Q) What purpose(s) does this genre usually serve?
A) The purpose of a video essay is to attempt to persuade the viewer using an easy to digest video format. Video essays often provide a broad overview of the situation at hand and then delve into the points the author is trying to make, grabbing the viewer's attention with interesting visuals and
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| Korosl, Rego "YouTube logo" 4/1/10 via flickr. ShareAlike 2.0 License |
A) Viewers will often find this genre on a number of video sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook. By searching for a topic that interests them, they can often find many videos that help them see many different perspectives and ways of presenting the topic they're looking for. Often, viewers will also find video essays being shared on other forms of social media such as Twitter where users hope to share their findings with others.
Q) Who is the typical audience for this genre?
A) Based on the video essay's prevalence on social media, the typical audience ends up being those of a younger generation, who are more likely to use technology. However, any person that is interested in the topic being discussed can watch a video essay due to their ability to be shared easily and the often simplified nature of their contents.
Q) What are some of the key features or characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?
A) The main difference found in video essays is their broad use of visuals as their information is presented, as creating useful infographics and pictures can drastically improve the viewer's understanding of the topic being discussed.
Q) Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.
A) Video Essay - An argument presented in video form, using both visuals and audio to persuade the viewer.
Reflections
After reading Shauna's post about podcasts, I found that podcasts can be used for many different types of information including news while still allowing the listener to draw their own conclusions. Since these are different from the types of podcasts I usually listen to, I found it very interesting the way she portrays podcasts as a source of learning. Also, by reading Erica's post about quick reference guides, I was able to gain a basic understanding of the uses and formatting behind the genre. It was a very helpful post since I know that it is a genre in which we'll be working in the future in this class, and it is one that I'll come across fairly often.
I like how you included the examples of where to find the different types of video essays. The definition you assigned to the video essay is very succinct and to the point with adequate information. All of your responses are easy to follow and short enough to where I was not getting bored with them. Also the delivery of your responses with numbered points and including the question was a very good execution to maintain the readers focus. I do think you would have benefited from elaborating a little more on your distinguishing factors. I also think your first question was cut off a little and your answer was not fully developed.
ReplyDeleteI like your insight on the audience of this genre! I never considered that access to a Video Essay could be limited if a person didn't know how to use technology (because it's such a basic concept for people like me). Your answers are extremely intelligent but also informative, ie you sound smart without sounding condescending. I like how you formatted your main body as a Q&A, but you forgot to bold your second-to-last A). The only criticism I have to give is that there is at least one spelling error in your post (easy-to-digest should be one word) and your first answer does not seem complete. But overall, it was an enjoyable read!
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