The video essay projects are another one of my favorite parts of ds106. While we do various analyses throughout the semester – story shapes, design blitz, etc. – people seem to put more into video. That’s probably because it’s a language we’re more familiar with. Most people say they’ve never looked at movies in that analytical sort of way. Many say it never occurred to them to try. But most people really take to the project and appear to get a lot out of it. They see things in new ways:
“I thought this was a cool exercise that helped me to see my favorite movie in a different light.“
“This scene meant way more than what I thought it meant when I initially watched it.“
“Once I started watching the assigned videos I soon figured out why I thought it was so unique.“
That’s just three, but there are many others expressing similar sentiments. It’s inspiring to me because it helps me see things in new ways too, as I get to learn from everybody’s insights.
A book I recommend to movie fans is Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies. Lumet had a long history of making many classic films, as well as many underappreciated ones. After I read his book the first time, I went to Netflix and the local library to watch all the films he talks about. Then I wanted to go back and immediately re-read the book to tie it all back together.
