video essay
Filmed critical commentary
A video essay is an audiovisual work that explores a topic through a combination of narration, footage, and editing—the filmed equivalent of a written essay.
The format thrives on YouTube, where creators analyze films, video games, politics, or cultural phenomena: I watched a three-hour video essay about the decline of Nickelodeon.
Like written essays, video essays range from rigorous criticism to rambling opinion pieces.
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- commentaryExplanatory remarks on events
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- media literacySkill evaluating information sources
pop culture · YouTube · narration · footage · screen recording · editing · jump cuts · voiceover · montage · film · creator · thesis · script · research · deep dive · rabbit hole · breakdown · explainer
- documentariesdocumentary, documentary film, nature documentary, true crime docs, crime documentary
- Commentary Mediaop-ed, editorial, columnist, pundit, commentator
- productionsfilm, movie, show, TV show, series
- articlesarticle, magazine article, features, feature stories, columns
- DVD extrasspecial features, making-of, behind-the-scenes, director commentary, outtakes
- online publicationse-zine, ezine, e-magazine, webzine, online magazine
video essayblog post
Online published writing
newspaper column · written review · book chapter · magazine article · journal article
video essayraw footage
Unprocessed recorded material
livestream · reaction video · home video · surveillance footage · viral clip
video essayTikTok
Short-form video service
Vine · highlight reel · meme video · GIF · soundbite
video, essay, videos, videotape, videographer, videography, essays, essayist, vision