The Video Essay
No longer is the time of the five-paragraph researcher or several-paged report. Today is the day and age of a type of essay that is accessible anywhere, understandable to everyone, and efficient in every way.
Agarwal, Amit. "An Inexpensive Wearable Computer" 06/18/2011 via labnol. Public Domain Dedication License.
- The Video Essay genre is most effective in its use to relay informative or propaganda messages by appealing to the senses through powerful imagery, word choice, among other rhetorical devices.
- The audience of this specific genre are usually exposed to this medium through an online resource. Videos can be shared through ads across the web or willingly through social mediums, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Online is where readers view the Video Essay, but they can be referred to or linked to by peers with the same interest or even through the classroom or any party trying to relay an informative message.
- The typical audience for this message are typically Internet users. The web is the most efficient and quickest way to access this type of genre. As a result, the audience for any persuasive narratives or accounts in the form of the Video Essay are normally people of the Internet generation, particularly the youth, students, and other parties frequently involved with online interface.
- What differentiates this genre from the others is its characteristics of efficiency and comprehension. Many compositions of this genre are relatively time-efficient to the Quick Reference Guide, Podcast Segment, or Standard College Essay. The Video Essay has a visual aspect that no other listed genre possesses. Additionally, in this era, to see is to believe and this genre is evidence of that in that whatever the subject is is quickly understood and communicated. The ability to mold visual, auditory, and textual components all into one is a distinguishing characteristic. Moreover, this genre has the capability to stimulate in every sense.
- The Video Essay is a post-Internet genre that assimilates and manipulates visual, auditory, and textual components in order to efficiently and clearly communicate, persuade, or inform.
Reflection: Following reading my peer's investigations of various genres, I now have a better understanding that no genre is better than the other, but rather better in the respect of what the piece concerns and whom it is intended for. Some genres may be more suitable for a particular subject or audience more than others. For instance, the Video Essay may be more appealing to propagandists whereas the Quick Reference Guide may be a better tool for informational purposes. I am interested to see the versatility and how myself can utilize these genres as the semester proceeds.
I commented on Ryan Wolfe's and Noelle Young's 'Investigating Genres' pieces.
I liked the brevity and conciseness of your post, introducing me to the basic concepts of a video essay while leaving the details to further research. I also was able to effectively grasp the main difference between this genre and other genres, such as the essay, podcast, or quick reference guide.
ReplyDeleteI was confused at the beginning of your introductory paragraph saying, "No longer is the time." To me, this doesn't introduce a good flow to the rest of your post. Like I mentioned before, your post is concise, but could use a few better transitions in order introduce other questions. Also, including the questions would clue the reader better into the purpose of the post.
Your take on video essays has inspired me to think further into how to use video essays effectively, as you've pointed how using the visual, auditory, and textual elements of the genre can assist a well written essay in getting information or the authors point to the reader. While this may be difficult for my type of procrastinating writing process, as it involves lots of prior preparation, it is a genre for me to consider in the future.
I liked the way you introduced the post. I'm glad that you opened with a quick introduction, instead of just jumping straight into bullet points. I liked you definition of a video essay, because it was concise and accurate. I found the section where you identified the differences between your genre and the rest was well-written.
ReplyDeleteUnlike many of the other posts I've read, you started with a grabber which was refreshing. I also felt that the picture being placed where it was made the flow of the post go better. The numbered format made it very easy for me to find the information I was looking for which is much appreciated.
ReplyDelete