this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2023
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VideoEssays

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About

Videos that give you a new perspective. Here you'll find videos that range all the way from bite-sized snacks to a multi-hour deep dives into the strangest rabbit holes you never even knew you cared about.

Rules

1. Content of posts

All top-level posts should be a link to a video essay that isn't hosted behind a paywall. Any topic is welcome, provided it doesn't break one of the other rules. What's a video essay? See below.

2. Title format

Each post title should include the title of the video, its creator, and its duration in the format [MM:SS] or [HH:MM:SS].

3. Be nice

Be respectful and constructive. No harassment. No grossly offensive images. No hate including expressions of racism, misogyny, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. (although videos where these topics are merely being analyzed are okay).

4. No shitposts

Noticeably low-quality content and videos that stretch any reasonable definition of "video essay" will be removed. If you're not trying to break this rule, you probably aren't.

5. No spam

Don't post the same video multiple times in a short time frame. Don't flood the community with many videos from a single creator at once.

"Video essay"?

"Video essay" is loose genre classification for a type of video that makes an argument or critique, or explains a point of view, usually from a single creator's perspective. They can be short or long, casual or formal, modest or theatrical, and cover any topic.

Video essays are slightly different from documentaries, media reviews, and video journalism, but the lines are blurry, and videos that aren't neatly classifiable are still welcome.

Related Communities

Let me know about any other communities that might fit in this list!

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Not a traditional reaction vid, this is actually a longform interview with a US veteran from the war in Afghanistan, about his experiences returning to civilian life. I believe it qualifies as a video essay as it tries to put forward a cohesive picture, and even a subtle argument--for understanding of veterans' experiences when they try to come home from war.

The anime and its representations of the challenges faced by ex-soldiers, being the central focus of the interview, allows it to serve as a contextual bridge of sorts. This helps people who have seen the show try to understand these perspectives and experiences they hopefully will never need to truly know for themselves.

Content Warning: audio of an Incoming Alarm siren, audio of a rocket attack, discussion of military violence, discussion of suicide, others.

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