the moment fizzle out. Voters need to demand clear, specific childcare plans from their candidates and hold them to their promises at the polls. There’s been a lot of talk this election cycle about whether being a parent makes you more qualified to lead this country. No, you don’t need to be a parent to be president—but you do need to listen to them. And right now we’re demanding what we want, loud and clear.

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Bringing back an old aspect of my account called,  Video Essay of The Week , where every Sunday I link a video essay that I enjoy and you might too. Topics will vary from week to week.

Click here for this week’s video essay!

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‘william tell’ review: claes bang is right on target against ben kingsley in this rousing adventure and legendary tale – toronto film festival, breaking news.

James Earl Jones Dies: Revered ‘Field Of Dreams’ Star, Darth Vader Voice & Broadway Regular Was 93

By Erik Pedersen

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James Earl Jones , the revered actor who voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader , starred in Field of Dreams and many other films and Broadway shows and is an EGOT winner, died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.

His reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed the news to Deadline.

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The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-’60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice role as the dastardly Darth Vader in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars (1977) The Empire Strikes Back , 1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and TV’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: Rebels .

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Movie fans will remember such chilling, immortal Vader quotes as “When I left you, I was but the learner — now I am the master,” “I find your lack of faith disturbing” and, of course, “No, I am your father.”

Also among Jones’ best-loved roles is Terence Mann, the reclusive 1960s author who reluctantly teams with Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella to unlock the latter’s visions of baseball lore in Field of Dreams (1989). Based on the 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, the film from writer-director Phil Alden Robinson tugged — no, yanked — at heartstrings with its sweet nostalgia, high-concept plot, father-son dynamics and general excellence.

RELATED: ‘Field Of Dreams’ 30th Anniversary: Film’s Yearning Magic Goes The Distance

Jones also voiced The Lion King ‘s Mufasa in both the 1994 animated pic and 2019 hybrid remake. Among his dozens of other films are The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), A Piece of the Action (1977), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Soul Man (1986), Coming to America (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Sneakers (1992), The Sandlot (1993), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Judge Dredd (1995), Gang Related (1997) and Coming 2 America (2021).

He also lent his sonorous voice to the famous “This is CNN” promo campaign for the cable news network and recurring as the narrator on Third Rock from the Sun. He also appeared on The Simpsons three times.

Among his scores of TV are guest roles on such classics series as The Big Bang Theory, House, Two and a Half Men, Homicide: Life on the Street, Frasier, Touched by an Angel, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman , Picket Fences, Law & Order, Sesame Street, Highway to Heaven, NYPD Blue; daytime soaps Guiding Light and As the World Turns ; and miniseries Roots: The Next Generation and Jesus of Nazareth.

DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO:

He was nominated for a Lead Actor Oscar for his role in The Great White Hope (1971) and was given an honorary Oscar at the 2012 ceremony.

An eight-time Emmy nominee, his two wins both came in 1991: Lead Actor in a Drama series for Gabriel’s Fire and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Heat Wave.

Born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, MS, Jones was a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from SAG-AFTRA in 2009 and by the National Board of Review in 1995.

A commanding presence on the Broadway stage, Jones earned four competitive Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play, winning twice for his performances as Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope in 1969 and as Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Fences in 1987. He received a Special Tony Award at 2017 ceremony.

The Great White Hope , in which he played a lightly fictionalized version of heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, was Jones’ breakthrough role. He also starred in the 1970 film adaptation, his first leading role on the big screen.

He appeared in nearly two dozen Broadway shows, from his first starring role in Sunrise at Campobello (1958) and most recently in The Gin Game (2017). Along the way, he starred in productions of such stage classics as The Iceman Cometh (1974), Othello (1982), On Golden Pond (2005), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008) and You Can’t Take It with You (2014) .

In September 2022, the Shubert Organization rechristened its 110-year-old Cort Theatre as The James Earl Jones Theatre , with a dedication ceremony attended by Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Norm Lewis and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Jones did not attend the dedication ceremony but had been given a private tour of the facility — where he’d made his Broadway debut in 1958 — the week prior.

Information on survivors and memorial plans were not available.

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Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris listens as they attend a presidential debate hosted by ABC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

US presidential debate highlights: Harris riled Trump on abortion, economy and foreign policy

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Live Page editor. A text and video journalist based in London, Stephen is a former Reuters bureau chief in Jerusalem. He was previously a foreign correspondent for The New York Times and The Times of London. He reported from the Balkans, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, New York and the UK. He is co-author of the book 'Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement’.

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Kylie works on the UK Breaking News team, reporting on key developments in political, economic and general news. Previously she was based in Westminster as a UK political correspondent for eight years, a period which included the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and several general elections. She joined Reuters as a graduate trainee in 2008 and has also covered investment banking.

HOW TO WRITE A STRONG ESSAY

I recently got an ask about how to write an introductory paragraph for an essay so I thought I’d do a post about how to write a good essay.

** Important Points ** For essays in high school, use third person unless the teacher specifically tells you not too. It’s more academic and professional while first person sounds really informal. I’ve heard that in college it’s different but again, it depends on the class. Stay on the safe side and use third person unless otherwise specified. Also, try to be as sophisticated and mature as you can. This makes the essay sound smarter and makes it easier to read.

1) INTRODUCTION

Try to think of an upside down pyramid here. You start off broad and end off tapered to a point (specific). The formula for writing a good intro is this: hook, background info, introduce topic of discussion, and thesis . In the pyramid example, the hook is the broad and the thesis is the narrow. The intro is usually around 8 sentences long.

• Hook: Unlike   what   you’ve probably been told through out high school, the hook is not necessarily a wow statement. It’s typically a broad idea that relates to the topic of discussion. I usually use historical facts or common wisdom and go from there. I then follow it up with a sentence that elaborates on my hook and a sentence that connects my hook with the background info.
• Background Info: Here you give the reader some context as to what you will be discussing in your essay. It sets the scene for the topic you’re discussing. Try to be concise.
• Introduce the Topic of Discussion: Here you give a brief summary of the points you’re arguing/discussing. It should be one sentence per body paragraph and again, be clear and concise and avoid merely summarizing the plot. This part should cover the gist of your ideas.
• Thesis: This should be a longer complex sentence that summarizes your point of view and ideas. This is one of the most important parts of the essay so crafting a good thesis is crucial.

I did a more detailed post about the introduction with an example introduction paragraph  HERE .

2) BODY PARAGRAPHS

The meat of your essay. Here is where you state your arguments and defend them with supporting evidence from literature, articles, or even your personal experience. I would generally limit one argument per body paragraph. Which reminds me, most likely you have been taught the canned five paragraph essay. Some people write all their essays in five paragraph format because they thing that is the only way to go. Really, you can do four+ body paragraphs with the common numbers being four and six. It depends on the essay. When writing your body paragraph you need this structure: topic sentence, three points, three examples of supporting evidence, conclusion. Body paragraphs typically fall between 8 -15 sentences.

• Topic Sentence: This is similar to a thesis. Here you’re stating the argument that you are proving in a clear and concise sentence.
• Three Points: There’s a rule of thumb that you generally want to have three points about each argument and have a piece of supporting evidence for each point. I’m going to start with the three points first. Basically, you want three ideas about your argument that show why it’s valid. For example if you’re trying to argue that cheese is dairy, your three points are it’s made of milk, it’s featured in the dairy section of the grocery store, and the FDA labels it as dairy.
• Three Examples of Supporting Evidence: These are usually quotes from other sources or the piece of literature you’re analyzing that support the three points of your argument. To use the really bad cheese example from above, for the milk point you’d use an ingredients label from a package of cheese, for the grocery store point you’d get a sheet with the department labels and the produce in those departments, and for the FDA point you’d find a quote from their website.
• Conclusion: This is a sentence or two that wraps up your body paragraph. It should briefly summarize the points you discussed or the topic sentence and help transition into the next paragraph.

2) a. COUNTER ARGUMENT PARAGRAPHS 

This paragraph is NOT necessary for most essays. However, some do require them so it’s important to know how to approach them. Depending on whom you ask, they’ll either tell you that the counter argument paragraph goes in the middle of your body paragraphs, or at the end. Personally I prefer the end but the middle is more correct. Placing it in the middle allows you to end on a strong note but I think it’s a matter of personal preference. The counter argument is used to present an opposing view point and say why it’s wrong. This can strengthen your argument if it’s done properly but ruin it if it’s done wrong so tread carefully. The only thing different from the body paragraph structure is the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence: Here you need a specific template to start the paragraph properly. I usually use: It may be argued that _______________ but there is sufficient evidence to show that _______________. The first blank is filled with the opposing argument and the last blank is your argument. There are different ways to structure this sentence but this is the one I use.

The rest of the paragraph is the same as the body paragraph: you get three points as to why the counter argument is wrong and three points to support it. Then you end with a typical concluding sentence.

3) CONCLUSION

This is where you wrap up your arguments and finish strong. It has three components: a restatement of your thesis, summary of your arguments, and general statement to wrap it up. Think of the right side up pyramid this time. The pointy end is the thesis and the bottom is the general statement that closes your essay. A conclusion is typically 5 sentences long.

• Restatement of Thesis: This is pretty self explanatory; you restate the thesis using different language than you used in your intro.
• Summary of Arguments: Here you briefly touch upon the arguments you covered in your essay. Again, clear and concise, and whatever you do, DO NOT introduce new information. It can ruin the amazing essay you worked so hard on.
• General Statement: A general statement is a broad idea that you use to tie your entire essay together. It’s kind of like the hook but should be more relevant to your essay.

And that is how you write a killer essay. I use this technique whenever I write and it has never failed me. Hopefully if will help you improve your writing! If you have any questions, feel free to hit up my ask box.

@ collegeprep

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are neck and neck

Is ‘founder mode’ or ‘manager mode’ better? Here’s what the 22 Fortune 500 companies still run by founders show

The buzziest buzz term in the tech world is suddenly “founder mode,” coined only days ago and fast propagating into business worldwide. Founder mode is a way of running a company—the way a founder would run it—as distinct from manager mode, the way it would be run by “merely a professional manager.” So says Paul Graham, a cofounder of the Y Combinator startup accelerator, who originated the terms in a recent essay . He disdains manager mode and finds founder mode far superior. So—is it?

Graham is well positioned to judge. Over the past 19 years, Y Combinator has helped to birth thousands of companies including Airbnb , DoorDash , Reddit, and Stripe . He was inspired to identify two modes of managing after hearing a recent speech by Airbnb cofounder Brian Chesky, who described his awful experience bringing in outside managers. The speech struck a chord with other founders in the audience. Graham’s distillation of their views:

“Hire good people and give them room to do their jobs. Sounds great when it’s described that way, doesn’t it? Except in practice, judging from the report of founder after founder, what this often turns out to mean is: hire professional fakers and let them drive the company into the ground.”

Not a warm vote of confidence in outsider MBAs. To see if such scorn is justified, let’s look at some data.

Founder mode vs. manager mode

The Fortune 500 includes 22 companies that are run by their founders (list below). We calculated each company’s performance during its current founder-CEO’s tenure and compared it with the performance of the rest of the 500 over that same time span. We measured performance by cumulative return, which includes stock price performance and dividends.

Result: a blowout in favor of the founder-CEOs. Specifically:

· Cumulative total return during the founder-CEOs’ tenures —The founder-CEOs’ companies delivered a median of 1,129% vs. 57% for the rest of the 500.

· Performance vs. the S&P 500 (a performance score of 100 equals the market) —The median return of the founder-CEO companies was a performance score of 202, while the median of the rest of the Fortune 500 was 92.

· Performance vs. the sector (a performance score of 100 equals the sector) —The founder-CEO companies delivered a median performance score of 656.

The superiority of the founder-CEOs is breathtaking. But if we used this data to declare that founder mode beats manager mode, the world’s statisticians would have us arrested for the crime of survivor bias. Those 22 founder-CEO companies are a tiny fraction of the many thousands of startups launched over the same time periods, and we don’t have data on how each was managed. For starters, what percentage of startups crashed and burned under outsider managers versus what percentage crashed and burned under the founders? We would like to know that and much more.

Still, we know at least two relevant facts. First, we know that the forces determining who runs a growing startup have been well studied and explained. Noam Wasserman, dean of Yeshiva University’s business school, was on the faculty of Harvard Business School when he studied thousands of startups and wrote The Founder’s Dilemmas . It describes in detail how entrepreneurs balance conflicting personal preferences that influence who—a founder or outsider—runs the business. In response to Graham’s distaste for outsider managers, he tells Fortune : “Founders who were great for the early stages, but do not have what it takes for the often very different next stage of company development, may instead be the ones who ‘drive the company into the ground.’”

Second, we know that on average, the few founder-run companies that make it to the Fortune 500 are formidably great performers, and we should know more about how they joined that exclusive club. Graham wrote in his essay, “There are as far as I know no books specifically about founder mode. Business schools don’t know it exists … But now that we know what we’re looking for, we can search for it. I hope in a few years founder mode will be as well understood as manager mode.”

That’s a worthy goal. Founder mode should absolutely be studied and taught, not because outside managers are necessarily toxic, but because the research can make available to others the lessons learned by those rare founders—Apple’s Steve Jobs, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang—who managed their companies from nothing to greatness.

Founder CEOs in the 2024 Fortune 500

Company                                

Airbnb/Brian Chesky

Apollo Global Management/Marc Rowan

BlackRock/Laurence D. Fink

Blackstone/Stephen Schwarzman

Block/Jack Dorsey

Capital One Financial/Richard Fairbank

Carvana/Ernest C. Garcia III

Coupang/Bom Kim

Dell Technologies/Michael Dell

DoorDash/Tony Xu

Intercontinental Exchange/Jeffrey Sprecher

Meta Platforms /Mark Zuckerberg

Nvidia/Jensen Huang

Prologis/Hamid R. Moghadam

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals/Leonard S. Schleifer

Salesforce/Marc Benioff

Sanmina/Jure Sola

Skechers U.S.A./Robert Greenberg

Steel Dynamics/Mark D. Millett

Super Micro Computer/Charles Liang

Tesla/Elon Musk

Wayfair/Niraj S. Shah

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The Chase ATM 'glitch' that went viral is likely check fraud, bank says

In a statement to usa today, the bank warns people to not try the trend and that the "glitch" has been addressed by the bank. people who tried the trend have seen their accounts go negative after..

Over the weekend, a number of viral TikTok videos had people across the country saying that they could get “free” cash from Chase Bank ATMs. But according to the bank, it was nothing but a simple glitch and those customers getting their “free” money were actually committing fraud.

Videos spread across TikTok showing people depositing checks for large amounts of money at ATMs and then making a withdrawal for a smaller but still substantial amount before the check cleared. Once they got the cash, they believed they had found a glitch in the system and were getting free money.

It all might sound too good to be true, and it really is, because this process is just a form of check fraud, a criminal offense. Chase Bank, in a statement to USA Today said the issue has now been addressed. In the same breath, they are also warning people to not try this viral trend.

A simple yet illegal ruse

The trick revolves around a banking standard that lets people depositing checks to have access to a portion of the money deposited through a check before the full total of the check clears.

In the TikTok trend, people wrote checks for large amounts of money and withdrew as much money as they could before the check would inevitably bounce.

“Regardless of what you see online, depositing a fraudulent check and withdrawing the funds from your account is fraud, plain and simple,” a Chase spokesperson said.

Videos that became viral over the past weekend show people throwing dollar bills in the air celebrating their newfound richness. But other videos show the aftermath of the glitch, with one user showing their negative account balances in their Chase accounts after trying the hack.

It’s not your money

Jim Wang, a financial educator on Instagram said people’s negative balances came from the bank putting holds on their accounts or deducting the stolen cash from their accounts.

"Bank errors in your favor are almost never in your favor. In the case of this 'glitch,' it was just check fraud,” Wang said on Instagram.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.