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Video Essays - YouTube/Vimeo/etc. finds

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 (Edited)

I figured it made sense to make another thread in the same vein as the Making-Of Documentaries - YouTube/Vimeo/etc. finds, but focused on video essays and other fan made videos that doesn’t quite fit into the documentary category.

Just like the other thread it doesn’t really too many specific rules other than that this thread is not meant for obvious opinion pieces or reviews.

Like the other thread, a highlighted title and short description would be appreciated when posting videos. Of course any additional info like IMDB links, article links, and especially a thumbnail photo would be nice too.

If you want to add a YouTube thumbnail to the post you can do it relatively easy like this.), or just PM me with the video link and I’ll send you the image link.


An In-Progress Index…

1Akira Kurosawa - Composing Movement
2The Bad Sleep Well (1960) - The Geometry of a Scene
3Grizzly Man: How Documentaries Speak
4Lord Of The Rings: How Music Elevates Story
5Listening To Blade Runner
6See With Your Ears: Spielberg And Sound Design
7How Walter Murch Worldized Film Sound
8Yojimbo & A Fistful of Dollars - How The Western Was Changed Forever
9Sergio Leone’s Dollar Trilogy Timeline
10Exploring The Black Hole - The Movie That Changed Disney Forever

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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I’ll start with two Kurosawa-related video essay by the excellent Every Frame a Painting YouTube channel.

Akira Kurosawa - Composing Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doaQC-S8de8 - from the Every Frame a Painting YouTube channel (8:30 mins long).

The blurb:
“Can movement tell a story? Sure, if you’re as gifted as Akira Kurosawa. More than any other filmmaker, he had an innate understanding of movement and how to capture it onscreen. Join me today in studying the master, possibly the greatest composer of motion in film history.”

The Bad Sleep Well (1960) - The Geometry of a Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGc-K7giqKM - from the Every Frame a Painting YouTube channel (3:10 mins long).

The blurb:
“One of Akira Kurosawa’s many gifts was staging scenes in ways that were bold, simple and visual. I’m working on a longer essay about him and this piece didn’t make the cut, so I’m releasing it as a short standalone video.”

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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I started watching that ‘Composing Movement’ video thinking it sounded a tad familiar, then realized I’d bookmarked it a few years ago, heh. Great idea for a thread, btw.

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Grizzly Man: How Documentaries Speak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHjGFPKlsU - from the Big Joel YouTube channel (9:43 mins.)

The blurb:
“This video is an analysis of Werner Herzog’s “Grizzly Man.” It’s an interesting movie and a complicated movie. I think it’s more about filmmaking than it’s about bears.”

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 (Edited)

Lord Of The Rings: How Music Elevates Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7BkmF8CJpQ - from the Nerdwriter1 YouTube channel (7:45 mins long).

The blurb:
“An expertly written score can add so much to your story by creating atmosphere, tone, or emotion. But what sets a great score apart from a mediocre one? In what ways do they add to the narrative and visual components of a film? And what techniques do composers use to turn a score into a storytelling device?”

Listening To Blade Runner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T_sSSka9pA - from the Nerdwriter1 YouTube channel (8 mins long).

The blurb:
“Take a close listen to the sounds of Blade Runner and you might find they’re even more integral to the film than you thought.”

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

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Time

See With Your Ears: Spielberg And Sound Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kavxsXhzD48 - from the Nerdwriter1 YouTube channel (8:30 mins long).

The blurb:
“A look at how sound design can structure a movie scene.”

How Walter Murch Worldized Film Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAN9pBY7jHA - from the Nerdwriter1 YouTube channel (5:30 mins long).

The blurb:
“How Walter Murch Revolutionized the Sound of Modern Cinema.”

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

Author
Time

YOJIMBO & A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS - How The Western Was Changed Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0kJkShY1-E&list=PLYn2a0e2FVIJ66EP8vMU64l-kIhHU9zg7&index=72&t - from the Matt Draper YouTube channel (17 mins long).

The blurb:
“On the blending of Western and Samurai genres found in Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” and Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars,” which took inspiration from classic Western films and then reinvented the genre through perspectives from Japan and Italy.”

Sergio Leone’s Dollar Trilogy Timeline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQIy_hu34KA - from the Stian A. Olsen YouTube channel (3:50 mins long).

The blurb:
“The Dollars Trilogy, also known as the Man with No Name Trilogy is an Italian film series consisting of three masterpieces directed by Sergio Leone. The films came to be considered a trilogy due to American distributor United Artists smart marketing concept. This short video identifies the three films’ timeline as well as a couple of “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” details.”

Star Wars is Surrealism, not Science Fiction (essay)
Original Trilogy Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs (YouTube, Vimeo, etc. finds)
Amazon link to my novel; Dawn of the Karabu.

Author
Time

Exploring The Black Hole - The Movie That Changed Disney Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQMWs7IfsyA - from the GoodBadFlicks YouTube channel (47 mins.)

A video that explains the history, the making of and how The Black Hole (1979) affected how Disney made movies through the 80s, later dubbed Disney’s “dark age”.