2. Things You Might Not Know/ Amazing Places.
(Tom Scott)
• Context:
• Tom Scott has worked as a freelance “entertainer” for around 20 years. His career
spans: student radio shows, tv programs, web-toys and a much more, each with wildly
different tones and goals. This independent, “make what I want, when I want” spirit that
permeates Tom’s career is reminiscent of the days of early web 2.0 which Tom admits he
was part of and is likely why his content is so wide spread in terms of topics. The only real
context than can be pulled from the series itself is the changing wants of an audience in
the information era, particularly in regards to educational content. People want a well
told story to hold their attention and a personality to follow along with.
3. Things You Might Not Know/ Amazing Places.
(Tom Scott)
• Style:
• The series seem to be a crossroad between a traditional news segment or
documentary and a vlog. The syntax of the former comes in the structure:
interviews, citations and relevant b-roll all give a concise overview of the topic at
hand. The vlog aspect is expressed through the driving force behind the series:
Tom’s personality, opinions and commentary. Every topic is refracted through
Tom. These two styles meld well to make for an both an entertaining and
informative watching experience.
4. Things You Might Not Know/ Amazing Places.
(Tom Scott)
• Techniques:
• Tom’s videos will usually have a few “master shots” that the video is built around, these often take the
form of Tom’s speech delivered to camera in a medium shot and any interviews that have relevance to the
story being told. The other shots are either b-roll with a connection to the subject or pictures edited in
later. The general style is that of an extremely polished vlog: Shots are well framed, audio is clean and
consistent, J-cuts and L-cuts keep gives consistency between shots and camera movements are done with
intent keep the audience involved. Post production and editing are similarly minimal and yet effective.
Videos aren’t massively over-saturated or heavily contrasted like others in its genre but are tastefully
touched up when appropriate to preserve the documentary esque style that the series achieves. When
titles, citations, captions or other elements added in editing are used they follow a constant colour theme
of matt reds, whites and greys. While not flashy the theme again correlates very well with the
aforementioned minimalist trappings of the series.
5. Things You Might Not Know/ Amazing Places.
(Tom Scott)
• Content:
• The main meat of the video is Tom’s monolog to camera (typically
performed in one take.) Other shots can include: interviews, establishing
shots, b-roll and graphics displaying stats or refence images. The little text
that’s in the series is purely practical: citations and captions.
6. Rare Earth (Evan Hadfield)
• Context:
• Evan Hadfield is the son of Canadian astronaut: Chris Hadfield. The pair is know for
using their fame for education and charity. Rare Earth was created in 2017 and took
advance of the platform afforded to the two of them by telling the stories of a place and
its people. Because the series is mostly indented for those who aren’t familiar with the
stories or cultures that make up most of their videos, they will typically frame the story
with philosophy or a pollical statement: an example is the video “The Muslim Drink”
which tells the story of coffee’s rise to power as a drink. The video is framed as an
exploration of the importance of global trade and commination.
7. Rare Earth (Evan Hadfield)
• Style:
• Episodes of Rare Earth read visually as a travel vlog with glory shots of stunning
environments and detailed close-ups of objects and people that add context and a
personal connection to the story being told. The other major visual element is
Evans speech about the story at hand, typically this is done in one take wither
static or a moving shot. Evan’s tone of voice is that of somebody making a point,
be it sombre or energized. The script is usually more poetic and emotional than it
is clinical or analytical, which helps extract humanity from stories that we would
overwise skim through articles about.
8. Rare Earth (Evan Hadfield)
• Techniques:
• As far as I can tell the only equipment that the Rare Earth crew use are: lav mics, a DSLR
camera, a drone, a few lenses and a couple stands. Naturally this limited equipment will
lend itself to a naturalistic shooting approach that shows off the locations featured
throughout the series.
• Content:
• Rare Earth is focused primarily on Evan’s monologue with lots of relevant footage and
very rarely interviews are involved.
9. The Needle Drop (Anthony Fantano)
• Context:
• Anthony Fantano has worked in student radio and music journalism in the past but what is
arguably more important for his career is his long standing history and experience with music
culture online and on the ground. The Needle Drop essentially became a success because it
was some of the first music journalism to be done independently from traditional publications
that have expectations of what music can be discussed and reviewed and how it should be
done. The result of this creative freedom is that the weirdest of the weird can be talked about
freely without having to rely on repeatable sales of magazines or constant, mainstream viewer
ship required to keep a tv station running. The other major tool that The Needle Drop has is
the freedom to really display the personality and tastes of its host, people come to Anthony’s
videos not just for reviews but Anthony himself.
10. The Needle Drop (Anthony Fantano)
• Style:
• Anthony’s review are typically written in a informal way as if it were more of a
conversation that an analysis this is not to suggest that the reviews are shallow or
uninformative. Reviews cover the context of an artist, give a critical analysis of the album
and give a score in a way that doesn’t bore an audience or demand that an audience be
aware of basically any musical terms in order to follow along, be informed or entertained
by the review. Anthony often calls on syntax of internet culture, like Cal Chuchesta:
Anthony’s alter ego that will interrupt reviews to insert his options on music or the
bastardisations of Anthony’s name that starts every review.
11. The Needle Drop (Anthony Fantano)
• Techniques:
• Anthony’s set-up is about as rudimentary as it gets: a camera, a tripod and a small square of green screen mounted
on the wall that’s used to display alum art. These elements give reviews a casual, homemade style that permeates
through to one of Anthony’s most unique visual element: his shirt often indicates what Anthony thinks of a given album,
this gives frequent viewers an idea of what kind of review they should expect just from the thumbnail. Anthony’s
reviews have a strict structure: introduction, artist context and commentary, album analysis and a final score out of 10.
This structure feels comforting in its predictability and makes deviations more interesting just by being different.
• Content:
• A Typical Needle Drop review will consist of: a concise review delivered in a close up by Anthony, handwritten text for
titles and scores.
12. Folding Ideas (Dan Olson)
• Context:
• Dan Olson is a filmmaker and writer from Canada.
• Folding Ideas has been produced since 2011 and has been constantly built not only around analysis but
social and political commentary.
• Style:
• Dan’s style is a minimal one: a medium shot of Dan and a white background, the only times this is
interrupted being edited in footage or images that help to reinforce the points that dan makes. The
writing style is almost self explanatory, given the title of the show; videos will begin as a exploration of a
small aspect of a topic or media piece that will eventually unfold into a full on analysis.
13. Folding Ideas (Dan Olson)
• Techniques:
• A static, well lit shot of a person in front of a matt background is used to ground an audience
through, what is often long stretches of uninterrupted critique. Edits aren’t particularly stylish
but are instead practical and informative so its easy to assume that the times spent on them is
focused less on looks and more on the content of the edits themselves.
• Content:
• A typical episode of Folding Ideas will contain: a long winding analysis of a topic or media
piece, through a shot of dan delivering a series of critiques accompanied by images, text, audio
or footage that help in making dans point.
14. • Research summary:
• I chose to research series that are closest to what I’ll be able to make given
the resources that I have access to. All are (mostly) made with one camera,
one person in shot and a focus on written scripts. Through this research I’ve
learnt that in most scenarios, the best products are made with limitations in
mind; if any of the creators I researched had tried to mimic a multi-camera tv
show with their equipment the result would look like an cheap knock-off. By
working with what they have these creators manged to make formats that can
be seen as armature (e.g. vlogs) and making them look polished. I also feel
that by looking into these creators in particular, I feel that I could ether make a
compelling review or documentary-equse video, both of which I have ideas
for.
15. Bibliography:
https://www.youtube.com/user/enyay (Tom Scott) (2020) The World's First Internet Bench.
https://youtu.be/nLCAvIr9rWo (accessed 16/09/20)
https://www.youtube.com/user/ColChrisHadfield (Evan Hadfield) (2019) The Muslim Drink.
https://youtu.be/U1Uj6RPbUXQ (accessed 18/09/20)
https://www.youtube.com/user/theneedledrop (Anthony Fantano) (2020) The Flaming Lips - American Head
ALBUM REVIEW. https://youtu.be/pDfAUTPkgWo (accessed 18/09/20)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNtlmLB73-7gtlBz00XOQQ (Dan Olson) (2020) The Art of Editing and The
Snowman | Folding Ideas. https://youtu.be/buYxGFWCWNg (accessed 20/09/20)
Editor's Notes
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Write down a summary of the key things you have learned in this research, that will help you with your project. Short sentences and bullet points are acceptable.
