10 Cool Directing Tricks In Evangelion

[@kidenigma1400]

I didn't take the scene with Kaoru in Unit 1's grasp as a budget limitation, I took it as Shinji deciding whether he should kill him or not

[@agg5324]

Facts

[@meenahh]

Well I mean if we were in a robot to kill one of our friends that we care about we would also spend a long amount of time to decide whether or not to kill them

[@AM-we1es]

I mean, giving a purpose to budget cuts is part of the skill

[@ДокторЯдо]

Did it have to last that long, though?

[@vintheguy]

They actually weren't done because of budgetary issues As you can just see from the animation the entire show had a big budget, they never had budget problems in the entire show, not even the last 2 episodes The reason its like this though is because the show needed to come out fast. For example if an episode is finished they needed to immediately move to the next one with no breathing room They also had an entire episode cut that was I think about 70% done because of outside issues which drastically derailed the rest of the show

[@musorenbu]

I'm writing down these techniques to better my animation skills.

[@jenjen8810]

Your not alone ;)

[@maxw6494]

+Mugen watch classic film.

[@NoelHighBird]

These are basic montaje ( or editing in english more commonly known ,wichever u prefer to call it) techniques, watch classic films & study montaje from russia/books.

[@LordArioh]

anime uses exactly the same techniques as cinematography, only limit is directors imagination.

[@nuggies48]

You're gay

[@xplosive59reviews66]

Another technique I love in Eva is when the camera shows you something horrific (eg when Shinjithe aftermath of Asuka's fight with the Mass Produced Eva's) and all the sound cuts. The silence adds so much weight, like a sensory overload.

[@paskky913]

I loved the still frames, they are something I had never seen before and they built up such fascinating tension in the show. They also made it seem more real, life is full of empty spaces.

[@kirtil5177]

yeah, static scenes sometimes feel like they are frozen and that nothing is going on, but something about the static scenes in eva make it feel like time is still going smoothly, its the characters that are still

[@lapelcelery42]

@@kirtil5177 In the lift scene they're still blinking, which totally sells the whole thing.

[@raandomplayer8589]

So is it full or empty?

[@zgSH4DOW]

I find Evangelion's editing really modern. I think of old media as being like a slideshow, but Evangelion is fully aware of the effect of each cut. It isn't afraid of cutting away mid-sentence or event, either for the comedic smash cut or as a dramatic device. This high cognizance of the timing of the cut is something I wouldn't expect of something from the 90s. Nowadays, the sudden cut or the awkwardly long pause is a common tool for even KZbinrs.

[@dakat5131]

What I suspect from more modern productions is attempts to emulate stuff like that. Maybe not derive from Evangelion specifically, but from a general pool of "that's how they used to do it,that's how it is, so we're doing that" (but, potentially with even less thought than that). Just throwing the techniques in isn't enough. uninformed it might coincidentally work sometimes, even if not to the full effect but at worst feel wrong.

[@johnnyroberts3761]

One of my favorite transitions in Evangelion happens in Episode 8 “Asuka Strikes!”. Right after the wind blows up Asuka’s skirt in front of Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke- the following on screen text of the episode name shows up to the sound of 3 different slaps, then transitions to show the red slap marks on the trio’s faces. It works so damn well!

[@guilhermecaiado5384]

That's my favorite episode. It was a let down when it wasn't around the manga in the 90's. Didn't ejoyed the 2.22 movie when it was exchanged by that aerial scene. I'm a huge fan of the original series, got mad with the new movies because it wasn't "faithful" to the original, only recently that I watched the new movies, but this time, aware that was just another piece of media, with almost no relation with the original.

[@BrickBuster2552]

2:20 "It was at this moment that Shinji knew... he fucked up."

[@ElEscolta]

+BrickBuster2552 THATS SHINJI!

[@BrickBuster2552]

El Escolta Red tint.

[@ElEscolta]

+BrickBuster2552 ...theres no red tint, theres only orange tint, from the sky. Thats the EVA Unit-5 fighting Unit-1 after being corrupted by an Angel. Asuka was not able to synchonize with Unit-2 for that fight.

[@BrickBuster2552]

El Escolta "theres no red tint, theres only orange tint" Same shit!

[@SunGhostify]

hello, my name is Digi and this is "Every frame a painting"

[@Egzvorg]

the guy hasn't made a video in 2 years but the whole film essay youtube keep quoting him

[@maxferguson4363]

@@Egzvorg He stopped making them (check the description on his channel) but I think Tony's influence on video essays on KZbin is huge and they're all well made so naturally other KZbinrs want to emulate his style.

[@pintavodki]

That's funny because in anime every frame is literally a painting.

[@grendelum]

Mikhail Kuznetsov - you have no idea how much I value my *Akira* cel of *Tetsuo* sliding the bike... I even have a laser copy of the bg in the frame... it is literally my most prized painting :)

[@yantxgsstory]

This video is straight to the point, has creative transitions, and is packed with info ! Makes me want to rewatch Evangelion ASAP

[@RedZeshinX]

20th century anime had such a cinematic quality because, well, the people making anime back then were huge fans of cinema, which besides informing the diverse genres of their heyday (whether cyberpunk, space comedies, high fantasy or otherwise) also informed the direction, framing and staging in shots. It's isn't surprising that Anno is now bringing his directing chops to the new Godzilla film. I think part of the decline in directorial quality and innovation in modern anime is owing to the fact that most modern Japanese production teams aren't actually fans of film itself but rather primarily constituted of otaku hobbyists, fans of anime and little besides, leading to a kind of self-cannibalizing that has dragged the medium into trope abuse and stagnation.

[@akieworks]

So basically what Miyazaki said

[@radpunk5144]

Couldn't angry more. The problem of anime is, in a way, that it's too self-centered

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

And the same goes for Hollywood. The directors and writers of today have no film and cultural background beyond the past 20 years or less of cinema, which just causes them to endlessly regurgitate the same cliches over and over again.

[@RodolfoVladimirBeltranMallea]

Actually Evangelion had a very low budget, some of this "tricks" are ways to save money in the animation. I'm not saying they were not excelent ways to do it, but i think is important to know it

[@JohnhaighS]

@@RodolfoVladimirBeltranMallea well they started with not that huge support but gainax got more and more budgets from the company for shortage of money and still they cant balance their budgets wisely. Thats why evangelion and karekano did the too progressive videos in the ending.

[@justalbedowithadrip6574]

"I will kill all the titans" -Shinji Ikari

[@Alex26108]

"I will defeat the angels" -Eren jäger

[@andersonsmiths7437]

@@Alex26108 “Get into the fucking Robot” -Grisha Jäger

[@mugiwaradarwin4504]

In both alternate universes, both protagonists still end up causing the end of their worlds.

[@georgeofhamilton]

“Whatever happens happens.” -Kaji Ryoji

[@sebastianlam7371]

2:08 That Asuka scene vs the EVA series on the movie when the lance of longinus appears. you know the one. def one of the most shocking scenes.

[@SasapessoS]

Evangelion and other great shows give me hope that anime is an art form, not simple mechanical medium of storytelling.

[@se-n-fly-er]

Of course it is. Just because a medium has bad or average works doesn't discredit the gems. I think how people perceive anime depends on if they like it or not. For example I'm a fan of anime so I tend to watch more and thus are exposed to a wider variety than just what hits the mainstream. However it works both ways in that I know niche shit and hidden gems.

[@karanus010]

+Sasapesso S Tons of shows out there are not dark or very intellectual but have so much more deepness than what the average reviewer and people think. Outbreak company is an anime that I watched and was amazed by how they represented the transformation and domination of culture and therefore society step by step. The shows managed culture in an amazing way and delivers a really good view in how this process works. But there is no web or video I have ever seen that talks about this, they just tell is a show to spend some free hours with comedy. There is actually an academic essay in spanish about this: www.academia.edu/9964381/Meo_Analia_Lorena_2014_._Otaku_mode_representaci%C3%B3n_del_soft_power_japon%C3%A9s_y_las_pr%C3%A1cticas_de_producci%C3%B3n_y_consumo_de_fan%C3%A1ticos_del_manga_y_el_anime_en_la_animaci%C3%B3n_Outbreak_company._Frikiloquio._I_Coloquio_de_Humanidades_y_Ciencias_Sociales_sobre_culturas_y_consumos_freaks_FFyL-UBA_

[@SpyFromMarsZeus]

+Sasapesso S I'm to opposite, Evangelion, a show being almost 20 years old, reminds me how much down fall anime industry has gone through. So far KyoAni is probably the only studio which still stays true to itself and actually put heart into making anime, and that's the only thing giving me hope to anime industry nowadays.

[@JoshLeitzel]

Yuwen Taiji Trigger? Ufotable? Shaft?

[@diegomoncada5245]

I wouldn't deminish the effort required and the great achievement that is telling a story and telling it right. Good storytelling is already art.

[@lefthandman3558]

They also animated in 34 frames per second. This allowed for more fluid movement when fighting angels, and didn't actually drive up animating costs. To learn more look up evangelion rule34

[@Dr_Andracca]

Another fun read, based on how they came up with the suit from episode 10 where Asuka fights the 8th angel, Sandalphon, in the volcano, look up "Evangelion Asuka Inflation rule 34".

[@leoncoopermarques3460]

I was like damn 34 frames per second? Didnt know that could happen then I read the end

[@lefthandman3558]

@@leoncoopermarques3460 we do a smidge of trolling

[@mb2001]

Veeeery funny.

[@kuzmenkoyaroslaw1025]

Just imagine sum dumass won’t get it

[@cendyywarlos]

Most of the stuff mentioned in here is just considered standard practice in directing/cinematography, and not wholly innovative on the part of Evangelion. It employs these practices well, but none are particularly unique. What I DID think the show did differently from most other animated shows was its reliance on showing, rather than telling. The tendency in a ton of modern anime is to drown the viewer in verbal explanations for EVERYTHING. Characters comment on everything happening on-screen at a mile a minute, and nothing is left up to viewer interpretation. What gave Eva a large part of its maturity was how it subdued its dialogue at certain points, and inserted very pointed pauses in moments where quietly lingering on a shot or sequence spoke much louder than wordy explanations.

[@thecardboardboxl3922]

I think a good way to fix long explanations is to just have the characters know what’s going on. Something like, “A strange animal on my bed offering to give me power in exchange for my services? Alright, this must be a magical girl anime, let’s get this going.” What Evangelion does is subvert expectations about what this anime is (especially through the intro). First viewers would expect a standard giant robot anime. However, the intro shows scenes that nobody would expect in something like Voltron. Basically, you just have to summarize what’s the same, but explain what’s different.

[@Rotsteinblock]

I have two points I diagree on with you: 1: I haven't seen a single other show that uses rapid fire imagery to an exteend anywhere near Evangelion, making evangelion pretty unique as far as I can tell. 2: Evangelion does have verbal explanations for a lot of things, but these are performed as dialogue between the 3 Eva pilots, the 7 charackters in the controll room, and occialonally from off screen voices that report on certain things, making all these explanations much more lively by giving them the appeareance that characters are explaining things to other characters, rather than just telling the viewer in long monologues as is often done in recent animes.

[@VIctorAbicalil]

​@@Rotsteinblock it also has very fragmented explanations, forcing the viewer to think about them, rather than just accept. Short conversations involving Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and Ritsuko become extremely important to understand the world in which NGE takes place. It is something I truly love about it.

[@noodles7193]

if we're talking about showing, not telling, I think Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack and Clone Wars fit that well

[@ElBach1y]

This is why I love evangelion, it utilizes animation how it should be, it's the same with fullmetal alchemist

[@ZachariaM]

Love how he just goes straight into it, no fluff.

[@dastard12]

this was very informative

[@dl_0002]

So in other words, Evangelion is a fucking masterpiece.

[@DrawnMaskOficial]

I never thought about that Great video!

[@sleephead00]

Tu aqui?

[@dr.latency34]

Heya drawn

[@Sopinhaquela]

Olha só quem achei aqui

[@ApenasMim]

Uai

[@pedrohenryk2506]

Tu aqui meno

[@Minipolce]

This was awesome. I'm big into the thematic complexity of eva. I tend to pay more attention to how its plot, characters, and writing intertwine to give the viewer a sense of certain philosophical ideas. But it's nice to see that eva is just as thoughtful with its directing, since I don't know nearly enough about that stuff to analyze it myself.

[@Corranhorn122]

+Minipolce Very much agreed.

[@mathew633man]

Eva is just a mindfuck. There's no actual meaning to it.

[@kennethzheng3735]

"rick and morty is for intellectuals" replace that with evangelion and we have a deal Evangelion is really only for those who understand it because people always don't understand those important scenes and/or mistake its meaning which makes me sad :(((((((( and modern media sucks too because they focus on action and shitty plots instead of character and beautiful, subtle things like this :((((((((((((

[@grendelum]

Minipolce - it helps, but is totally not necessary, to get stoned first... either way, watch eva with Japanese audio but no subs and just *_watch..._* you’ll appreciate the visuals far more without precise audio comprehension, it’s fun :)

[@YEs69th420]

@@mathew633man brainlet

[@flybennu]

Ooh! One thing I thought was really masterful in Evangelion was this scene where Shinji observes Rei talking to his father Gendo and he's really surprised. To show that we're seeing Rei from a distance, but that she is still the focus of Shinji's mind, we see this shot of Rei which is *less detailed* but still only of Rei's head talking... It's like when you take a tiny crop from a video and it ends up blurry. It really echoes what would have been the psychological reality of that moment.

[@MJ-sj5dv]

Knowing how short on budget gainax was when they made Evangelion, I'm completely impressed with Anno's directing techniques ! Awesome video, really wish to see more videos like this

[@vintheguy]

They actually weren't done because of budgetary issues As you can just see from the animation the entire show had a big budget, they never had budget problems in the entire show, not even the last 2 episodes The reason its like this though is because the show needed to come out fast. For example if an episode is finished they needed to immediately move to the next one with no breathing room They also had an entire episode cut that was I think about 70% done because of outside issues which drastically derailed the rest of the show

[@alejandrojimenez4277]

Yeah bro they wisely used every drop of that budget.

[@vintheguy]

@@alejandrojimenez4277 for the last time There. Was. No. Budget. Problem

[@nickschwear1610]

The long static shots help this show feel so much more artistic and purposeful, definitely imparts a sense of realism. The eerie silence interrupted by the screech of cicadas really create a vibe for the entire show

[@KennethLyVideography]

This is great digi! As an amateur director this is really helpful in finding ways to keep scenes varied. Learned a few new things here. Excited for more of this video series.

[@darkwatch127]

+Garowice If you're interested in directing, I would direct you(no pun intended) to Every Frame a Painting if you're not familiar with it. An amazing channel about films and film making in general. His latest video is also very interesting "How does an editor think and feel"

[@KennethLyVideography]

darkwatch127 Yes I'm very well aware of Every Frame A Painting ^^ Tony Zhou and KZbin has taught me more about filmmaking then any book and any film course I've ever read or taken. This video by Digi is also particularly great since he gives concrete examples of fairly basic yet unconventional things that people generally forget about.

[@buckwade3874]

+Garowice Doesn't surprise me that you've learned about working in an entertainment media through, well, learning it in an entertaining way. I want to learn about principles of directing and animation without taking courses, because I want to try to critique, but I'm not THAT passionate about it. Also, courses are fucking boring, especially when you can learn the stuff you need through KZbin.

[@Sparkys_World-0]

Ooooh, look who changed their stance on background music, ho ho ho ~

[@kenjiwashere]

+TheDavoo Really great job on the editing, man

[@fireman936]

+TheDavoo agreed, editing was beautiful.

[@KaiserTrigger]

+Subsonic Sparkle He never said he hated it entirely. He just said there needs to be a perfect mixture. The mix isn't bad. The music could be a small tad little bit lighter. But it all depends on how Digi wants it.

[@snohohoho]

"every couple of months" fuck

[@imchim]

Please talk about the character blocking in Bakemonogatari. Hanekawa doesn't just express her humility through dialogue but she also moves down to talk to people on their eye level. In Nekomonogatari Shiro she crouches and sits to be on eye level with Mayoi Hachikuji, when talking to Araragi she often leans forward to look him in the eyes while he oogles her, Senjougahara often puts herself above Hanekawa after starting at an even position, etc. I'm sure there's many more examples of characters defining themselves through motions in Monogatari.

20 years later and this show still looks fucking good.

[@frankjaeger2565]

25

[@Er404ChannelNotFound]

A digi video on Evangelion? Is it a miracle? How long has it been since the last one?

[@IndigoEuphonium]

Far too long, my friend... far too long...

[@BulbaBryan]

+First Name Last Name Not that it's his job to gush over Eva all the time. but it's only been a little while! He did one on April 1st ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@electricant55]

+NGE Fan It's not? Blasphemy

[@Ineedgames]

+First Name Last Name This is Gundam. Learn the difference.

[@kittykat490]

Huh. This popped up on my recommended just now and I clicked it, realized I've watched this before a handful of years ago and not only that but... realized I think this video is literally directly what made me watch eva for the first time. Specifically the note on "Shinji and Asuka's synchronized dance" I remember being like "their WHAT" because I was kinda familiar with the show and characters and all but had no clue what that was about and was so curious I had to go watch the series so... thanks for getting me to watch one of the greatest anime of all time with this vid 😭

[@Shabazza84]

2:40 I never noticed, this countdown counts seconds by 24 frames instead of fractions of seconds.

[@natepeters8508]

these are probably the most common "tricks" used in almost every animation and film even prior to nge to be perfectly honest

[@marcuscerezo2693]

IKR lmao things like the kuleshov effect has existed for pretty much a century at this point

[@marcuscerezo2693]

Not to say nge isnt great; it's amazing imo but thats because of it's more creative stuff not just common industry techniques

[@abiwonkenabi7027]

Definitely like seeing stuff like this. Directing techniques are something that's often overlooked by most viewers, especially in animation. I know how tough using a dynamic "camera" can be in animation, and I love it when I see shots moving around. Despite the fact that it's 2D animation, it feels like a 3D space, and it's something I miss from 2D animation. They don't make many 2D animated films anymore, mostly it's CG. Anime has been my fix for this sort of thing. :3

[@muffin8r]

Dude. This kind of stuff should be shown as example videos in film and animation classes. I would LOVE to watch more stuff like this.

[@Tom-fl8eh]

So I've been avoiding these videos because I hadn't seen Evangelion. I finally watched it last night, and it has the best directing in a anime that I have seen.

[@Omnywrench]

2:21- "It was in this moment that he knew... he fucked up"

[@teconleche28]

EVA is best girl

[@simone635]

so this continues my theory that everything in this show is just perfect.

[@user-lynKx]

"10 pieces of evidence the director did his job:" Whatever.

[@natepeters8508]

3:36 gee fucking really? expressions showing how someone feels? never realized

[@gumdrop7935]

Those long shots have got to be my favorite part of the show. Even while lasting so long, the tension carries throughout the whole shot.

[@fou-luthedragonemperor8648]

2:20 "It was at this moment he knew, he's fucked" Great video digi!

[@tehawsumninja]

Oh god, I can't wait for more of these. I love your "direction" vids that look into depth about cinematography in anime, such as the spirited away video you did a while ago. looking forward to more

[@marcostsuna1]

really cool and great. but, some of the "tricks" you mentioned are just basic animation rules. more exactly, are part of the 12 principles of animation. #2, #3 and #7 are Staging, the third principle. it says that one action should happen AFTER the previous one ended. So, the character turns it's head, THEN he talks, THEN the elevator moves. or first he's talking, Then the door opens. It also says that we should indicate some things through the characters gaze AND camera. So, if we want a character to see another one or an object, we first make him look at it (when it isn't on screen) and then show it, coming from the direction the character looked at. objects and where the character enters the frame from also should follow this, as it as it determines where he came from or what's the setting layout. #4 is just basic background things. the backgrounds are ALWAYS drawn bigger than the screen, exactly so you can move the camera around. it's not a "appreciated effort". it's expected to be that way. #5 is Anticipation, the second principle. it says that whenever a character is going to peform an action, it should first built the action, THEN perform it. If the action will be delivered in another shot, you should anticipate it by showing the area that will be affected. I'm not saying Evangelion ISN'T great or that it ISN'T well directed, or even that the things that I pointed AREN'T well and creatively made, but I find it strange to praise it as a "interesting trick" or "amazing direction", if it's just basic animation things, that if you AREN'T doing, you are doing it WRONG.

[@okanyakin5119]

+marcos tsuna the amount of series nowadays doing it wrong is what makes it holding those rules cool

[@marcostsuna1]

+okan yakin I agree.

[@Buffy-Belmont]

Thank you for making this video. Hideaki Anno is my favorite director and I think you captured the reasons why very well. The static shots are just amazing. Everything's great.

[@GiffyMcgee]

Digi: "I wish people would talk about and analyze more obscure shows." *10 minutes later* Digi: "Let's talk about evangelion." Edit: It's a joke, it's not meant in earnest, calm down.

[@MenwithHill]

Well he did explain that the reason why is that it's hard to start talking about some piece of media when it's obscure enough that nobody will know what you're talking about. This type of showcasing format is most effective when you're presenting a well known thing as an example.

[@lachlanstill4813]

+RefinedTerror Shut up you fucking moron. Forgive my curtness, but I can't stand arguments made by people who are completely ignorant about what they're saying. Digi said that he wanted more analysis of obscure shows because he wants to hear OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS about them. He doesn't want to be the only voice out there talking about the show, because that makes him the de facto authority on it, which is not something he wants to be, at least not without some dissenting opinion out there.

[@GiffyMcgee]

Lachlan Still Jesus christ mate. It was a sarcastic joke on the internet, you don't have to write a thesis about it.

[@GiffyMcgee]

+MenwithHill Yeah, I just found it amusing that the videos were released so close together.

[@lachlanstill4813]

RefinedTerror My apologies. *Shut up, your comment was fucking moronic. Go watch the Pro Crastinator Podcast episode about commenter rules. Your sarcastic quips that do nothing to differentiate themselves from actual complaints add nothing to the conversation.

[@LadyNausicaaAlice]

Hey digi, I'm taking a film class next year and I love these character design/ directing videos because I'm learning a lot about the medium. Please keep up the good work with these videos, you've been one of my favorite youtubers for such a long time ❤️

[@Sonarbut]

NGE is my most favorite show and I'm also interested in filmmaking. This was very helpful, I actually learned something! Thank you for this great video

[@se-n-fly-er]

Greatly edited video, like how the font matched Eva too. While I know some basic cinematography I hadn't noticed some of these points on my own. I really appreciate all the thought and effort they put into the series, I think I'll rewatch it again with this knowledge in mind. Looking forward to your future videos on this topic from other anime. Personally I'd love to see one on Hibike Euphonium as some of the shots in that series were so great I keep going back to them.

[@carlos7mh]

This series is amazing. I’m studying NGE to improve my composition game for photography. Especially how to convey loneliness and isolation

[@LorenHelgeson]

Nice breakdown. It's amazing how much of this is taken for granted, because the animators have worked out how these techniques fit into the flow of the animation. You stop to think of any one point, you can analyze and find every nuance. But, when you just watch it, it all flows so seamlessly, and it feels so natural. Props to Gainax on such a visually beautiful and organically cohesive narrative. Subscribed!

[@aditxd1]

damn. what an intellectual video. this is what I've been subscribing for. keep up the good work

[@felipecarioni17]

I just discovered your channel and watched all de EVA videos. They are amazing, it is very nice to see people that share such appreciation towards EVA. I hope you can keep doing these videos, I'm looking foward to watching them :)

[@Irisverse]

Wait, I thought we already had this video.

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

+dontscrewtheworld - you're thinking of the one about cool shots from the first episode.

[@Irisverse]

***** Yeah, silly me.

[@jechiquim]

we need more analysis videos please!! for the rest of the episodes!!! :D

[@NevetsTSmith]

gotta continue this series, mang.

[@Croix1]

yo if you don't make one for every episode it's cool(although I wish you did), but surely you have something to say about the last few ones, right?

[@GurenMarkIII]

I love how the transistions in the video look like they're straight from Eva. Awesome touch, Davoo. And great points from Digi, I agree the the flow of Eva is definitely one of the things that makes it stand out.

[@phoetux]

Perfect cinematography, that's Evangelion.

[@ToaOfGallifrey]

Really cool to think on these things and see how much better they make the show. Can't wait to see the Utena video!

[@REXanadu]

I guess everyone can be Tony Zhou these days. Interesting look at Eva editing and directing tricks, regardless. Hope to see more soon.

[@shawn645]

I like how dialogue in the background, even coming from other main characters at times, relating to something else is suggestive of the inner struggles of a character, calling back to a previous moment, usually in a close up to emphasize the moment or keeping distance, sometimes reducing the characters to silhouettes. The constant one step forward and then one step backward Purgatory these characters are in. How characters literally disappear from where they were in a previous shot in NERV headquarters, camera high above, to highlight technology's hold over them and society, reducing the human element. Sometimes just a long extreme wide shot to suggest the idea, or their isolation and lack of closeness. Eva is very self-reflexive, coming to its apex during the finale, and makes great use of still imagery.

[@radioactivedragonite2420]

I think this is what I love about evangelion the most it doesn't use lazy tricks like panning shots of a still image the scenes are so dynamic and the world building is on point which is why I think the ending is disappointing for a lot of people

[@LightFykki]

I must say Digibro, I thank you for doing videos like these. I was very excited to see that you made yet another video dedicated to Evangelion.

[@sam8skate]

Another great video digi! Will definitely become a patron once I get paid :D Keep up the amazing work!

[@laylover7621]

It's incredible how much I don't notice about things like this. Awesome video.

[@Dansenpai8]

YESSS finally another Evangelion video you should really do more of these more frequently!!

[@JodyBruchon]

Thanks for the interesting and insightful video. I didn't have any visual vocabulary with which to notice and understand these things when I watched this show, so I appreciate the things you've pointed out.

[@bloomingtree1014]

Lol the first time there was a 30 second scene I thought it was my WiFi being slow

[@faust3530]

rewatching evangeliom recently for the first time in ages, i was truly amazed by the fluidity of the camera and editing.

[@T3hD4rkKn1ght]

When Digi marathons Tony's videos and then sees the same tricks in anime.

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Regarding trick #9, I like that you highlighted that episode to illustrate that point, as I feel like episode 11 of Evangelion is one of the most tightly directed and edited episodes of any animated series period. I loved how well every scene flowed into one another, moving the pacing along in a tremendous way in an episode where (being purely technical here) not a lot actually happens, and making every cut to a new shot feel incredibly natural.

[@lc9245]

Evangelion having small budget is a myth. They had a normal budget, they just went ham with it. That being said, Anno direction is just spectacular. It really shows me the extend that animation can be movies, shots composition, angle, transition, perspective, visual effects. On the other hand, it also demonstrated the advantage of animation. They depict fights between giant robots, fantastical user interface, huge laser light, destruction. They can do that with a small team, because it is animation. Movies would not be able to recreate this until CGI really come into its own, then the two medium really sort of merged. Directors like Shinkai failed to appreciate animation, he isn't really a good movie director either. His shots are very static, he don't appreciate film makings as much as people who turn to animation to express themselves because films are out of their reach. On the opposite end, I think other than Miyazaki, the man who truly pushed animation into its own realm, is Satoshi Kon. There's no way a movie maker can achieve what Paprika did visually without splurging. Transitions, visual effects, perspective, quick cuts were so uniquely animation, it really puts a shame on Western animation, who are still living under the constrain of animation target audience being children. It's visually interesting, conceptually sound and meaningful. It's not something children can fully appreciate, which is good, because it is visually exciting, yet have certain level of depths for when the children becomes teenagers. That's not something that can be said about today animation landscape. It's disappointing that the fantastical world of animation that was created by the pioneers, now boils down to trend. Original animated shows have gotten increasingly sparse, and less ground breaking. It's the same shot, angle, movement, even colour palette. It's uninspiring, disappointing, and most of all, a complete waste of everyone's time.

[@lucianojadur]

too late but agree completely with those observations, especially that about Shinkai's directing style whose films steal audition's praise mostly bc of their backgrounds and soundtrack. And about the last 5~6 sentences, that's why I consider Kyoto Animation as the most consistent and the best studio out there. They still prioritize art over product

[@rihuzaki]

Really good work. Thank you for devoting your time to the making of this video.

[@arpitdas4263]

Eva's techniques are near perfect

[@Machin396]

Dude, your analizys is amazing, keep doing this.

[@bavks-vsjdo-skkfk]

Woah this looks almost as good as my favourite flawless anime SWORD ART ONLINE

[@bavks-vsjdo-skkfk]

***** HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT THIS FLAWLESS MASTER PISS

[@Icemanz666]

+Ein gr8 b8 m8 .. 8/8

[@TheKiroshi]

Did you know (anime)? your favorite anime sucks.

[@iziwings5363]

Weak bait

[@bavks-vsjdo-skkfk]

Succ McSuccface JK my fav anime is cory in the house

[@camarosquid]

Amazing analysis. This not only applies to 2D animation, but to film making as well. As someone who has studied a bit of A/V production, this is greatly appreciated. Especially because Eva is my favorite show of all time.

[@ErikCPianoman]

Using more than shot reverse shot with dialogue eh? George Lucas could've used this video before he filmed the prequels...

[@grendelum]

Erik C 'Piano Man' - I’m *_totally_* ok with ignoring everything after *Empire* and having someone new remake *Jedi* et al... without the frelling ewoks !!

[@chaosbringer82]

I'm really happy about the direction your channel has been going lately. Between this, The interesting protagonist series and the character design series it feels like yo'u're more focusing on general ways good anime, and media in general,, are made. I hope you'll continue this trend and cover an even wider range of shows and styles. Btw. regarding the use of countdowns, because of that I learned to roughly count in Japanese pretty much just by watching Eva.

[@Rethardus]

To be honest, I think the shot reverse shot isn't really used that match in anime, nor is it unique to Evangelion. What you're speaking of is mostly live-action movies and western series. I think movies do this because it isn't boring to look at beautiful famous people that have all sorts of nuances on their faces when talking. Anime doesn't have this benefit, so most of the anime wouldn't go for the shot reverse shot approach. Not to mention a lot of anime are based on manga, which in turn is being "copied" by anime as a storyboard, so you'll rarely see boring face shots like in live-action movies.

[@Amin4l]

Thanks for the video! Eva has always been for me a piece of art, and to get to know some technical reasons to justify this feeling only add.

[@eff-fume]

Talk more about directing please - I crave this information.

[@hydrangea-enjoyer]

Genuinely insightful, and not just some clickbait listicle. Really awesome!

[@georgeofhamilton]

Really well-made analysis.

[@holyflutterofgod]

As much as I adore Eva's message, THIS might be my favorite thing about the show. The tone, editing, and shot composition are so unbelievably unique that I sometimes fear I'll never watch anything like it again, anime or otherwise. Fantastic job parsing it all out into this convenient video I can use to further rant about my love of this show. And if anyone has any recommendations for stylistically similar things, I'll appreciate it.

[@RegalPixelKing]

I agree with you on just about everything except for the 50 second shots. Those were there poorly to save up on a show with little money if you ask me. It turns a "reflecting time" into an "alright time to continue the show" moment once a still shot is on screen for more than 3-5, which is also a very well know standard of filmography. In other shows where deep reflection moments are done right it makes the show more silent, and changes the lighting in unique whys, but it never just holds a shot.

[@crazyjay2624]

+Regal Pixel King I think he was speaking about all sorts of still shots for reflection time, not just the ones that lasted more than 6 seconds. Digi and a lot of the viewers probably know about Eva's problems with money, especially by the end of the series.

[@alejandroabraham4250]

+CrazyJay Also, even if the long shots were due to budget contraints, it doesn't mean they were there just as afterthoughts. Even if they dragged out too long, I feel those shots were placed at the correct time, during the right situation to maximize the awkwardness ( elevator scene ), or the indecisiveness ( kowaru scene). They could've made the scenes shorter, but I'm sure there are minimum times shows are allowed to run.

[@hbombz0093]

i agree those lasting shots were only the result of decreased budgets nothing more. i feel as if digi gets a little too ahead of himself. not everything has a deeper meaning or purpose.

[@alejandroabraham4250]

+Keith Anderson if that were the case they could've extended scenes elsewhere, but they I believe they were strategically placed where they were for a reason. Even if they were constrained by time or budget.

[@TheOneTrueErica]

This was a fantastic analysis and I am 100% on board with more. I've seen EVA haphazardly over the years, the most via the Rebuild films, so it's compelling to come back this way and see how every shot and animation technique or limitation was used to its greatest effect.

[@jordangroff8978]

I really like the scenes that are very repetitive when the pilots are merging/mind raped by the angel..."I'm Asuka, Asuka Langley Soryu, charmed huh...I'm Asuka, Asuka Langley Soryu, charmed huh...". Not sure if that's a directing trick, but it works!

[@unhhgcrxexhjvuvujchcrzwzwz7956]

I thought it said dating tricks, I was so excited for a second

[@DR0NEKILLER]

Please I want to see a video about Utena.

[@blacksheepwall79]

That 30 seconds of dead silence on a still frame director's trick, there's a great one. Nothing engages you in the story quite like wondering if your DVD player has frozen up.

[@Trientaarianag]

Do you have one of these for Revolutionary Girl Utena? I noticed you show it toward the end.

[@PENGUINGIRL1210]

Great start! Already looking forward to the other videos in the series!

[@smilingmiura6515]

Rape Religion Mind Break And a Highschool Evangelion Not that different from Bible Black

[@smilingmiura6515]

This is a joke don't get your morality in a twist

[@FallingPicturesProductions]

That actually made me chuckle.

[@smilingmiura6515]

Falling Pictures Productions thank you

[@omegasrevenge]

Good job, you just triggered half the comment section xD

[@ReneArmenta19]

The Smiling Miura who gets raped?

[@chloemariebaker9754]

THIS WAS SO COOL

[@TotteTheBreaker]

This is the best Anime of all time!

[@maxvetter1336]

I'd say it's a contender for sure, but I'd go with Cowboy Bebop.

[@shikiwakana]

LMAO

[@serugolino7867]

@@maxvetter1336 yeah cowboy bebop is probably the best animated show of all times. second and third I would put FMAB and Avatar the last air bender. then either death note or samurai jack or eva

[@338684q]

damn bro nice video. content was way ahead of its time

[@xxkboom]

Im looking for the video digibro made about oregairu.

[@turinmormegil7715]

2:18 Telegraphed impact, also known as the "Guess I'll Die-frame trick" 2:21

[@JJ-snee]

Digi bro plz MAKE SOMETHING A BOUT BERSERK PLZPZLPZLPZLPZLPLPZ I LOVE BESERK I WOULD BE SO HAPPY PLEASE DO IT

[@Robersora]

+paul fart Mall Cop He is off the boat, after all.

[@ButThatsMuhFreeduhm]

I wasnt even aware of the money problems back then. And I never thought anything weird or bad about the static shots, except for the last one, the Shinji Kaworu one. I just thought of those shots to be uncommon, unique and special, for an anime, or maybe in general too. The static shots, especially the one in the elevater (30s) really had me dying to know what is going to happen next in that scene and when. The rising tension between Rei and Asuka in that small space of the evelator by having them doing nothing. Just like it would happen in real life maybe. Those 30s of that shot really makes the viewer feel the tension. I still think it is/was brillant.

[@michaelz.3993]

Anno explaining how naked minors are integral to the plot:

[@SoShiBias]

The radio that is going on sometimes while the characters are talking, they have metaphorical meanings on what is actually happening with the characters on screen.