At 18:25 I'm concerned that it comes off like I'm telling the dudes who don't like Mario 64 to "stfu" and I'd just like to say that is not the case, I respect their right to their (wrong) opinions, they are just a (much more harmless) part of the larger point I was making. Let's not fight! Let's maybe be best friends. I hear opposites attract ANYWAY, ENOUGH OF THAT BORING SHIT, PALETTE SWAP. GRAAAAAAAHHHHH www.youtube.com/@PaletteSwapMag twitter.com/PaletteSwapMag paletteswap.site/ Something I wanna correct the record on - the stat about our attention span is dubious and I apologise for spreading misinformation if it's ever proved to be outright false. It is undeniable that it's dropped significantly in the past few years, but I've never attached myself to the idea that it's "now shorter than a Goldfish", which does sound pretty ridiculous, lmao. Prob should have def used a different screenshot in that case, my bad! I think my point still stands
I'm more concerned with you specifying "some white guy will come tear it apart". No reason to bring up race. Plenty of non white folks making scathing video essays.
@@FringeSpectreExcept-because of The Algorithm-if you belong to [insert underrepresented group here], your video essays tend to take the form of "Why Mario 64 is bad, actually-a Hasidic Jewish Perspective," which, at least, has *some* degree of novelty and-yes, I'll say it-merit
@@GSBarlev why on earth should anyone care about somebody's race or religion in the context of making video essays? What possible relevant insight could a Jew bring to the analysis of Mario that couldn't be done by any other pointless division of the human race?
The best video essays are always the ones that stand alone as their own piece of work. Jacob Geller doesn't synopsize an entire art piece, instead he takes bits and pieces of it to explain a broader, more impactful topic. I've never sat down and decided to experience a show after Pyrocynical steamrolled the entire thing into a 4 hour video, but I have experienced a lot of cool art just because a better essayist decided it would make a good footnote.
I don't know...I don't fundamentally disagree with most of your points, but I don't love the way you treat this whole genre of writing as some category other than "real creativity." I could off the cuff list off dozens of video essay channels that have a compelling, unique writing and/or editing styles with clear effort and passion behind them. You acknowledge that some people can do video essays creatively, but still seem to regard them as the exception and regard the whole concept as at its core uncreative, which I disagree with. A good essay pushes past the media it includes to say something new and true beyond it. Some people fail at that, sure, but there is no lack of brilliant writers on this platform succeeding at that and I think that's beautiful. And I think this idea you're working with that online media critics have become the real celebrities, somehow, is bizarre, frankly. Like, what are you talking about? Media criticism is not more of an industry than media. It's a tiny blip, really. The average coworker has never heard of a video essay, but they watch movies and play games. No online critic has reached the celebrity Ebert and Siskel achieved decades ago. Maybe I'm in my own bubble too where I've somehow avoided all the worst sides of this field, but I just don't see where you're coming from. Like you pair that final line with footage from TotK as if nobody's ever heard of Eiji Aonuma. But they have. They know him. "There's a UA-cam video for every opinion in the world right now." But no there's not! I don't mean that pedantically, either. Art analysis and art criticism are tremendously complex. The well is nowhere remotely close to dry for compelling video essays, as writing about art has the same potential for depth as the art itself: essentially infinite. Because video essays are art too. They can be bad art, often are, but there is no division separating them from "real art." There are hundreds more possible ways to write about how Super Mario 64 is overrated because everyone is capable of bringing something new to the table. I know your main points are that we should spend more time engaging with the primary art, that by a quirk of the numbers video essays have been unfairly prioritized by the algorithm, and that UA-cam critics should be criticized more often than they are. I agree with all of that fully. I just wish you actually criticized the particular practices and creators you dislike with specificity, rather than minimize an entire artform. Like, why did you say in the first minute that you can make an 8-hour video in two weeks? I know you know that's not true. But many viewers won't know you're exaggerating. Even the laziest 8-hour video is hundreds of hours of work. Now thousands of people in your audience will come away thinking anyone can make one of those things in a handful of workdays. It feels like you lied, there, to make your point sound stronger.
I think I largely agree with this comment. I am rather soured on my impression of video essays at large, so I figured maybe this video would discuss the same sorts of reasons why _I'm_ disillusioned, but it kinda didn't. To add onto what you said, I think Fudj showed some egregious ignorance, or at least a negligent lack of nuance, in the statement that (paraphrasing) "criticism is good and improves art." I'm sure he intended it as a generalization, but even then I simply don't buy it. To me there are two forms criticism can take, ignoring the usual constructive/destructive dichotomy: feedback, which is intended for the artist(s) involved in the work to learn from and improve, and recreational analysis, which for me is a way to understand and refine my own tastes and just an enjoyable thing to partake in. The former is clearly what Fudj is referring to, but I don't think it applies to most video essays or analytical videos that I've ever seen. Certainly it isn't what any of my public analytical writing has ever been about, off the top of my head. When I talk about art it is usually completely self-reflective: thinking about my experience, what I do or don't like, interesting little concepts or perspectives that the work illuminates. I _do_ give feedback sometimes, but it's a lot rarer and it's usually direct and private communication. Recreational analysis is not valueless to artists, as it can help them understand their own tastes just as much as it helps me understand mine. It's a different type of insight, though, and I don't think it's very well suited to doing the job of feedback. Especially since a lot of writers making essays are doing so with an audience in mind, and all the hyperbole or fixations that can entail which aren't relevant to those who made the work being discussed. Dunno if this is an airtight or coherent addition, but... I dunno, I wanted to throw it out there anyway ^v^; there's probably at least something valuable in this ramble. (good job on the FF7 video by the way, was quite poignant. watched it quite a while ago)
Seriously. Like I wish someone would make a video essay on *my* work! Video essays aren't oversaturated at all; the amount of original work out there is still vast enough that most of it is getting no engagement at all. Also, I disagree that original creators should be revered more than commentators. I write original stuff because I'm self-absorbed af and only care about my own ideas. People who care enough about others' ideas to engage and analyse it in depth are precious, and I wish there were more of them, if only so one of them would pay attention to mine. When someone reads my webcomic AND goes to the effort of articulating what they think of it, *they're* the ones doing *me* a favour. I don't care if someone talks about my work and gets way more clout for it than I do; they're engaging with my work and bringing it to other people's attention, which is something I value far more than any amount of "respect" or "admiration". Plus, the main reason why I watch more video essays than engage directly with works is because youtube videos are free. And better advertised; if I could just be scrolling through a platform I frequent and get clickbaited by an original game/file/webcomic, I'd probably click on them just as often! The one thing I'd probably agree with in this video is that you write a video essay when you have something to say; not pump them out because you have to say something. But that's not unique to commentary-style content either; have you seen writer communities? You *constantly* get people asking "how do I come up with ideas", "what should I write about" etc -- they don't "have something to say" either! Also, video editing is pain. I've tried it, and I just couldn't. You think what I do is hard? Well right back at ya.
@@Kirobsi I love your delineation between the intended targets of the video, I'd never consciously thought to make the distinction! Looking back, most (if not all) of my favorite video essays are absolutely about teaching the audience a new way to engage with the work. I wish "explanation' style videos weren't so oversaturated with surface level analysis and people clearly trying to just pay the bills, because it's always frustrating to come away from a work feeling like you're missing something, but that's not an anti-essay opinion, just a complaint about how the "algorithm" doesn't prioritize quality over quantity.
I’m really glad I watched this. As someone who makes art, I think this focus on criticism is actually really harmful to the process of making art, being fearful of the boogeyman in your head who keeps calling what you create stupid or a waste of time, or, by god, uncomfortable. The reaction and essay kinds of videos have their place, but it’s important to remember that distinction. Good stuff fudj
as a fellow artist i agree. i have so many ideas in my head but almost never draw them because it feels pointless when i remember all the criticism people have for creative works. in fact, this has almost completely put me off from learning to write because that community is EXTREMELY critical of writing they don't consider to be a 100% masterpiece. the number of subjective "rules" and nitpicks is so overwhelming and intimidating that i'd always rather just stick to what i know. (to clarify, my problem with drawing is not my technical skills, the problem is that i'm too afraid of being judged for _what_ i want to draw to a ridiculous extent. so while other people are drawing whatever they want, i'm stuck doing bust drawings and anatomy doodles a couple times a month because even a character design sheet feels like a cardinal sin :( )
It continues to astound me that people who work soul crushing 9-5 jobs come home at the end of the day and choose to spend some of that money on monthly donations to people who already make more in a year than they're going to make in the next decade just playing games on camera, or "reacting" to things.
@@afro025 With all due respect to those people, actual friends can make you happy/smile without you throwing a few bucks their way every month. And they’d probably appreciate a donation from you more because statistically speaking, they’re probably also actually working a real job. I just really don’t understand things like Twitch subbing culture, that’s all. Donating to the Patreon of actual creatives who put out quality content that takes time and effort to produce is one thing (especially since UA-cam often doesn’t really reward those types of channels), but subbing to a streamer/influencer? Because what, they happened to say something funny or got a headshot or something? How is that normal, yet no one would ever do that with an actual in-person friend who knows they exist and actually converses with them regularly? Idk, some of these parasocial relationships have led to some real brain rot imo. EDIT: I’m not trying to insinuate that people should pay their friends lol, I’m just saying that it seems like that would at least make more sense than donating to already rich streamers, and yet somehow only the latter has become normalized.
@@ThrillingDuck If you're spending your free time after your soul crushing 9 to 5 job watching streamers and donating to them, then I don't think you'd have "actual friends" available that do make you happy
so many video essays are literally just people linearly describing the thing they're talking about, adding nothing to the original topic. this consists of probably more than half big movie review/analysis youtubers.
Video essayists will be like: I really loved this thing, it was amazing, now I'm going to explain its entire plot to you for a majority of the video and if you haven't played/seen it you should click off. It's never necessary. For me, those kinds of videos *are* good for one thing: background noise.
Im about to delete youtube off my phone right now because of this video. This app has given me nothing and it has taken so much of my time that i could have been spending engaging with real art and culture around me. Thank you for opening my eyes funny pink British thing
@@vidux6289 First, you uninstall UA-cam on your phone. Second, you go to your movie theater to see what movies they're playing or go to the store and buy a movie, or go to a Redbox to rent a movie, or you go online to watch movies on a streaming service or become a pirate and watch these movies for free. Just do anything as long as you're keeping yourself unengaged from UA-cam essays that talk about art because it's so much better to engage with art than it is to hear someone else talk about it for you.
I think there's an important emotional factor here. Commentating on other works can be brushed off as an opinion, but creating original works means talking from yourself and your experiences. You need to be vulnerable to the public, and the mere idea of a genuine part of yourself being judged by strangers can be terrifying.
But a ton of video essays are very personal and vulnerable. Thats almost a hallmark of the genre as it is right now, to the point where people make jokes about it.
I hadn't given much thought to how much space video essays have taken away from more creative videos on youtube. Great video! I think I'll try and base what media I'm engaging with less on if there's a podcast or video I can watch about it once I'm done going forward.
I feel kinda weird watching this cause i only ever watch video essays about games or movies that i've already experienced. Like last year i spent like 200hrs in TotK then flooded myself wth reviews, essays, discussions, etc... about it lol
I’ll just drop a recommendation to ceave perspective. Genuinely some of the most engaging video essays I’ve ever seen on the platform because you can instantly tell the amount of research he puts into figuring out the obtuse stories of the games he covers. Is he the first person to dissect majora’s mask’s story? No, but his version is easily the most compelling iteration I’ve ever seen. No matter what, this job is an easy job, but there’s voices that are worth listening to, and I hope someone from this comment section can give those voices a try as opposed to more… slop centric pieces.
I don't listen to video essays regularly anymore, and haven't for a couple of years (besides a select few creators, wink). This video summarizes why. Not that it matters, since you talked your shit perfectly, but I'd like to echo it is as someone with fingers in many pies. I'm in a rigorous program for environment design in games, going to start training for narrative design soon too, but I also spend a good chunk of time writing analysis about games that already exist. I do not publish this writing or make videos, probably won't for a while yet, because editing takes time I don't have. But when I *did* have a few days off from school/work and wanted to try making a video, I made something A. predominantly negative and B. ramble-y. It was hard to make in a few days... mostly because of learning Premiere. I stand by my rant, but damn, ranting is easy. It's actually relaxing for me to write game analysis, because I get to engage in subjects I love without the mental load of "whole cloth" creativity. I've basically experienced what max effort video essay writing is like... copious research, structuring and restructuring, etc. The work of a real "essay". As you said, good essay writing takes a lot of effort. But I'd say that even when you're analyzing with quality, research, and depth... writing about something that already exists, compared to my daily creative hustle? Not to say that it's easy, but it's certainly not in the same realm of practice-based skill and emotional vulnerability that Making New Shit requires. I can't imagine how easy it is for the once-a-week video essay writers that you mention. I know you're not trying to sound resentful, but I feel it coming through and just... amen dude. God, I especially hate when the entire video is just a rundown of the game... ugh. How is that fulfilling to make? Beyond financial fulfillment, I guess. Anyhow, loving everything on Palette Swap so far and excited to see what you do next. I hope eventually you can make the videos that you want to make instead of the video essay thing, though you kill it regardless. Tism to tism real quick... it's got to suck to only be able to do one thing while maintaining your sanity, but still being unable to do it in a way that really makes you feel like you're putting stuff out there with all your creative might. My part time office job only works because everyone fucks off and leaves me alone all day. If I have to make environment art for the next COD or write Overwatch character quips or something after 6 years of training... I will ponder... minecrafting in Roblox. I don't know what the phrase is anymore.
You're question about "how much new media versus new video essays have you consumed" is spot on. I used to play games of so many different varieties and quantities. But now, I realize I haven't actually played a single new video game in over 5 months, despite plenty of them being available on demand in my Steam library. I haven't listened to any new music, watched any new TV shows, or movies for that matter. I can't remember the last time I even went to a theater. But I have watched a *ton* of video essays and UA-cam videos in general. So much so, that I almost exclusively watch them at 2.0x speed (including this video), because I know if I didn't, there wouldn't be enough time to get through all of them. Which isn't to say it's all been a waste of time. There've been plenty of fantastic videos that have enriched my perspective. At some point, though, it would be nice to actually engage a piece of media on its own terms, instead of hear about it second-hand. I feel a bit culturally stagnant, and the walls have closing been closing in ever since. Hopefully I can change this.
How bout ya try spicying up the media you consumed until now like trying new music genres, Video game genres TV shows genres etc. Maybe you'll find something refreshing.
Try listening to “Frailty” by Jane Remover or “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You” by Big Thief. I made it a point to listen to new albums every week last year and those are a couple of my favorites
I have also watched videos on 2.0x speed for a while now and I wonder if that is the worst aspect of my youtube experience. It is supposed to get through things faster but it probably just makes me more suggestible to watching multiple videos one after another because they are done so quickly... Maybe if I played on normal speed I would be more likely to watch one and leave it at that, idk... At least I'm better than my friend who watches shows on 1.75x speed, I simply don't understand that.
Apparently, people don’t use their subscription feed to watch videos, and I have no idea why. If you legitimately rarely watched UA-cam, I could see. But otherwise, why wouldn’t you? It’s the best way to find video YOU like, because YOU curated it. UA-cam suggestions are pretty good, but it won’t be as good as you, plus it requires refreshing the page a lot and gambling. Whereas your subscription feed shows at least two dozen without refreshing.
Clarification, UA-cam suggestions can be good for finding new content that you’d like. But it’s not a feed to depend on because it’s still random. You won’t know if [insert creator] has a new video unless you specifically search. And once you’re interested in a bunch of them, it’ll be too much for UA-cam to always show in suggestions or even remember their names to search yourself. I follow like, 200+ channels. They’re not always frequent (thankfully, it’d be too much), but I’m always aware when someone uploads a new video. There’s still a lot, which means putting them in a playlist to revisit (which I do). But I’m always in control. I’m not at the whim of the algorithm to tell me if someone uploaded something new within the last week, the moment I check suggestions. That’s just mad.
Honestly I see it as more of a problem with capitalism and copyright law and the unique way they interact. Media becomes a commodity (and if you don't understand what's bad about this then you have a lot of learning to do) and by that point what you're observing here is only natural. I don't think it's possible to foster an environment under capitalism and copyright law where this *doesn't* happen. It feels to me like this video is complaining about a symptom of a much larger problem but it weirdly leaves that part out so it feels incomplete, and I think this is why.
@@NocturnalFudj That's fair. It's easy to watch the video knowing about much of this already and pointing out what you missed, but on the other hand I realize it's probably intended for a wider audience who doesn't already know capitalism is the root of all problems in society lol.
I think about a creator like Arlo who’s extremely talented and creative, with an infections enthusiasm, and in a world without UA-cam, someone like him would likely be wasting away in an office or retail setting. On the other hand, UA-cam has limited that brilliance and creativity to opinions on Metroid and Switch 2 speculation / rumors. It’s a mixed bag.
@@vidux6289 I guess for an example, his puppetry skills are quite good and he seems very knowledgeable on the subject, but most of his videos are just him talking over B-roll and game footage. I imagine that is much easier to churn out than staging a puppet show.
Excellent video, Fudj. A lot of the comments here seems to be missing what is supposed to be the main takeaway here. Making videos about media you like or don’t like isn’t a problem. All this video is saying here is that it’s a bit sad how UA-cam now has way more content critiquing art than we do art itself, whereas that hasn’t always been the case. As a viewer I’m guilty of perpetuating this too. More times than not when I’m sitting down for lunch and looking to watch something, I’m seeking out a video essay on something I’m intimately familiar with rather then trying out a new show or movie or sketch or whatever.
Playing devil’s advocate for a bit, there is an argument to be made that viewers like you and I haven’t been given much of a reason to *not* want to try new things and take risks. Doing that requires us to spend our limited resources of time and money, among others, to take a chance at something that may or may not work out. People click on video essays and reactions because they respect the intentions behind the content we’re “consuming” and enjoy being part of a larger group of fans they can share a common interest with.
This is the video essay ever, of all time. On the topic of the video, I'd like to say this genre of content is a farm now Video essays on media are not only supposed to be a deep dive into a topic viewers aren't that knowledgeable on, but at the same time should let the viewer explore new stuff from the creators perspective The current model is that a popular franchise or individual drops something, some popular essayist makes a simple video on it then 10 more essayists do the exact same thing while adding a single extra flair to it which I find boring in general. Where are the days essayists are passionate on topics which they ignite the discussion to, and why don't they embrace a style of their own for that process?
Ill bite. Who are you talking about specifically? "Where are the days..." there are more innovative video essayists doing creative, powerful work now than ever. They are not even hard to find, frankly. Have you really looked? I could give you a ton of names, easily.
@@Skyehoppers I get at least a bunch of video essayists in my feed everyday. I see even smaller channels covering the same stuff as big ones. Kinda sad really. I like a few channels that are big enough to give relevant, creative and longer video essays
@@windy6587 Again, who? I just really disagree that video essays have somehow degraded over time. They haven't. And I just dont know who people are talking about when they levy this sort of criticism
Thank you for bringing up how animators have left the platform. I'm an artist and have worked at a few minor studios here and there. I considered trying to make content for YT at one point, but immediately thought against it because there was no economically justifiable way to compete on the platform without basically destroying my life and mental well-being. It is not feasible to be an independent animator without outside support, so I really don't know how some of the remaining animators maintain careers on UA-cam at this point, as it just seems like a losing battle. Long form content and reaction formats have basically destroyed the motivation to create for an environment that rewards low effort people more than actual creatives who want to make something totally new. I don't really know why it got to this point, but I hope it all folds in on itself one day to make way for a better artistic atmosphere. Thanks for always having an honest perspective in your videos. The genuineness really does set you apart from a lot of other video game related UA-camrs.
Sure video essays are easy, but making quality video essays with an airtight script where the visuals match with what you are saying, and what you're saying being actually VALUABLE, is hard. They also aren't always opinion. When the point of the author is backed by evidence and corellating facts, its more than opinion.
You can say that about any work. Quality is always hard. But he’s talking about risk not quality. The artists risks alot getting their work out there the critic risks very little.
@originalElctric the only risk is that it won't make a lot of money. Is it unfair that low effort, low value content is the most profitable? Yes. That's a fact of life. That exists everywhere. You think pop music is actually the best music made by the most talented and passionate people? No. Not by a long shot. The best musicians with the most passion tend to be living on the street playing drums on buckets and pans or playing a 3 string guitar with 15 year old strings.
I guess I'm an outlier. The video essayists I follow are all ones that either cover a niche topic outside of my wheelhouse-I enjoy _OSP's_ "Trope Talk" but *am subscribed* for Blue's analyses of history and architecture and Red's dissection of myth (see also: Miniminuteman on archeology and Lindsay Nikole on zoology)-or bring a fresh perspective that would not have occurred to me based on education and upbringing (Jessie Gender, for example, or this one videogame essayist who refuses to use the words "good" and "bad" in his reviews and instead goes on about _ludonarrative dissonance)._ Huh. I think you've just explained why most of my time spent with The Algorithm is spent telling it that I'm "not interested," regardless of what "people who watch X also watch."
I think people forget that good critique kinda requires creative labour and it easy. I mean you can just list off bullet points of things you like and dont like and call it critique (you can also make that format creative btw) but in the long run, that isnt actually going to change anything. Critique thats good and dynamic gets remembered and does something different, it might even actually change media going forward.
4 minutes in and it's already such a banger EDIT: Just looked at my tabs and I have ~10 video essays about things I like or find interesting queued up, we truly live in a Society
I love this video. Ive bee saying this for a few years now. Media discourse is disgusting today and a lot of UA-camrs nip picking everything others make while making nothing themselves is a huge contribution to that
Finished the video. As stated before with my playlist, I saved those videos because I thought "What if I made a Video Essay Video Essay, haha!". I actually do have things to state about on that topic... You mention in this video how essays detract from proper artworks, that's true, but there's some essays out there that gave me knowledge and made me feel as much or maybe even more than some works I've experienced. Those like 3 Blue 1 Brown, CGP Grey, and Tom Scott are an example of the classically informative essayist... But a video I think of is Hazel's "a normal creepypasta retrospective", which is a video essay about... nothing, it's all made up, and then ""a normal creepypasta retrospective" EXPLAINED" which is a video essay about that fake video essay and how the content within it was made up all along. What was the point of the original if it means nothing? It brings no knowledge? I mean it's supposed to subvert the genre and be 'art', but, to me it's the same as those longform videos that give me information about X thing that I'll soon forget, it doesn't matter in the end. And then I go back and watch someone like Running Shine multiple times over. Running Shine essays are truly something great in my opinion, they talk about the topic, add some some comical stuff, but aren't demeaning, preachy, or the inverse of that where it's just slop. The Running Shine essays with their calming house music and smooth talking, just being... cool... Now that's ART to me... Those made me feel. I wish more essays were like that. Or maybe not, as the problem is there's too many essays. Perhaps the fact that there's so few essays by Running Shine made them more special.
Thanks for this wonderful video. "Yummy scrummy discourse" will be a phrase thats front of mind when I think about what kind of art or content I should be consuming.
“Hey guys, here’s my new video essay about a complex character from your favorite videogame / tv show!” *40min/2hr synopsis of each of their appearances with no greater discussion had on the tropes of the character, their journey, or the themes they carry within them* “Thanks for watching guys! I’ll be sure to put out a video of scrunglo mcdoogie in 1 day!”
On the scale of low effort content, video essays are FAR from the bottom in terms of effort, quality, and harm done. Also, yes I’ve consumed more video essays than I have played new games, but I’m not paying $60 for each video essay I watch. To compare the two in terms of the amount of payout they get per consumption is misguided.
I don’t know if I speak for the masses on this, but I find myself gravitating towards wanting to watch other people enjoy something than enjoy it myself. Time, money, and effort are all things that I consider as limited and important resources to have. Realizing I could skip out on spending $60 or more on newer video games when I can just watch other people play them instead- and that’s assuming the game itself even interests me in the first place? Edit: Coming from someone who used to want to be a creative writer, I’ve felt way better about abandoning that mindset than I ever felt actually doing the writing, because I no longer had to try and ask myself why I wanted to make things. It was never because I’ve enjoyed it- it was because I thought there was a chance other people might enjoy it.
Since 2022 I have made a playlist where I catalogue every video essay I've come across that I think is by a new person (with around 95% accuracy). That playlist has 2,300 videos.
I've noticed any internet wide issue of lack of creative investment - not only on youtube. People are so caught up in engaging with discourse that it's extremely infuriating. You may not get the views you want, but you /did/ create something. We can argue if it actually contributes anything til we're blue in the face, but the point is that taking the time to create something isn't popular anymore. We're rather argue til the end of the world on social media than create, and I hate it. It's because the internet allows us to reach a wider audience no matter our niche that makes me so frustrated over this. We're able to gain friends with share similar interests much easier, but too many people desire fighting on twitter than creating. I'll rather consume creative slop, then consume useless discourse all day.
Towards the end this video reminded me of that part from Bo Burnham's Inside: "Is it necessary that every single person on the planet expresses every single opinion they have on every single thing that occurs all the time? Can anyone, any ~single one~ shut the fuck up? And I know you're thinking 'you're not shutting the fuck up right now' and that's true, but-"
Yknow it just sounds like all the issues is people not getting paid adequately for creating the kind of stuff you prefer seeing. If your primary goal is to make money, then naturally you're gonna flock to the path of least resistance. I'd say that I can't blame people for choosing that over creative expression, but to be honest I just don't give a shit about them personally to begin with. I just care about the idea of "yeah, people getting paid money... nice." I'm not all that putoff by the glut of essay slop because ultimately I consume it about as cheaply as it's made. I'm washing my dishes, I'm going on a long drive, I'm getting through a slow work day, I'm busy drawing or working on my own games. Those videos are just background noise. If I care enough about a piece of media to watch/experience it myself, I will, and I'm gonna value my own perspective more anyway. But I can't really waste my time giving undivided attention a bunch of media that isn't particularly important to me, so this discourse slop is a decent middleground to me to satiating my curiosity. Best case scenario, I do hear about something I care about and try it out myself. Worst case, I close a video early and listen to music instead. Garbage is always gonna be made, and it's not worth getting worked up that it exists, that things "could be better" cause that's just a slope people put you on to make you forever-mad and forever-consuming ragebait slop instead. But yeah I can agree people shouldn't put this stuff on a pedastal. Some guy could beat his cock and balls dry talking on and on about how Mario Odyssey didn't adequately reflect Homer's vision in the original novel but yknow who gives a shit, it's about as credible as someone in your discord group who only ever plays LoL going "it's nice to run around collecting Shines without being called slurs". One of them chose to make a "career" talking about the ways they may or may not have had fun while playing a game for content on their channel, that's all.
It is funny that the kinds of videos that provide me the most enjoyment aren't video essays and reviews on youtube. Albeit they're interesting to watch sometimes, especially if they pull you into wanting to see how the video gets resolved, but a lot of videos I feel just ramble on about stuff to the point it goes over my head to where I have no idea what they're talking about to really comprehend what I just watched, or they're just incessantly complaining trying to prove why something's bad which makes me feel empty inside. The fact that animated music videos, and parody skits feel more impactful to me is because they're making the most out of every moment. An hour long video essay isn't going to keep me coming back due to it's long duration and slow paced presentation like say a 5 minute video music video will. This is kind of the reason why I rarely re-watch video essays. A lot of the time I can predict what they're going to say, especially when it comes to the typical stuff people always bring up regarding the topic. I'm kind of sick of them. It also doesn't help I'm a scatterbrain of sorts always wanting to hop around youtube to find new channels, so I'll get bored with a lot of these videos midway through and try finding something more entertaining. It's crazy how video essays strive to be the definitive topic on a particular subject, meaning the length of the video needs to cover everything that person wants to talk about leading to these videos to be longer than your average movie just to get all the viewership focused on one video. It would rather get lost on youtube finding several more interesting channels than watching something that long. By the way I haven't even started this video yet, so maybe I do have a short attention span. At least I'm addicted to UA-cam instead of TikTok as if that makes anything better. I probably need help.
Damn. As a counterpoint, what about indie animation like the Amazing Digital Circus? That exploded on UA-cam and was just a team of people creating something not based on an existing IP. Or Hazbin Hotel started out as a pilot on UA-cam and ended up becoming a hit on a streaming service. These are pretty recent examples of creative works succeeding, even if they are very rare.
This isn't a counterpoint, like you said, it is rare... They are talking about the majority of content creation, there will always be exceptions but on a whole UA-cam doesn't reward creativity, you succeed by falling in line with trends.
Marble Hornets really did feel like “a guy making a video” and not “a content creator creating content” and I miss that so much. I’m coincidentally watching through the director’s commentary for the first time as this came out and they even confess they had to make shit up for so many scenes. It’s hard to explain to my roommates and friends why it was important and enjoyable when they can’t help calling it cringe and all I can say is “I mean.. you’re right but so what lmfaoo”
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but the main message of this video is : “ it’s far easier to pick something apart and point out other’ s failures than creating something new ourselves “
@@krallakrulla971 My current video I am working on is about 7 pages long. Yes, I would say 7 pages/15 minute video is an essay. Video essays don't have to be these 5 hour videos.
I think I must be hanging out in different parts of UA-cam than Fudj (or perhaps just the "average" user of UA-cam). I feel like this video essay criticizing video essays (heh) has many valid points, but if you don't like what you're being fed on YT, then seek out better things, and don't worry about the "average" userbase. I know that's easy for me to say, as someone whose career does not depend on views. But I don't really get any crap reaction channels or low-effort video essays recommended to me, and I really enjoy my little corner of UA-cam. I guess I feel like I'm being scolded for something I don't actually promote, or I'm listening to someone complain about a problem that I'm not contributing to. The repeated use of "we" throughout the video, as if we all know we're guilty, might be my issue. There's also just a hint of entitlement coming through, though I'm sure it must be frustrating knowing your job rewards lowest common denominator garbage, if you have loftier goals. I dunno, I'm just trying to get out my thoughts while generating a bit of engagement for a channel I enjoy.
I think I know what you mean, this video is strange to me too. On one hand a condemnation of the cultural 'we' as you say, as if there is a universal 'we' in any culture or space. On the other hand an acknowledgement that maybe everyone needs an escape right now and video essays provide a convenient, comfortable one. I also felt almost shamed by the tone of the video, as if I should feel bad for occupying a space on youtube that I'm not currently occupying. I don't dislike the video or the creator but this specific video felt kinda off to me.
everyone needs to watch this video. This happens way too much where the click bait is just complaining but never offering advice to the work itself in a respectable way. key word "respectable".
Gosh this was such an eye opener. I shall watch the video a thousand times more and keep my eyes open for any UA-camr who posts a video delving deeper into this topic.
Great video. I appreciate your work and pointing these kinds of things out to people. Honestly, I'm not sure how much validity there is to the "shrinking average attention spans" concept because I'm not even sure how you would properly measure that, especially over a large period of time. But anyway, I can't say I like living in a world where creatives and smart people are punished for making thoughtful pieces or works of depth
the thing about the environment of the internet is that people are actively shamed for choosing to just enjoy themselves and create instead of becoming a media critic. what i mean by this is essentially just... cringe culture. similarly to the cuphead inspired game you mentioned, so many fans of things are picked apart and criticized for doing what they like; hell, if you ask anyone who calls the undertale fandom 'toxic' what the problem with it is, chances are they'll mention shippers. those are just people making derivative content based on what they like because they find it fun, but for some reason this isn't okay because it... doesn't happen in the actual story? this happens with everything in every fanbase, but i mentioned the undertale community and shipping specifically as an example since a good portion of the people saying these things are younger teenagers and children who are growing up surrounded by judgmental people. but even adults will treat people like they're subhuman for portraying their own unique interpretation of a character-- yes, i've spent all this time talking about derivative creations, but this is still creativity! everything out there is derivative in some way, just some people are more attached to the original than others (which can mean anything from a movie subconsciously inspired by shakespeare's works to someone doodling their favorite obscure character everyday). and on the flipside... everyone is expected to "critically consume media" in recent years. there are plenty of people who enjoy this, and i think they should keep doing what they do, but there is an alarming imbalance between the number of people who talk about the quality of creations and people who put their own spin on said creation (i'm pretty much reiterating the video here but oh well). you can only play zippo's fun world after you acknowledge how bad and awful it is and make sure all your friends know too. and if it's your favorite thing in the world? well that's just embarrassing, even though i know nothing about your history and why you like that thing. i don't think everyone should be obligated to be a critic, just like how not everyone is an artist or a composer. i think we all need to take a break and just enjoy things in a positive way, whether that means creating, consuming, or studying something to find things you like about it. life's too short to drown yourself in all this negativity :) [this has been a 5k word comment essay from your local nerd]
Nice job Mr. Fudj. I just wanted to say that I do believe Marble Hornets could still succeed today, as analog horror is still going strong thanks to Marble Hornets itself lol. Sometimes projects like those are bolstered by “content reviewers” as well.
Really great vid. I can feel your points here. Humanizing what people make I feel like a see less and less I've always thought with some games It's a miracle these things get made let alone them being made by a small group of people. I feel like really deep diving into undies has really done that for me in particular. You saw a similar thing with Palworld to some degree no way they expected that to blow up as much as it did and the discourse was so obnoxious. I also feel a spark from this vid just hearing more from that voice I've felt it's really rare I actually criticize something like a game until I have played to the credits and maybe even looked up some of the development. Please keep making the content your making they are all gold and take care.
People should be allowed to share their opinions on media just as a general rule, but as an aspiring writer myself criticism and analysis can also be incredibly educational and helpful (both when it's directed at my own work, and in general) I see no value in shaming people doing media analysis and sharing their thoughts in this way, in fact I think it'd be pretty culturally harmful and a big loss if media criticism stopped being a thing Nobody cries if someone does an analysis on why they love something, but if they mention issues with it points like a lot of the ones in this video come up and it feels like a toxic positivity echo chamber in a lot of subreddits and comments sections sometimes
I don't think Fudj would disagree here. The Enchanted Portals example applies perfectly. When people made videos criticizing the game, it's pretty clear they weren't coming from a place of good faith. These videos weren't meant to offer constructive feedback or a new way of thinking, they were there to point and laugh at such an obvious failure. And these UA-camrs likely didn't do it for malicious reasons perse, but because that's simply what is rewarded on the platform. The net effect of this kind of behavior though is that people are less encouraged to take creative risks in the future, because any mistake could become some random UA-camrs next 100K view target. And so new ideas aren't tested, and we end up in a creative rut, an ouroboros of recycled content. I don't think the idea here is that we shouldn't criticize media we dislike, it's to do it more thoughtfully and constructively.
@@AurumAlex64The UA-cam content mill and low effort content has always been a thing Essays aren't easy, but bad ones are, just have to find good creators
@@AurumAlex64The irony is that Enchanted Portals _wasn’t_ a creative risk (per se). It was copying something that was already successful, and I don’t think it really offered anything new (from a cursory glance). Though I don’t think the unintended dogpile was warranted. “If 1 person copies something it’s a ‘rip-off’, if a 100 people do it, it’s a ‘trend’ and all that jazz. That, and it’s not really a style that’s been done before in games, and worth propagating. It’s not like an existing genre/style getting new life, it never really existed (in games) in the first place. That, and who knows if they had the idea prior to seeing Cuphead and jus didn’t get the chance to make it until the time they did.
To me, a criticism or analysis video should be treated honestly. What overall feeling do you have about the media in question? How do you frame that opinion from your personal likes and the more objective principles. Nothing more or less. No long winded speech about how your childhood was molded by something or drawn out rant about how much you hate something. You spell it out like a well formed opinion with enough explanation to maybe convince someone to attempt to see where you're coming from. The overglorifying or clearly negative bait takes are what makes up most of the big critic channels. People who seem to forget that no piece of media is a holy grail that changes your life or the literal worst thing ever. I know those are click bait titles, but they make up the main point of whatever the subject is. Both those attitudes conflate into a flood of people just looking to find a hundred new pretentious ways to say "thing good" or "thing bad."
If you watch a video essay on someone's work, do you do it out of curiosity, to affirm that something is worth looking into, or to know just enough about to participate in discussions?
For the longest time I have wanted to make videos about my opinions on different video games, there just happens to be a big roadblock in my ability to write essays or anything in that matter so I've felt that Im not able to present anything valuable to the table which is already quite full.
Not to mention so many essays are just a dude trying to make a pretentious birtish accent to sound "smart" when all they're really doing is regurgitating the same take that everyone already shared about the latest tv show and why it's "garbage" or a "masterpiece" while adding nothing new to the conversation.
I let UA-camrs dictate my opinions on media for way too long, so this year I'm trying things I had a low opinion of in the past. Turns out Kung Fu Panda 3 is a decent movie after all!
There are several things in this video that contradict each other, such as you saying that people use essays as a means to quickly experience new things, later saying that people use them to indulge in things they're already familiar with. While both of those things can be true, there isn't a clear point being made if they are. It makes sense that the video only took 3 hours to make, ironically playing into what you discussed, although I think this was the intention. It ironically took me longer to watch the video than it did for you to write it because I was pausing it so I could focus on it and think about it.
You know, watching this video as someone who does want to do something creative has lead me to the conclusion that your product and what you give back to people should be your primary focus. Games, movies, comics, etx excel in quality when there is something they want to say or provide to make it meaningful. The same should apply to video essays.
So, I am not sure I am just a bit of an outliar here, but as far as I am aware, that is generally not how I _consume_ (I hate that this word is now commonly used for this) my media. There are two ways this usually goes for me: Either: I watch a video about a game I have not played before, however make note of it if I am interested in it while I go. If it's not my cup of tea I will probably stop watchin alltogether, it's not interesting to me. If I do like it however, I will make a mental note about it. I will not play it immedeately, but when the time comes that I need it, I will remember it and then play it. If I am highly sold on what I am seeing and hearing, I will also stop watchin immedeatly and eather buy it right away, or also wait for the right time. There are so, soooo many games that I would have never played, never even heard of, would it not be for a let's player or essayist, talking about it passionately and broadening my own horizon. Or: I am already enjoying a game. But I want more, to dive into it's world as long as I can, even if I am not playing it. So, I look for, once again, essays, let's plays, podcasts, whatever I can find. Only as far as I have gotten of course, I don't want to spoil the experience of discovery and the story for me. Of cource I also enjoy watching something familiar from time to time. I am sure I am also guilty of the things you said. And I did feel a bit offended while watching, so I am probably a bit biased. But I also think that we are a social species and like to talk about the thing we enjoy as well as dislike. Maybe I am projecting to much of me into this, but I wonder if the true issue is us being more and more isolated in _reality_, missing interaction with other people, that we just try to find this somewhere else. I know that is part of why I do it. Because I don't want to be alone. And as long as the video doesn't stop, I don't feel alone, or at least don't think about it. This got a bit rambly in the end, sorry for that, I wrote it as I went along. And no, my life is not as depressing as it might sound there in the end. ^^
i agree with this somewhat! let's plays and video essays do a lot to boost the popularity of things people may otherwise not know about. it think more of the problem is the need for every other channel to produce a documentary about every thing New Thing (and sometimes Old Thing That Has Been Ripped Apart for the Past Two Decades) did "wrong" the second it comes out.
I'd like to say that I've been thinking about this for a while, but I have not been. I'm working on developing my 3rd... 4th? game, which I intend to be the first one I release publicly. And I am worried that some design decision or story beat will lead to a video essayist making the game seem awful, or bring on some sort of hate mob. Something like that happened with The Citadel, the game that most inspired me to make an FPS, where an off-the-cuff comment made by a video essayist lead to a bunch of people harassing the game's creator in a way that was eerily similar to the moral panic around the early first person shooters that inspired it. Anyway, my hope is to make the next The Citadel, a game that will provide me enough money to make another one, while also being mechanically interesting with a distinct art style.
I would encourage you not to worry about that at all. You'll receive constructive criticism which is a good thing that will help you improve as a developer, but of course you'll also receive some baseless complaints and insults from people who either want something that your game isn't, or who don't understand what your game is going for. It's easier said than done, but if you can learn to absorb the constructive comments and ignore the baseless hate, you'll have an almost unending supply of encouragement.
I once made a game, it was a very simple game with quite a few flaws. Someone joined my discord and posted a 20 paragraph 'review' that absolutely took longer to write than my game did showcasing every little possible flaw with the game and I just deleted the comment, banned them, then quit game development. If I ever start it up again i'm making an exploitive mobile game because my respect for the average gamer currently resides deep in The Nether.
I'm so sorry this happened. It's a natural consequence of being brave enough to create and put it out there. I hope you come back to it one day, and this experience doesn't taint your creative process when you do.
Deleting the comment and banning them is based, but you really quit game dev because of that lol? If your respect for them is low then you shouldn't let their opinion kill your interests.
It kinda irks me when it gets pointed out that most people just stay with what's familiar to them. I know for a fact that the only reason I'm a part of this crowd is because money. I fear buying anything I can't be 100% sure is worth my time cause if I mess up my financials I'm ultra screwed. If I had money I'd have so much variety I'm just poor and scared.
Imo its complete nonsense to watch a video essay on a work you haven't actually absorbed yourself. I never watch a video essay on something I haven't played/watched/listened to. You can't properly engage with the content and the opinions of the video creator if you have no personal reference base. My goal in consuming media is in part to be able to communicate with others, I don't think that's uncommon. You seem to somewhat acknowledge this mindset part way through the video, saying that people want to engage with what they're familiar with. So why throughout do you imply the people watching these essays are doing so in place of interacting with newly created media? That doesn't make any sense. Unless the implication is that most video essays are on older content? Its not incorrect to say there is a lot of content like that, but its also true that managing to do an in-depth essay on newer content is twice as optimized, especially for the audience your implying has yet to experience the media itself. Which becomes an ouroboros of an argument. It feels to me like your argument is "people want to engage with content and formats they're familiar with so they don't have to think and don't have to engage with content." What's more, when one of your arguments is "video essayist aren't creative and couldn't make better content then what they're criticizing" you are very literally just falling into a textbook ad hominem fallacy. You're debating against essayists, and not their essays. I find such tactics disrespectful to the idea of having an actual conversation. The idea that the only people who should criticize art are those who could do something better is an age old argument that has always been flawed, its been argued against countless times, and I would expect you to be familiar with that if you've put as much research into this video essay as you say that other's should into theirs.
People definitely watch video essays on things they've never seen. It's actually pretty common sadly. A lot of people turn to essays/reviews/reactions instead of actually consuming things themselves. It's even worse when people take a particular show's aesthetic as their own online aesthetic without even knowing anything about the original work.
Very insightful video, good stuff I'd probably compare dedicated youtube critics similar to restaurant critics, easy to eat and be opinionated and make money off of it than to actually break your ass to make an amazing dish with the effort put into it
I swear, everytime there's someone talking about opinions like this, my mind always goes to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It's a game people like to dogpile on, make it a big thing to hate - make it feel like Gamefreak made a moral crime releasing a video game. Kinda like that Enchanted Portals, but worse because biggest media franchise in the world. I don't mean to rant about S/V, but I think there's something to think about in there?
The thing about the merch topic… its the thing that makes me feel gross about iron pineapple and vaati vidya merch, because literally all their work is derivative, and I think they get permission from the creators and it is unique art… but its just vaati from Zelda and solaire from dark souls… or oscar but either way idk its weird. Even me I’ve got a damn zinogre avatar if I ever became a creator I would make it more personal but it would just be a zinogre that wears the caravaneer outfit from monster hunter, and I’d probably do fucking video essays and lets plays. Basically I’m trying to say I get why things are so derivative, it’s hard to actually be creative.
VgDunkey when he makes a video shitting on a game and gets turned into a UA-cam legend (meanwhile the game's reputation gets dragged through the mud just because a single popular meme UA-camr didn't like said game)
10:57 “Remember when animators used to animate?” *shows oney, who just finished work on the second season of his own animated tv show And as for the overall point, I find that similarly off mark. Yeah things are bad and slop is king. But talented creative works still have their place and audience. I know you threw bones to people you did like, but the sentiment I got was that you felt they were much rarer than they are.
he's not a smiling friends creator, thats zach (psychicpebbles) and michael cusack. he's a friend of theirs and has helped with the show, he even still works on creative projects, but a majority of his online presence is on his gaming channel now. being a creative definitely has its place but we're in an era where its so much easier and profitable to just, record yourself talking. most animators i see here rely on Shorts for the tiktok audience now, which im at least glad makes it easier for them to get attention
for fuck's sake Fudj, I LOVE you and your videos but PLEASE do at the very least some minimal research on the "attention span" misinformation - it's literally based on nothing from a Microsoft marketing slide and yet people parrot it as if it's true
i also feel like people are too doomer-y about this whole attention span thing in general. i think the world just needs more variety and originality so things actually feel worth paying attention to. it might just be me but i feel like the internet (along with everything else) is getting _really_ boring. this level of saturation and easy access really amplifies the lack of variety.
Thank you for making this video. I’ve held this view for a few years. It makes me shake my head to hear content creators describing themselves as creatives. They have no idea how difficult it is to create something. Yes, talking about the work of others is easy. I love video essays as much as the next guy, but video essayists and the people who watch them often get arrogant and dismissive of the true creatives.
There's a video with nearly 2 million views called "Was Chrono Trigger Good?" and it's two hours of some dipshit reading the wikipedia plot synopsis of the storyline and at the end he says "yes it good". Video essayist.
Maybe I've just gotten better stuff recommended to me, or I just get bored whenever something is just linearly describing another piece of media but, like, do people actually go and watch video essays recounting what happens in a game instead of playing it so they can talk about it?
An essay is "just an opinion?" Not quite. Long form content isn't automatically a "video essay." Reviews or react content aren't essays. Opinion pieces aren't essays. Essays are either meant to make an argument and convince someone of your idea, and they require research and a specific thesis/argument/conclusion formula, or they're meant to inform and educate on a topic, and both of these require research. A lot of the examples you give in this video aren't essays. In fact, now that I'm at the end of your video and have warched the whole thing, this just seems like a mostly useless, salty, and cynical take the genre. You wrote a twenty minute rant in three hours and spliced mostly irrelevant game and movie footage over it. Yes, that's "easy" to do. It's also crap. You made a crap video and got me with a clickbait title, congratulations. The fact that it seems to be your best performing video in a while is rather ironically poetic. Maybe you have better videos than this on your channel but this is such a bad first impression I'm not going to bother finding out.
At 18:25 I'm concerned that it comes off like I'm telling the dudes who don't like Mario 64 to "stfu" and I'd just like to say that is not the case, I respect their right to their (wrong) opinions, they are just a (much more harmless) part of the larger point I was making. Let's not fight! Let's maybe be best friends. I hear opposites attract
ANYWAY, ENOUGH OF THAT BORING SHIT,
PALETTE SWAP. GRAAAAAAAHHHHH
www.youtube.com/@PaletteSwapMag
twitter.com/PaletteSwapMag
paletteswap.site/
Something I wanna correct the record on - the stat about our attention span is dubious and I apologise for spreading misinformation if it's ever proved to be outright false. It is undeniable that it's dropped significantly in the past few years, but I've never attached myself to the idea that it's "now shorter than a Goldfish", which does sound pretty ridiculous, lmao. Prob should have def used a different screenshot in that case, my bad! I think my point still stands
I'm more concerned with you specifying "some white guy will come tear it apart". No reason to bring up race. Plenty of non white folks making scathing video essays.
@@FringeSpectreExcept-because of The Algorithm-if you belong to [insert underrepresented group here], your video essays tend to take the form of "Why Mario 64 is bad, actually-a Hasidic Jewish Perspective," which, at least, has *some* degree of novelty and-yes, I'll say it-merit
@@FringeSpectre Very true my friend, #NotAllMen indeed
@@GSBarlev why on earth should anyone care about somebody's race or religion in the context of making video essays? What possible relevant insight could a Jew bring to the analysis of Mario that couldn't be done by any other pointless division of the human race?
So real. We should make out
The best video essays are always the ones that stand alone as their own piece of work. Jacob Geller doesn't synopsize an entire art piece, instead he takes bits and pieces of it to explain a broader, more impactful topic. I've never sat down and decided to experience a show after Pyrocynical steamrolled the entire thing into a 4 hour video, but I have experienced a lot of cool art just because a better essayist decided it would make a good footnote.
well said. Love your work.
I don't know...I don't fundamentally disagree with most of your points, but I don't love the way you treat this whole genre of writing as some category other than "real creativity." I could off the cuff list off dozens of video essay channels that have a compelling, unique writing and/or editing styles with clear effort and passion behind them. You acknowledge that some people can do video essays creatively, but still seem to regard them as the exception and regard the whole concept as at its core uncreative, which I disagree with. A good essay pushes past the media it includes to say something new and true beyond it. Some people fail at that, sure, but there is no lack of brilliant writers on this platform succeeding at that and I think that's beautiful.
And I think this idea you're working with that online media critics have become the real celebrities, somehow, is bizarre, frankly. Like, what are you talking about? Media criticism is not more of an industry than media. It's a tiny blip, really. The average coworker has never heard of a video essay, but they watch movies and play games. No online critic has reached the celebrity Ebert and Siskel achieved decades ago. Maybe I'm in my own bubble too where I've somehow avoided all the worst sides of this field, but I just don't see where you're coming from. Like you pair that final line with footage from TotK as if nobody's ever heard of Eiji Aonuma. But they have. They know him.
"There's a UA-cam video for every opinion in the world right now." But no there's not! I don't mean that pedantically, either. Art analysis and art criticism are tremendously complex. The well is nowhere remotely close to dry for compelling video essays, as writing about art has the same potential for depth as the art itself: essentially infinite. Because video essays are art too. They can be bad art, often are, but there is no division separating them from "real art." There are hundreds more possible ways to write about how Super Mario 64 is overrated because everyone is capable of bringing something new to the table.
I know your main points are that we should spend more time engaging with the primary art, that by a quirk of the numbers video essays have been unfairly prioritized by the algorithm, and that UA-cam critics should be criticized more often than they are. I agree with all of that fully. I just wish you actually criticized the particular practices and creators you dislike with specificity, rather than minimize an entire artform. Like, why did you say in the first minute that you can make an 8-hour video in two weeks? I know you know that's not true. But many viewers won't know you're exaggerating. Even the laziest 8-hour video is hundreds of hours of work. Now thousands of people in your audience will come away thinking anyone can make one of those things in a handful of workdays. It feels like you lied, there, to make your point sound stronger.
I think I largely agree with this comment. I am rather soured on my impression of video essays at large, so I figured maybe this video would discuss the same sorts of reasons why _I'm_ disillusioned, but it kinda didn't.
To add onto what you said, I think Fudj showed some egregious ignorance, or at least a negligent lack of nuance, in the statement that (paraphrasing) "criticism is good and improves art." I'm sure he intended it as a generalization, but even then I simply don't buy it. To me there are two forms criticism can take, ignoring the usual constructive/destructive dichotomy: feedback, which is intended for the artist(s) involved in the work to learn from and improve, and recreational analysis, which for me is a way to understand and refine my own tastes and just an enjoyable thing to partake in.
The former is clearly what Fudj is referring to, but I don't think it applies to most video essays or analytical videos that I've ever seen. Certainly it isn't what any of my public analytical writing has ever been about, off the top of my head. When I talk about art it is usually completely self-reflective: thinking about my experience, what I do or don't like, interesting little concepts or perspectives that the work illuminates. I _do_ give feedback sometimes, but it's a lot rarer and it's usually direct and private communication.
Recreational analysis is not valueless to artists, as it can help them understand their own tastes just as much as it helps me understand mine. It's a different type of insight, though, and I don't think it's very well suited to doing the job of feedback. Especially since a lot of writers making essays are doing so with an audience in mind, and all the hyperbole or fixations that can entail which aren't relevant to those who made the work being discussed.
Dunno if this is an airtight or coherent addition, but... I dunno, I wanted to throw it out there anyway ^v^; there's probably at least something valuable in this ramble.
(good job on the FF7 video by the way, was quite poignant. watched it quite a while ago)
Seriously. Like I wish someone would make a video essay on *my* work! Video essays aren't oversaturated at all; the amount of original work out there is still vast enough that most of it is getting no engagement at all.
Also, I disagree that original creators should be revered more than commentators. I write original stuff because I'm self-absorbed af and only care about my own ideas. People who care enough about others' ideas to engage and analyse it in depth are precious, and I wish there were more of them, if only so one of them would pay attention to mine. When someone reads my webcomic AND goes to the effort of articulating what they think of it, *they're* the ones doing *me* a favour. I don't care if someone talks about my work and gets way more clout for it than I do; they're engaging with my work and bringing it to other people's attention, which is something I value far more than any amount of "respect" or "admiration".
Plus, the main reason why I watch more video essays than engage directly with works is because youtube videos are free. And better advertised; if I could just be scrolling through a platform I frequent and get clickbaited by an original game/file/webcomic, I'd probably click on them just as often!
The one thing I'd probably agree with in this video is that you write a video essay when you have something to say; not pump them out because you have to say something. But that's not unique to commentary-style content either; have you seen writer communities? You *constantly* get people asking "how do I come up with ideas", "what should I write about" etc -- they don't "have something to say" either!
Also, video editing is pain. I've tried it, and I just couldn't. You think what I do is hard? Well right back at ya.
@@Kirobsi I love your delineation between the intended targets of the video, I'd never consciously thought to make the distinction! Looking back, most (if not all) of my favorite video essays are absolutely about teaching the audience a new way to engage with the work. I wish "explanation' style videos weren't so oversaturated with surface level analysis and people clearly trying to just pay the bills, because it's always frustrating to come away from a work feeling like you're missing something, but that's not an anti-essay opinion, just a complaint about how the "algorithm" doesn't prioritize quality over quantity.
Bro made an essay in this comment
@@driguesbarcellos Yep, my adhd ass struggled but the info was good. Glad they broke it up into paragraphs. 👍
Very good, off to participate in some discourse related to the topic
Ironically, searching for "the problem with youtube" brings up countless videos similar to this one.
I’m really glad I watched this. As someone who makes art, I think this focus on criticism is actually really harmful to the process of making art, being fearful of the boogeyman in your head who keeps calling what you create stupid or a waste of time, or, by god, uncomfortable. The reaction and essay kinds of videos have their place, but it’s important to remember that distinction. Good stuff fudj
as a fellow artist i agree. i have so many ideas in my head but almost never draw them because it feels pointless when i remember all the criticism people have for creative works. in fact, this has almost completely put me off from learning to write because that community is EXTREMELY critical of writing they don't consider to be a 100% masterpiece. the number of subjective "rules" and nitpicks is so overwhelming and intimidating that i'd always rather just stick to what i know.
(to clarify, my problem with drawing is not my technical skills, the problem is that i'm too afraid of being judged for _what_ i want to draw to a ridiculous extent. so while other people are drawing whatever they want, i'm stuck doing bust drawings and anatomy doodles a couple times a month because even a character design sheet feels like a cardinal sin :( )
It continues to astound me that people who work soul crushing 9-5 jobs come home at the end of the day and choose to spend some of that money on monthly donations to people who already make more in a year than they're going to make in the next decade just playing games on camera, or "reacting" to things.
It's because those streamers are the only ones who make them happy and laugh in their soul crushing 9-5 day jobs.
@@afro025 With all due respect to those people, actual friends can make you happy/smile without you throwing a few bucks their way every month. And they’d probably appreciate a donation from you more because statistically speaking, they’re probably also actually working a real job.
I just really don’t understand things like Twitch subbing culture, that’s all. Donating to the Patreon of actual creatives who put out quality content that takes time and effort to produce is one thing (especially since UA-cam often doesn’t really reward those types of channels), but subbing to a streamer/influencer? Because what, they happened to say something funny or got a headshot or something? How is that normal, yet no one would ever do that with an actual in-person friend who knows they exist and actually converses with them regularly? Idk, some of these parasocial relationships have led to some real brain rot imo.
EDIT: I’m not trying to insinuate that people should pay their friends lol, I’m just saying that it seems like that would at least make more sense than donating to already rich streamers, and yet somehow only the latter has become normalized.
@@ThrillingDuck If you're spending your free time after your soul crushing 9 to 5 job watching streamers and donating to them, then I don't think you'd have "actual friends" available that do make you happy
@@afro025 :(
Some streamers I understand, but someone like Asmon is a feckless leech who never should have seen one penny from his "reactions"
so many video essays are literally just people linearly describing the thing they're talking about, adding nothing to the original topic. this consists of probably more than half big movie review/analysis youtubers.
Mauler in a nutshell. 95% summary with surface level observations. 5% actual points.
@@amysteriousviewer3772 wasn't gonna name him and his band of actually hateful psycho friends but yeah lol.
@@baelGIGAN The most obnoxious part is the superiority complex a lot of them have just because they watch 8 hours of glorified cinema sins.
A summary is not a review, essay, or analysis. They do have their place, but to pretend that they are additive is disingenuous.
@@amysteriousviewer3772yes😮
Video essayists will be like: I really loved this thing, it was amazing, now I'm going to explain its entire plot to you for a majority of the video and if you haven't played/seen it you should click off. It's never necessary. For me, those kinds of videos *are* good for one thing: background noise.
Im about to delete youtube off my phone right now because of this video. This app has given me nothing and it has taken so much of my time that i could have been spending engaging with real art and culture around me. Thank you for opening my eyes funny pink British thing
How do you do that ?
@@vidux6289 First, you uninstall UA-cam on your phone. Second, you go to your movie theater to see what movies they're playing or go to the store and buy a movie, or go to a Redbox to rent a movie, or you go online to watch movies on a streaming service or become a pirate and watch these movies for free. Just do anything as long as you're keeping yourself unengaged from UA-cam essays that talk about art because it's so much better to engage with art than it is to hear someone else talk about it for you.
Godspeed, you're stronger than I am. Stronger than most of us.
I think there's an important emotional factor here. Commentating on other works can be brushed off as an opinion, but creating original works means talking from yourself and your experiences. You need to be vulnerable to the public, and the mere idea of a genuine part of yourself being judged by strangers can be terrifying.
But a ton of video essays are very personal and vulnerable. Thats almost a hallmark of the genre as it is right now, to the point where people make jokes about it.
I hadn't given much thought to how much space video essays have taken away from more creative videos on youtube. Great video! I think I'll try and base what media I'm engaging with less on if there's a podcast or video I can watch about it once I'm done going forward.
For me it's not about choice it's about time, I can't fit all of my favorite things in a day but I'm still interested in it so I engage how I can
I feel kinda weird watching this cause i only ever watch video essays about games or movies that i've already experienced.
Like last year i spent like 200hrs in TotK then flooded myself wth reviews, essays, discussions, etc... about it lol
I’ll just drop a recommendation to ceave perspective. Genuinely some of the most engaging video essays I’ve ever seen on the platform because you can instantly tell the amount of research he puts into figuring out the obtuse stories of the games he covers. Is he the first person to dissect majora’s mask’s story? No, but his version is easily the most compelling iteration I’ve ever seen. No matter what, this job is an easy job, but there’s voices that are worth listening to, and I hope someone from this comment section can give those voices a try as opposed to more… slop centric pieces.
I don't listen to video essays regularly anymore, and haven't for a couple of years (besides a select few creators, wink). This video summarizes why. Not that it matters, since you talked your shit perfectly, but I'd like to echo it is as someone with fingers in many pies. I'm in a rigorous program for environment design in games, going to start training for narrative design soon too, but I also spend a good chunk of time writing analysis about games that already exist. I do not publish this writing or make videos, probably won't for a while yet, because editing takes time I don't have. But when I *did* have a few days off from school/work and wanted to try making a video, I made something A. predominantly negative and B. ramble-y. It was hard to make in a few days... mostly because of learning Premiere. I stand by my rant, but damn, ranting is easy.
It's actually relaxing for me to write game analysis, because I get to engage in subjects I love without the mental load of "whole cloth" creativity. I've basically experienced what max effort video essay writing is like... copious research, structuring and restructuring, etc. The work of a real "essay". As you said, good essay writing takes a lot of effort. But I'd say that even when you're analyzing with quality, research, and depth... writing about something that already exists, compared to my daily creative hustle? Not to say that it's easy, but it's certainly not in the same realm of practice-based skill and emotional vulnerability that Making New Shit requires. I can't imagine how easy it is for the once-a-week video essay writers that you mention. I know you're not trying to sound resentful, but I feel it coming through and just... amen dude. God, I especially hate when the entire video is just a rundown of the game... ugh. How is that fulfilling to make? Beyond financial fulfillment, I guess.
Anyhow, loving everything on Palette Swap so far and excited to see what you do next. I hope eventually you can make the videos that you want to make instead of the video essay thing, though you kill it regardless. Tism to tism real quick... it's got to suck to only be able to do one thing while maintaining your sanity, but still being unable to do it in a way that really makes you feel like you're putting stuff out there with all your creative might. My part time office job only works because everyone fucks off and leaves me alone all day. If I have to make environment art for the next COD or write Overwatch character quips or something after 6 years of training... I will ponder... minecrafting in Roblox. I don't know what the phrase is anymore.
What joker 2 gets wrong about rooftops is too accurate
😂😂😂😂😂🎉
It's gonna happen
You're question about "how much new media versus new video essays have you consumed" is spot on. I used to play games of so many different varieties and quantities. But now, I realize I haven't actually played a single new video game in over 5 months, despite plenty of them being available on demand in my Steam library. I haven't listened to any new music, watched any new TV shows, or movies for that matter. I can't remember the last time I even went to a theater. But I have watched a *ton* of video essays and UA-cam videos in general. So much so, that I almost exclusively watch them at 2.0x speed (including this video), because I know if I didn't, there wouldn't be enough time to get through all of them.
Which isn't to say it's all been a waste of time. There've been plenty of fantastic videos that have enriched my perspective. At some point, though, it would be nice to actually engage a piece of media on its own terms, instead of hear about it second-hand. I feel a bit culturally stagnant, and the walls have closing been closing in ever since. Hopefully I can change this.
How bout ya try spicying up the media you consumed until now like trying new music genres, Video game genres TV shows genres etc. Maybe you'll find something refreshing.
I also watched this on 2x
Try listening to “Frailty” by Jane Remover or “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You” by Big Thief. I made it a point to listen to new albums every week last year and those are a couple of my favorites
I have also watched videos on 2.0x speed for a while now and I wonder if that is the worst aspect of my youtube experience. It is supposed to get through things faster but it probably just makes me more suggestible to watching multiple videos one after another because they are done so quickly... Maybe if I played on normal speed I would be more likely to watch one and leave it at that, idk... At least I'm better than my friend who watches shows on 1.75x speed, I simply don't understand that.
Did someone force you to only watch youtube and consume no other media whatsoever? wtf this sounds concerning
This is basically the conclusion of Ratatouille, extended to appease the UA-cam algorithm.
Ah yes, gusteau's famous line:
"Anyone can make a 27 minute long halo retrospective!"
@@jakestaheli8532 Criticism is easy to write and to read. But a good analysist can come from anywhere, even from England!
Apparently, people don’t use their subscription feed to watch videos, and I have no idea why. If you legitimately rarely watched UA-cam, I could see. But otherwise, why wouldn’t you? It’s the best way to find video YOU like, because YOU curated it. UA-cam suggestions are pretty good, but it won’t be as good as you, plus it requires refreshing the page a lot and gambling. Whereas your subscription feed shows at least two dozen without refreshing.
WHAT'S TRENDING said no brain cell ever
Clarification, UA-cam suggestions can be good for finding new content that you’d like. But it’s not a feed to depend on because it’s still random. You won’t know if [insert creator] has a new video unless you specifically search. And once you’re interested in a bunch of them, it’ll be too much for UA-cam to always show in suggestions or even remember their names to search yourself. I follow like, 200+ channels. They’re not always frequent (thankfully, it’d be too much), but I’m always aware when someone uploads a new video. There’s still a lot, which means putting them in a playlist to revisit (which I do). But I’m always in control. I’m not at the whim of the algorithm to tell me if someone uploaded something new within the last week, the moment I check suggestions. That’s just mad.
Honestly I see it as more of a problem with capitalism and copyright law and the unique way they interact. Media becomes a commodity (and if you don't understand what's bad about this then you have a lot of learning to do) and by that point what you're observing here is only natural. I don't think it's possible to foster an environment under capitalism and copyright law where this *doesn't* happen. It feels to me like this video is complaining about a symptom of a much larger problem but it weirdly leaves that part out so it feels incomplete, and I think this is why.
It's definitely down to capitalism ultimately, no one is inherently the problem so much as our systems are, I just get tired of saying it lol
@@NocturnalFudj That's fair. It's easy to watch the video knowing about much of this already and pointing out what you missed, but on the other hand I realize it's probably intended for a wider audience who doesn't already know capitalism is the root of all problems in society lol.
Nah it’s just too many idiots who think they’re smart now
hhnnngggg
plop
I think about a creator like Arlo who’s extremely talented and creative, with an infections enthusiasm, and in a world without UA-cam, someone like him would likely be wasting away in an office or retail setting.
On the other hand, UA-cam has limited that brilliance and creativity to opinions on Metroid and Switch 2 speculation / rumors.
It’s a mixed bag.
What video would you recommend that best showcases his talent and creativity ?
@@vidux6289 I guess for an example, his puppetry skills are quite good and he seems very knowledgeable on the subject, but most of his videos are just him talking over B-roll and game footage.
I imagine that is much easier to churn out than staging a puppet show.
Excellent video, Fudj. A lot of the comments here seems to be missing what is supposed to be the main takeaway here.
Making videos about media you like or don’t like isn’t a problem. All this video is saying here is that it’s a bit sad how UA-cam now has way more content critiquing art than we do art itself, whereas that hasn’t always been the case.
As a viewer I’m guilty of perpetuating this too. More times than not when I’m sitting down for lunch and looking to watch something, I’m seeking out a video essay on something I’m intimately familiar with rather then trying out a new show or movie or sketch or whatever.
Playing devil’s advocate for a bit, there is an argument to be made that viewers like you and I haven’t been given much of a reason to *not* want to try new things and take risks. Doing that requires us to spend our limited resources of time and money, among others, to take a chance at something that may or may not work out. People click on video essays and reactions because they respect the intentions behind the content we’re “consuming” and enjoy being part of a larger group of fans they can share a common interest with.
But art criticism is itself an art, is the thing. Video essays are art. They are not an inherently lesser form of writing.
@@SkyehoppersThat’s the problem. There’s way to many critics and not enough artist.
if thats what he was going for, this script def needed another revision cus jesus christ
This is the video essay ever, of all time.
On the topic of the video, I'd like to say this genre of content is a farm now
Video essays on media are not only supposed to be a deep dive into a topic viewers aren't that knowledgeable on, but at the same time should let the viewer explore new stuff from the creators perspective
The current model is that a popular franchise or individual drops something, some popular essayist makes a simple video on it then 10 more essayists do the exact same thing while adding a single extra flair to it which I find boring in general. Where are the days essayists are passionate on topics which they ignite the discussion to, and why don't they embrace a style of their own for that process?
Ill bite. Who are you talking about specifically? "Where are the days..." there are more innovative video essayists doing creative, powerful work now than ever. They are not even hard to find, frankly. Have you really looked? I could give you a ton of names, easily.
@@Skyehoppers I get at least a bunch of video essayists in my feed everyday. I see even smaller channels covering the same stuff as big ones. Kinda sad really. I like a few channels that are big enough to give relevant, creative and longer video essays
@@windy6587 Again, who? I just really disagree that video essays have somehow degraded over time. They haven't. And I just dont know who people are talking about when they levy this sort of criticism
@@Skyehoppers i like your videos !"!"!"!"!"!
@@Skyehoppers ok name them
I say we go from calling people “video essayists” to “professional yappers”, because that’s what they do. Yap
It's honestly impressive and concerning that people have made a living off of yapping about something they didn't create.
Thank you for bringing up how animators have left the platform. I'm an artist and have worked at a few minor studios here and there. I considered trying to make content for YT at one point, but immediately thought against it because there was no economically justifiable way to compete on the platform without basically destroying my life and mental well-being. It is not feasible to be an independent animator without outside support, so I really don't know how some of the remaining animators maintain careers on UA-cam at this point, as it just seems like a losing battle. Long form content and reaction formats have basically destroyed the motivation to create for an environment that rewards low effort people more than actual creatives who want to make something totally new. I don't really know why it got to this point, but I hope it all folds in on itself one day to make way for a better artistic atmosphere. Thanks for always having an honest perspective in your videos. The genuineness really does set you apart from a lot of other video game related UA-camrs.
I can't wait for reaction channels to watch this video so I can film myself watch them watch it and contribute to the discourse of watching things
Sure video essays are easy, but making quality video essays with an airtight script where the visuals match with what you are saying, and what you're saying being actually VALUABLE, is hard. They also aren't always opinion. When the point of the author is backed by evidence and corellating facts, its more than opinion.
that's what he said in the video
I say this almost exactly about 6 minutes in
@@NocturnalFudj you needed to say it about 5 minutes and 54 seconds sooner for it to really sink in though
You can say that about any work. Quality is always hard. But he’s talking about risk not quality. The artists risks alot getting their work out there the critic risks very little.
@originalElctric the only risk is that it won't make a lot of money. Is it unfair that low effort, low value content is the most profitable? Yes. That's a fact of life. That exists everywhere. You think pop music is actually the best music made by the most talented and passionate people? No. Not by a long shot. The best musicians with the most passion tend to be living on the street playing drums on buckets and pans or playing a 3 string guitar with 15 year old strings.
I guess I'm an outlier. The video essayists I follow are all ones that either cover a niche topic outside of my wheelhouse-I enjoy _OSP's_ "Trope Talk" but *am subscribed* for Blue's analyses of history and architecture and Red's dissection of myth (see also: Miniminuteman on archeology and Lindsay Nikole on zoology)-or bring a fresh perspective that would not have occurred to me based on education and upbringing (Jessie Gender, for example, or this one videogame essayist who refuses to use the words "good" and "bad" in his reviews and instead goes on about _ludonarrative dissonance)._
Huh. I think you've just explained why most of my time spent with The Algorithm is spent telling it that I'm "not interested," regardless of what "people who watch X also watch."
Oh, please, PLEASE dont tell me that disonant whatever guy is Dayoscript
Video Essayist vs. Podcaster in a competition for "who has the hardest time getting a business account from the bank?"
I think people forget that good critique kinda requires creative labour and it easy.
I mean you can just list off bullet points of things you like and dont like and call it critique (you can also make that format creative btw) but in the long run, that isnt actually going to change anything.
Critique thats good and dynamic gets remembered and does something different, it might even actually change media going forward.
4 minutes in and it's already such a banger
EDIT: Just looked at my tabs and I have ~10 video essays about things I like or find interesting queued up, we truly live in a Society
I love this video. Ive bee saying this for a few years now. Media discourse is disgusting today and a lot of UA-camrs nip picking everything others make while making nothing themselves is a huge contribution to that
Finished the video.
As stated before with my playlist, I saved those videos because I thought "What if I made a Video Essay Video Essay, haha!". I actually do have things to state about on that topic...
You mention in this video how essays detract from proper artworks, that's true, but there's some essays out there that gave me knowledge and made me feel as much or maybe even more than some works I've experienced.
Those like 3 Blue 1 Brown, CGP Grey, and Tom Scott are an example of the classically informative essayist...
But a video I think of is Hazel's "a normal creepypasta retrospective", which is a video essay about... nothing, it's all made up, and then ""a normal creepypasta retrospective" EXPLAINED" which is a video essay about that fake video essay and how the content within it was made up all along. What was the point of the original if it means nothing? It brings no knowledge? I mean it's supposed to subvert the genre and be 'art', but, to me it's the same as those longform videos that give me information about X thing that I'll soon forget, it doesn't matter in the end.
And then I go back and watch someone like Running Shine multiple times over. Running Shine essays are truly something great in my opinion, they talk about the topic, add some some comical stuff, but aren't demeaning, preachy, or the inverse of that where it's just slop. The Running Shine essays with their calming house music and smooth talking, just being... cool... Now that's ART to me... Those made me feel.
I wish more essays were like that. Or maybe not, as the problem is there's too many essays. Perhaps the fact that there's so few essays by Running Shine made them more special.
Thanks for this wonderful video. "Yummy scrummy discourse" will be a phrase thats front of mind when I think about what kind of art or content I should be consuming.
“Hey guys, here’s my new video essay about a complex character from your favorite videogame / tv show!”
*40min/2hr synopsis of each of their appearances with no greater discussion had on the tropes of the character, their journey, or the themes they carry within them*
“Thanks for watching guys! I’ll be sure to put out a video of scrunglo mcdoogie in 1 day!”
On the scale of low effort content, video essays are FAR from the bottom in terms of effort, quality, and harm done. Also, yes I’ve consumed more video essays than I have played new games, but I’m not paying $60 for each video essay I watch. To compare the two in terms of the amount of payout they get per consumption is misguided.
I don’t know if I speak for the masses on this, but I find myself gravitating towards wanting to watch other people enjoy something than enjoy it myself. Time, money, and effort are all things that I consider as limited and important resources to have. Realizing I could skip out on spending $60 or more on newer video games when I can just watch other people play them instead- and that’s assuming the game itself even interests me in the first place?
Edit: Coming from someone who used to want to be a creative writer, I’ve felt way better about abandoning that mindset than I ever felt actually doing the writing, because I no longer had to try and ask myself why I wanted to make things. It was never because I’ve enjoyed it- it was because I thought there was a chance other people might enjoy it.
This is one of the most depressing things I've read in a while, unfortunate but understandable...
Since 2022 I have made a playlist where I catalogue every video essay I've come across that I think is by a new person (with around 95% accuracy). That playlist has 2,300 videos.
I've noticed any internet wide issue of lack of creative investment - not only on youtube. People are so caught up in engaging with discourse that it's extremely infuriating. You may not get the views you want, but you /did/ create something. We can argue if it actually contributes anything til we're blue in the face, but the point is that taking the time to create something isn't popular anymore. We're rather argue til the end of the world on social media than create, and I hate it. It's because the internet allows us to reach a wider audience no matter our niche that makes me so frustrated over this. We're able to gain friends with share similar interests much easier, but too many people desire fighting on twitter than creating. I'll rather consume creative slop, then consume useless discourse all day.
You’ve convinced me, I have to out-Quentin the Quentin. Then all the UA-cam’s will be mine
Spot on all the way through. This video feels years ahead of its time.
Towards the end this video reminded me of that part from Bo Burnham's Inside:
"Is it necessary that every single person on the planet expresses every single opinion they have on every single thing that occurs all the time? Can anyone, any ~single one~ shut the fuck up? And I know you're thinking 'you're not shutting the fuck up right now' and that's true, but-"
Yknow it just sounds like all the issues is people not getting paid adequately for creating the kind of stuff you prefer seeing. If your primary goal is to make money, then naturally you're gonna flock to the path of least resistance. I'd say that I can't blame people for choosing that over creative expression, but to be honest I just don't give a shit about them personally to begin with. I just care about the idea of "yeah, people getting paid money... nice." I'm not all that putoff by the glut of essay slop because ultimately I consume it about as cheaply as it's made. I'm washing my dishes, I'm going on a long drive, I'm getting through a slow work day, I'm busy drawing or working on my own games. Those videos are just background noise.
If I care enough about a piece of media to watch/experience it myself, I will, and I'm gonna value my own perspective more anyway. But I can't really waste my time giving undivided attention a bunch of media that isn't particularly important to me, so this discourse slop is a decent middleground to me to satiating my curiosity. Best case scenario, I do hear about something I care about and try it out myself. Worst case, I close a video early and listen to music instead. Garbage is always gonna be made, and it's not worth getting worked up that it exists, that things "could be better" cause that's just a slope people put you on to make you forever-mad and forever-consuming ragebait slop instead.
But yeah I can agree people shouldn't put this stuff on a pedastal. Some guy could beat his cock and balls dry talking on and on about how Mario Odyssey didn't adequately reflect Homer's vision in the original novel but yknow who gives a shit, it's about as credible as someone in your discord group who only ever plays LoL going "it's nice to run around collecting Shines without being called slurs". One of them chose to make a "career" talking about the ways they may or may not have had fun while playing a game for content on their channel, that's all.
It is funny that the kinds of videos that provide me the most enjoyment aren't video essays and reviews on youtube. Albeit they're interesting to watch sometimes, especially if they pull you into wanting to see how the video gets resolved, but a lot of videos I feel just ramble on about stuff to the point it goes over my head to where I have no idea what they're talking about to really comprehend what I just watched, or they're just incessantly complaining trying to prove why something's bad which makes me feel empty inside. The fact that animated music videos, and parody skits feel more impactful to me is because they're making the most out of every moment. An hour long video essay isn't going to keep me coming back due to it's long duration and slow paced presentation like say a 5 minute video music video will. This is kind of the reason why I rarely re-watch video essays. A lot of the time I can predict what they're going to say, especially when it comes to the typical stuff people always bring up regarding the topic. I'm kind of sick of them. It also doesn't help I'm a scatterbrain of sorts always wanting to hop around youtube to find new channels, so I'll get bored with a lot of these videos midway through and try finding something more entertaining. It's crazy how video essays strive to be the definitive topic on a particular subject, meaning the length of the video needs to cover everything that person wants to talk about leading to these videos to be longer than your average movie just to get all the viewership focused on one video. It would rather get lost on youtube finding several more interesting channels than watching something that long.
By the way I haven't even started this video yet, so maybe I do have a short attention span. At least I'm addicted to UA-cam instead of TikTok as if that makes anything better. I probably need help.
Damn.
As a counterpoint, what about indie animation like the Amazing Digital Circus? That exploded on UA-cam and was just a team of people creating something not based on an existing IP. Or Hazbin Hotel started out as a pilot on UA-cam and ended up becoming a hit on a streaming service. These are pretty recent examples of creative works succeeding, even if they are very rare.
This isn't a counterpoint, like you said, it is rare... They are talking about the majority of content creation, there will always be exceptions but on a whole UA-cam doesn't reward creativity, you succeed by falling in line with trends.
That line about not wanting to be alone with our thoughts cut deep
Marble Hornets really did feel like “a guy making a video” and not “a content creator creating content” and I miss that so much. I’m coincidentally watching through the director’s commentary for the first time as this came out and they even confess they had to make shit up for so many scenes. It’s hard to explain to my roommates and friends why it was important and enjoyable when they can’t help calling it cringe and all I can say is “I mean.. you’re right but so what lmfaoo”
Someone correct me if I’m wrong but the main message of this video is : “ it’s far easier to pick something apart and point out other’ s failures than creating something new ourselves “
A video essayist leaving a comment on a video essay from a video essayist.
about video essayist
@@bandi642video essaying
Idk is 10 minutes a video “essay”
(Idk genuinely don’t know what defines a video essay)
@@krallakrulla971 My current video I am working on is about 7 pages long. Yes, I would say 7 pages/15 minute video is an essay. Video essays don't have to be these 5 hour videos.
@@krallakrulla971 Video essays don't have to be an hour + long. My recent video was about 7 pages long. Yes, it is an essay.
I think I must be hanging out in different parts of UA-cam than Fudj (or perhaps just the "average" user of UA-cam). I feel like this video essay criticizing video essays (heh) has many valid points, but if you don't like what you're being fed on YT, then seek out better things, and don't worry about the "average" userbase. I know that's easy for me to say, as someone whose career does not depend on views. But I don't really get any crap reaction channels or low-effort video essays recommended to me, and I really enjoy my little corner of UA-cam. I guess I feel like I'm being scolded for something I don't actually promote, or I'm listening to someone complain about a problem that I'm not contributing to. The repeated use of "we" throughout the video, as if we all know we're guilty, might be my issue. There's also just a hint of entitlement coming through, though I'm sure it must be frustrating knowing your job rewards lowest common denominator garbage, if you have loftier goals. I dunno, I'm just trying to get out my thoughts while generating a bit of engagement for a channel I enjoy.
I think I know what you mean, this video is strange to me too. On one hand a condemnation of the cultural 'we' as you say, as if there is a universal 'we' in any culture or space. On the other hand an acknowledgement that maybe everyone needs an escape right now and video essays provide a convenient, comfortable one. I also felt almost shamed by the tone of the video, as if I should feel bad for occupying a space on youtube that I'm not currently occupying. I don't dislike the video or the creator but this specific video felt kinda off to me.
everyone needs to watch this video. This happens way too much where the click bait is just complaining but never offering advice to the work itself in a respectable way. key word "respectable".
Gosh this was such an eye opener. I shall watch the video a thousand times more and keep my eyes open for any UA-camr who posts a video delving deeper into this topic.
Great video. I appreciate your work and pointing these kinds of things out to people. Honestly, I'm not sure how much validity there is to the "shrinking average attention spans" concept because I'm not even sure how you would properly measure that, especially over a large period of time. But anyway, I can't say I like living in a world where creatives and smart people are punished for making thoughtful pieces or works of depth
the thing about the environment of the internet is that people are actively shamed for choosing to just enjoy themselves and create instead of becoming a media critic. what i mean by this is essentially just... cringe culture.
similarly to the cuphead inspired game you mentioned, so many fans of things are picked apart and criticized for doing what they like; hell, if you ask anyone who calls the undertale fandom 'toxic' what the problem with it is, chances are they'll mention shippers. those are just people making derivative content based on what they like because they find it fun, but for some reason this isn't okay because it... doesn't happen in the actual story?
this happens with everything in every fanbase, but i mentioned the undertale community and shipping specifically as an example since a good portion of the people saying these things are younger teenagers and children who are growing up surrounded by judgmental people. but even adults will treat people like they're subhuman for portraying their own unique interpretation of a character-- yes, i've spent all this time talking about derivative creations, but this is still creativity! everything out there is derivative in some way, just some people are more attached to the original than others (which can mean anything from a movie subconsciously inspired by shakespeare's works to someone doodling their favorite obscure character everyday).
and on the flipside... everyone is expected to "critically consume media" in recent years. there are plenty of people who enjoy this, and i think they should keep doing what they do, but there is an alarming imbalance between the number of people who talk about the quality of creations and people who put their own spin on said creation (i'm pretty much reiterating the video here but oh well). you can only play zippo's fun world after you acknowledge how bad and awful it is and make sure all your friends know too. and if it's your favorite thing in the world? well that's just embarrassing, even though i know nothing about your history and why you like that thing.
i don't think everyone should be obligated to be a critic, just like how not everyone is an artist or a composer. i think we all need to take a break and just enjoy things in a positive way, whether that means creating, consuming, or studying something to find things you like about it. life's too short to drown yourself in all this negativity :)
[this has been a 5k word comment essay from your local nerd]
This is one of the discourse moments of all time
Nice job Mr. Fudj. I just wanted to say that I do believe Marble Hornets could still succeed today, as analog horror is still going strong thanks to Marble Hornets itself lol. Sometimes projects like those are bolstered by “content reviewers” as well.
Really great vid. I can feel your points here. Humanizing what people make I feel like a see less and less I've always thought with some games It's a miracle these things get made let alone them being made by a small group of people. I feel like really deep diving into undies has really done that for me in particular. You saw a similar thing with Palworld to some degree no way they expected that to blow up as much as it did and the discourse was so obnoxious. I also feel a spark from this vid just hearing more from that voice I've felt it's really rare I actually criticize something like a game until I have played to the credits and maybe even looked up some of the development. Please keep making the content your making they are all gold and take care.
damn bro. I'm not video essayist so I can't word this eloquently but...this video is spot on
People should be allowed to share their opinions on media just as a general rule, but as an aspiring writer myself criticism and analysis can also be incredibly educational and helpful (both when it's directed at my own work, and in general)
I see no value in shaming people doing media analysis and sharing their thoughts in this way, in fact I think it'd be pretty culturally harmful and a big loss if media criticism stopped being a thing
Nobody cries if someone does an analysis on why they love something, but if they mention issues with it points like a lot of the ones in this video come up and it feels like a toxic positivity echo chamber in a lot of subreddits and comments sections sometimes
I don't think Fudj would disagree here. The Enchanted Portals example applies perfectly. When people made videos criticizing the game, it's pretty clear they weren't coming from a place of good faith. These videos weren't meant to offer constructive feedback or a new way of thinking, they were there to point and laugh at such an obvious failure. And these UA-camrs likely didn't do it for malicious reasons perse, but because that's simply what is rewarded on the platform. The net effect of this kind of behavior though is that people are less encouraged to take creative risks in the future, because any mistake could become some random UA-camrs next 100K view target. And so new ideas aren't tested, and we end up in a creative rut, an ouroboros of recycled content.
I don't think the idea here is that we shouldn't criticize media we dislike, it's to do it more thoughtfully and constructively.
@@AurumAlex64The UA-cam content mill and low effort content has always been a thing
Essays aren't easy, but bad ones are, just have to find good creators
@@AurumAlex64The irony is that Enchanted Portals _wasn’t_ a creative risk (per se). It was copying something that was already successful, and I don’t think it really offered anything new (from a cursory glance). Though I don’t think the unintended dogpile was warranted. “If 1 person copies something it’s a ‘rip-off’, if a 100 people do it, it’s a ‘trend’ and all that jazz. That, and it’s not really a style that’s been done before in games, and worth propagating. It’s not like an existing genre/style getting new life, it never really existed (in games) in the first place. That, and who knows if they had the idea prior to seeing Cuphead and jus didn’t get the chance to make it until the time they did.
@@mrshmuga9 Yeah, that's all very true
To me, a criticism or analysis video should be treated honestly. What overall feeling do you have about the media in question? How do you frame that opinion from your personal likes and the more objective principles. Nothing more or less. No long winded speech about how your childhood was molded by something or drawn out rant about how much you hate something. You spell it out like a well formed opinion with enough explanation to maybe convince someone to attempt to see where you're coming from.
The overglorifying or clearly negative bait takes are what makes up most of the big critic channels. People who seem to forget that no piece of media is a holy grail that changes your life or the literal worst thing ever. I know those are click bait titles, but they make up the main point of whatever the subject is.
Both those attitudes conflate into a flood of people just looking to find a hundred new pretentious ways to say "thing good" or "thing bad."
Really makes you think this one
that is so true
Not every single subject deserve a 2 hour video on it
If you watch a video essay on someone's work, do you do it out of curiosity, to affirm that something is worth looking into, or to know just enough about to participate in discussions?
For the longest time I have wanted to make videos about my opinions on different video games, there just happens to be a big roadblock in my ability to write essays or anything in that matter so I've felt that Im not able to present anything valuable to the table which is already quite full.
great video as usual! but I think it should've been called something like What CREATORS get WRONG about VIDEO ESSAYS (gone wrong) (not clickbait)
UA-cam incentivizing quantity over quality? Surely you jest.
Not to mention so many essays are just a dude trying to make a pretentious birtish accent to sound "smart" when all they're really doing is regurgitating the same take that everyone already shared about the latest tv show and why it's "garbage" or a "masterpiece" while adding nothing new to the conversation.
I let UA-camrs dictate my opinions on media for way too long, so this year I'm trying things I had a low opinion of in the past. Turns out Kung Fu Panda 3 is a decent movie after all!
There are several things in this video that contradict each other, such as you saying that people use essays as a means to quickly experience new things, later saying that people use them to indulge in things they're already familiar with. While both of those things can be true, there isn't a clear point being made if they are. It makes sense that the video only took 3 hours to make, ironically playing into what you discussed, although I think this was the intention. It ironically took me longer to watch the video than it did for you to write it because I was pausing it so I could focus on it and think about it.
You know, watching this video as someone who does want to do something creative has lead me to the conclusion that your product and what you give back to people should be your primary focus. Games, movies, comics, etx excel in quality when there is something they want to say or provide to make it meaningful. The same should apply to video essays.
So, I am not sure I am just a bit of an outliar here, but as far as I am aware, that is generally not how I _consume_ (I hate that this word is now commonly used for this) my media. There are two ways this usually goes for me:
Either:
I watch a video about a game I have not played before, however make note of it if I am interested in it while I go. If it's not my cup of tea I will probably stop watchin alltogether, it's not interesting to me. If I do like it however, I will make a mental note about it. I will not play it immedeately, but when the time comes that I need it, I will remember it and then play it. If I am highly sold on what I am seeing and hearing, I will also stop watchin immedeatly and eather buy it right away, or also wait for the right time. There are so, soooo many games that I would have never played, never even heard of, would it not be for a let's player or essayist, talking about it passionately and broadening my own horizon.
Or:
I am already enjoying a game. But I want more, to dive into it's world as long as I can, even if I am not playing it. So, I look for, once again, essays, let's plays, podcasts, whatever I can find. Only as far as I have gotten of course, I don't want to spoil the experience of discovery and the story for me.
Of cource I also enjoy watching something familiar from time to time. I am sure I am also guilty of the things you said. And I did feel a bit offended while watching, so I am probably a bit biased. But I also think that we are a social species and like to talk about the thing we enjoy as well as dislike. Maybe I am projecting to much of me into this, but I wonder if the true issue is us being more and more isolated in _reality_, missing interaction with other people, that we just try to find this somewhere else. I know that is part of why I do it. Because I don't want to be alone. And as long as the video doesn't stop, I don't feel alone, or at least don't think about it.
This got a bit rambly in the end, sorry for that, I wrote it as I went along. And no, my life is not as depressing as it might sound there in the end. ^^
i agree with this somewhat! let's plays and video essays do a lot to boost the popularity of things people may otherwise not know about. it think more of the problem is the need for every other channel to produce a documentary about every thing New Thing (and sometimes Old Thing That Has Been Ripped Apart for the Past Two Decades) did "wrong" the second it comes out.
You make my autism happy.
I'd like to say that I've been thinking about this for a while, but I have not been. I'm working on developing my 3rd... 4th? game, which I intend to be the first one I release publicly. And I am worried that some design decision or story beat will lead to a video essayist making the game seem awful, or bring on some sort of hate mob. Something like that happened with The Citadel, the game that most inspired me to make an FPS, where an off-the-cuff comment made by a video essayist lead to a bunch of people harassing the game's creator in a way that was eerily similar to the moral panic around the early first person shooters that inspired it.
Anyway, my hope is to make the next The Citadel, a game that will provide me enough money to make another one, while also being mechanically interesting with a distinct art style.
I would encourage you not to worry about that at all. You'll receive constructive criticism which is a good thing that will help you improve as a developer, but of course you'll also receive some baseless complaints and insults from people who either want something that your game isn't, or who don't understand what your game is going for. It's easier said than done, but if you can learn to absorb the constructive comments and ignore the baseless hate, you'll have an almost unending supply of encouragement.
"Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed" - Antoine de Lavoisier
I once made a game, it was a very simple game with quite a few flaws. Someone joined my discord and posted a 20 paragraph 'review' that absolutely took longer to write than my game did showcasing every little possible flaw with the game and I just deleted the comment, banned them, then quit game development. If I ever start it up again i'm making an exploitive mobile game because my respect for the average gamer currently resides deep in The Nether.
I kinda want to play it, now.
@@treysandbothe3748 It's deleted now.
@@omegahaxors9-11
Oh, boo.
I'm so sorry this happened. It's a natural consequence of being brave enough to create and put it out there. I hope you come back to it one day, and this experience doesn't taint your creative process when you do.
Deleting the comment and banning them is based, but you really quit game dev because of that lol? If your respect for them is low then you shouldn't let their opinion kill your interests.
11:25 I beg too differ. I've seen many, many animators arise over the past couple years. It's different to how it was back then though.
It kinda irks me when it gets pointed out that most people just stay with what's familiar to them.
I know for a fact that the only reason I'm a part of this crowd is because money. I fear buying anything I can't be 100% sure is worth my time cause if I mess up my financials I'm ultra screwed.
If I had money I'd have so much variety I'm just poor and scared.
Video Essayist using a mic on the shot (a big one or even worse the tiniest on the market) just to look more "professional". OMG give me a break
Imo its complete nonsense to watch a video essay on a work you haven't actually absorbed yourself. I never watch a video essay on something I haven't played/watched/listened to. You can't properly engage with the content and the opinions of the video creator if you have no personal reference base. My goal in consuming media is in part to be able to communicate with others, I don't think that's uncommon.
You seem to somewhat acknowledge this mindset part way through the video, saying that people want to engage with what they're familiar with. So why throughout do you imply the people watching these essays are doing so in place of interacting with newly created media? That doesn't make any sense. Unless the implication is that most video essays are on older content? Its not incorrect to say there is a lot of content like that, but its also true that managing to do an in-depth essay on newer content is twice as optimized, especially for the audience your implying has yet to experience the media itself. Which becomes an ouroboros of an argument. It feels to me like your argument is "people want to engage with content and formats they're familiar with so they don't have to think and don't have to engage with content."
What's more, when one of your arguments is "video essayist aren't creative and couldn't make better content then what they're criticizing" you are very literally just falling into a textbook ad hominem fallacy. You're debating against essayists, and not their essays. I find such tactics disrespectful to the idea of having an actual conversation. The idea that the only people who should criticize art are those who could do something better is an age old argument that has always been flawed, its been argued against countless times, and I would expect you to be familiar with that if you've put as much research into this video essay as you say that other's should into theirs.
People definitely watch video essays on things they've never seen. It's actually pretty common sadly. A lot of people turn to essays/reviews/reactions instead of actually consuming things themselves. It's even worse when people take a particular show's aesthetic as their own online aesthetic without even knowing anything about the original work.
Incredible video and something ive been thinking about for a long time
Literally every video essay related to a nintendo game starts with the entire fucking history of the company, its asinine
Very insightful video, good stuff
I'd probably compare dedicated youtube critics similar to restaurant critics, easy to eat and be opinionated and make money off of it than to actually break your ass to make an amazing dish with the effort put into it
also what are you talking about there are scores of animators still on youtube? like literally my feed is full of them? deeply confusing point.
I have skipped Tiktok almost completely because I know it would be a disaster for my ADHD riddled attention span.
I swear, everytime there's someone talking about opinions like this, my mind always goes to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It's a game people like to dogpile on, make it a big thing to hate - make it feel like Gamefreak made a moral crime releasing a video game. Kinda like that Enchanted Portals, but worse because biggest media franchise in the world.
I don't mean to rant about S/V, but I think there's something to think about in there?
The thing about the merch topic… its the thing that makes me feel gross about iron pineapple and vaati vidya merch, because literally all their work is derivative, and I think they get permission from the creators and it is unique art… but its just vaati from Zelda and solaire from dark souls… or oscar but either way idk its weird. Even me I’ve got a damn zinogre avatar if I ever became a creator I would make it more personal but it would just be a zinogre that wears the caravaneer outfit from monster hunter, and I’d probably do fucking video essays and lets plays. Basically I’m trying to say I get why things are so derivative, it’s hard to actually be creative.
I found this to be incredibly insightful
VgDunkey when he makes a video shitting on a game and gets turned into a UA-cam legend (meanwhile the game's reputation gets dragged through the mud just because a single popular meme UA-camr didn't like said game)
Aren't essays supposed to be comprehensive yet succinct? Why tf is everything 4+ hours now?? 😭😭
iNabber is the biggest perpetrator of this
ladies and gentlemen, the most underrated modern youtube video
10:57
“Remember when animators used to animate?”
*shows oney, who just finished work on the second season of his own animated tv show
And as for the overall point, I find that similarly off mark. Yeah things are bad and slop is king. But talented creative works still have their place and audience. I know you threw bones to people you did like, but the sentiment I got was that you felt they were much rarer than they are.
he's not a smiling friends creator, thats zach (psychicpebbles) and michael cusack. he's a friend of theirs and has helped with the show, he even still works on creative projects, but a majority of his online presence is on his gaming channel now. being a creative definitely has its place but we're in an era where its so much easier and profitable to just, record yourself talking. most animators i see here rely on Shorts for the tiktok audience now, which im at least glad makes it easier for them to get attention
@@aboxyguy ah, thank you for the correction
for fuck's sake Fudj, I LOVE you and your videos but PLEASE do at the very least some minimal research on the "attention span" misinformation - it's literally based on nothing from a Microsoft marketing slide and yet people parrot it as if it's true
i also feel like people are too doomer-y about this whole attention span thing in general. i think the world just needs more variety and originality so things actually feel worth paying attention to. it might just be me but i feel like the internet (along with everything else) is getting _really_ boring. this level of saturation and easy access really amplifies the lack of variety.
"You can click off now" OK, I will thanks.
this is also a video essay!
Thank you for making this video. I’ve held this view for a few years. It makes me shake my head to hear content creators describing themselves as creatives. They have no idea how difficult it is to create something. Yes, talking about the work of others is easy. I love video essays as much as the next guy, but video essayists and the people who watch them often get arrogant and dismissive of the true creatives.
There's a video with nearly 2 million views called "Was Chrono Trigger Good?" and it's two hours of some dipshit reading the wikipedia plot synopsis of the storyline and at the end he says "yes it good". Video essayist.
I dare you to watch my long boy and tell me I spent no time on it. Go on.
Maybe I've just gotten better stuff recommended to me, or I just get bored whenever something is just linearly describing another piece of media but, like, do people actually go and watch video essays recounting what happens in a game instead of playing it so they can talk about it?
Remember when we used to make silly faces in the camera or fall down the stairs or show a panda sneezing? Can we go back to those days?
An essay is "just an opinion?" Not quite. Long form content isn't automatically a "video essay." Reviews or react content aren't essays. Opinion pieces aren't essays. Essays are either meant to make an argument and convince someone of your idea, and they require research and a specific thesis/argument/conclusion formula, or they're meant to inform and educate on a topic, and both of these require research. A lot of the examples you give in this video aren't essays.
In fact, now that I'm at the end of your video and have warched the whole thing, this just seems like a mostly useless, salty, and cynical take the genre. You wrote a twenty minute rant in three hours and spliced mostly irrelevant game and movie footage over it. Yes, that's "easy" to do. It's also crap. You made a crap video and got me with a clickbait title, congratulations. The fact that it seems to be your best performing video in a while is rather ironically poetic.
Maybe you have better videos than this on your channel but this is such a bad first impression I'm not going to bother finding out.