Thanks for your patience during our recent outage at scalar.usc.edu. While Scalar content is loading normally now, saving is still slow, and Scalar's 'additional metadata' features have been disabled, which may interfere with features like timelines and maps that depend on metadata. This also means that saving a page or media item will remove its additional metadata. If this occurs, you can use the 'All versions' link at the bottom of the page to restore the earlier version. We are continuing to troubleshoot, and will provide further updates as needed. Note that this only affects Scalar projects at scalar.usc.edu, and not those hosted elsewhere.
The Videographic Essay: Practice and PedagogyMain MenuThe Videographic EssayTable of ContentsIntroduction, Acknowledgements, and Further ReadingScholarship in Sound & Image: A Pedagogical EssayPedagogical essay authored by Christian Keathley and Jason MittellDissolves of PassionIn Dialogue: Eric Faden and Kevin B. LeeBecoming Videographic Critics: A Roundtable ConversationA conversation among practitioners curated by Jason MittellBut Is Any Of This Legal?Videographic ExercisesGallery of All ExercisesCreditsChristian Keathley0199b522721abf067a743773a226b6064fe22f8cJason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deCatherine Grantc9eab209ad26b2e418453515f6418aa2cbe20309
Videographic Trailers
1media/KA_09_ISBN9781927852040_Bookmobile_Cover.jpg2016-04-30T11:56:40-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de75436structured_gallery2019-06-11T21:18:53-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deThis assignment transformed the most over the multiple workshops. For the first year, we asked the participants to produce a sixty- to ninety-second ‘alternative’ trailer with the following constraints: the videos should use precisely three on-screen titles consisting of no more than five words each; and the videos should include at least three different transitions in addition to straight cuts. Further, each participant received one additional parameter from among these: all images must be of characters in motion; no close-ups of people, only objects; no shots using camera movement; shots can include no more than one person. The goal was to encourage the production of trailers which did not focus on story—which were not a narrative ‘preview’ of the film in question—but rather which highlighted other aspects of the film, such as its visual and aural patterns or its tone. The results were decidedly mixed, with some of the best trailers included below.
For future workshops, we revised the assignment to create videographic Abstract Trailers. This form asked participants to consider features of both the scholarly abstract (subject and critical approach) and the motion picture trailer (style and tone). One key goal of this video, as with a movie preview, was to make others want to see your final project. We asked participants to spend the weekend producing an abstract trailer, lasting no more than two minutes, of their final videographic project. These videos proved to be more successful and helped set participants up to succeed on their final video essays.
12016-04-30T11:36:46-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deBelle de Jour Alternative Trailer1An exercise by Tracy Cox-Stantonplain2016-04-30T11:36:46-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:39:29-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deSuspiria Alternative Trailer1An exercise by Adam Hartplain2016-04-30T11:39:29-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:44:11-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deLa Ciénaga Alternative Trailer1An exercise by Michael Talbottplain2016-04-30T11:44:11-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:52:34-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deJauja Alternative Trailer1An exercise by Nic Poppeplain2016-04-30T11:52:34-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:53:45-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deNotorious Alternative Trailer2An exercise by John Gibbsplain2016-05-06T11:31:24-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:32:19-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Steadicam technology1An abstract trailer by Katie Birdplain2019-06-11T19:32:19-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:36:57-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer on Transparent1An abstract trailer by Nicole Morseplain2019-06-11T19:36:57-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:40:59-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer on Twin Peaks: The Return2An abstract trailer by Elizabeth Alsopplain2021-04-08T06:40:14-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:42:24-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Brothers2An abstract trailer by Nguyen Tan Hoangplain2019-06-12T01:12:51-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:48:19-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Deadwood1An abstract trailer by Sean O'Sullivanplain2019-06-11T19:48:19-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
Contents of this tag:
12019-06-11T19:31:43-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Transparent2Nicole Morse's abstract trailer for Transparentplain2019-11-04T08:06:40-08:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:41:12-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Brothers2A videographic trailer for Brothersplain2019-06-12T01:13:56-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:34:15-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deJauja Alternative Trailer1A Videographic Alternative Trailer for Jaujaplain2016-04-30T11:34:15-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-05-06T11:28:40-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deNotorious alternative trailer1An alternative trailer for Notorious, made as part of the NEH funded workshop 'Scholarship in Sound & Image' at Middlebury College, June 2015. Inspired by a particular shot which hints at a dimension of the film which could be elaborated if the narrative were oriented slightly differently, this essay seeks to amplify the idea that the spy story of Notorious is a means to articulate ideas around gender, jealousy and sexual insecurity.plain2016-05-06T11:28:40-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:31:42-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Steadicam videographic essay1An abstract trailer for Katie Bird's videographic essay on the Steadicamplain2019-06-11T19:31:42-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:37:53-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Twin Peaks: The Return1An abstract trailer for Twin Peaks: The Returnplain2019-06-11T19:37:53-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:34:13-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deBelle de Jour Alternative Trailer1A Videographic Alternative Trailer for Belle de Jourplain2016-04-30T11:34:13-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:34:14-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deLa Ciénaga Alternative Trailer1A Videographic Alternative Trailer for La Ciénagaplain2016-04-30T11:34:14-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12019-06-11T19:47:34-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deAbstract Trailer for Deadwood1An abstract trailer for Deadwoodplain2019-06-11T19:47:34-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de
12016-04-30T11:34:14-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945deSuspiria Alternative Trailer1A Videographic Alternative Trailer for Suspiriaplain2016-04-30T11:34:14-07:00Jason Mittell06e96b1b57c0e09d70492af49d984ee2f68945de