In week 3 we received the outline for our second project brief which is to create a video essay based around the idea we’ve chosen. I really didn’t understand what a video essay was at first but once I’d done the readings and watched the film Kim showed us in class it became clearer. A video essay is basically a collection of images, footage, text, music and even narration all put together to convey an idea or opinion.

In one of the readings, Lopate describes what constitutes an essay film in a clear and coherent manner. Lopate breaks down the essay film into 5 main points; these being 1) An essay film must incorporate words or text, 2) The text must be the voice of a singular person or represent one opinion, 3) The essay must portray the speaker’s want to resolve an issue or uncover and decode this issue, 4) The essay must deliver a strong point of view and 5) The format and text of the essay should be eloquent, coherent and sophisticated.

It can also be considered as a sort of trailer for your final piece of work. For my video essay I plan to compile a bunch of stock footage and images of the people I have lined up to interview and do a voice over as the film runs outlining my concept and the aim of the final product. I’ll also incorporate music which I will either make myself or source from one of my interviewees. Im treating my video essay as a sort of collage of all my ideas, so it will be slightly hectic in places but still coherent.