How to Write Video Essays

Video essays are one of the most influential and successful genres here on KZbin. But how are they made? What goes into the crafting of a good video essay script? And - most importantly - how can you write your own great video essays?
I am a video essayist and writing teacher here to analyze and discuss the steps I take to create my videos, in the hopes of providing a roadmap to help any aspiring video essayists enter this burgeoning virtual space!
* Chapters: *
00:00 - Skit and Intro
01:14 - Who Are You?
02:57 - Stop Trying to Take Down Capitalism in 25 Minutes
06:36 - Not Another Lootbox Video
09:49 - Find the Kernel
13:38 - Strip on Stage
17:53 - Analogies are Salty
22:06 - Don’t Write Like You’re Writing
28:02 - This is KZbin
31:36 - Conclusion
33:17 - Outro and Poem
* Creators and Videos Referenced (in general order of appearance) *
---Philosophy Tube ( / thephilosophytube )
------Data ( • Data | Philosophy Tube )
---Contrapoints ( / contrapoints )
---Veritasium ( / veritasium )
---Alexa Donne ( / alexadonne )
---Folding Ideas ( / foldingideas )
------Jamie Oliver's War on Nuggets ( • Jamie Oliver's War on ... )
------In Search of a Flat Earth ( • In Search Of A Flat Earth )
---hbomberguy ( / hbomberguy )
------Vaccines: A Measured Response ( • Vaccines and Autism: A... )
---Jacob Geller ( / jacobgeller )
------Games, Schools, and Worlds Designed for Violence ( • Games, Schools, and Wo... )
---Shaun ( / shaunandnotjen )
------The Death Penalty feat. PragerU ( • The Death Penalty feat... )
---Action Button ( / actionbutton )
---Lindsay Ellis ( / lindsayellisvids )
---Every Frame a Painting ( / everyframeapainting )
---Big Joel ( / bigjoel )
---Innuendo Studios ( / innuendostudios )
---Zoe Bee
------PragerU's TERRIFYING Parenting Advice ( • PragerU's TERRIFYING P... )
------"White Trash" and the Politics of Food ( • "White Trash" and The ... )
* Art: *
---All the animations were by Aud, whose work can be found at audmcname.com/ !
* To Support Me: *
---Become a channel Member! ➤ / @zoe_bee
---Join the Patreon! ➤ / zoe_bee
---Make a one-time donation! ➤ ko-fi.com/zoebee
---Join the Discord! ➤ / discord
---Check out my second channel! ➤ / @zoecee
---Watch my D&D game! ➤ / @thejaycorn
---Watch my Blades in the Dark game! ➤ / itucrew

[@tiffanyferg]

This is so helpful! I often get stuck while writing my videos. Sometimes my scripts get way too long and full of tangents, or I struggle to narrow down my concepts. And a big one - sometimes after working on a script for like a week I realize I don’t even have a thesis. “What’s the point?? Who knows!”

[@zoe_bee]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@slevinchannel7589]

@@zoe_bee Incredible noteworthy Examples for Good-Faith-Criticism Essays: Jay Exci covered Doctor Who, Hbomberguy covered both RWBY and Sherlock (and in fact, his whole channel is all about Essays he calls Measured Responses and they're all epic) and Madocate did The Flash.

[@TrggrWarning]

Because you found it necessary, I suspect exploring tangents in video would be interesting.

[@AlexaDonne]

*high pitched screaming at shoutout* Ok, but seriously thank you for the shoutout! I really wish I were better at/capable of proper video essays. I've had a hankering to do them in the past, but have chickened out (someday, maybe?). To that end, I definitely cover the "long form educational content" end in my niche, though all my videos are extemporaneous--I don't script. I do follow outlines, but thus my videos are more like lectures than essays :)

[@zoe_bee]

I'll take your lectures any day! 😊

[@WitchingHourYT]

Okay, I love that you managed to repackage an Undergraduate "How to Write a Research Paper" Mandatory Workshop into something that I WANTED to watch and couldn't take my eyes off.

[@thegreatnox]

The fact that your books are organized by color in the background brings so much peace to my heart

[@nomanzafar4938]

Lmao

[@HighlandKall]

I think a good angle for the "write what you know" aspect could also be personal convictions as themes. CJ the X does this constantly by analyzing media in an objective way framed through his personal experiences and convictions. The most common he states outright is his experience with BPD or his faith. It also adds a narrative element since being able to build on the topics of previous videos in new angles can tie everything together. If you're not covering the topic from a strictly academic sense the best I think you can do is show you know enough about the subject to show why you've drawn the perspective you have. Plus it helps build investment in you as a personality people would want to follow and see more of ^^

[@JordanSullivanadventures]

*their

[@fireworksfordinner]

I LOVE A CJ THE X MENTION

[@OtseisRagnarok]

I watch so many video essays that I'm like "I totally could make one of these" and then I get hung up on the "write what you know" portion for so long that I just give up lol. Just the same, this was a great video!

[@LunarOverdrive]

it's hard to make a video essay when I don't actually have any important skills or knowledge

[@colonelweird]

I'm only 12 minutes in but I had the inspiration to pause and add something about #3. This isn't about video essays but about writing in general. When I was in school and the teachers would tell me to begin writing with a thesis statement, I always froze up mentally -- I couldn't do it, or if I did it was very artificial and unsatisfactory. I discovered that for me it works to do the process in the opposite direction: BEGIN the writing process by writing -- and write anything and everything. Get it all out, explore your thoughts, feelings, things you know, things you question, etc. Once you have a lot of words on paper that explore the your mind and what you're interested in, THEN you could can start thinking about choosing a topic and narrowing it down and writing a thesis statement. But it really gets the juices flowing to start the process by writing as much and as badly as possible. I'm guessing this applies to writing video essays as much as to any other kind of writing that involves any element of creativity.

[@pumkin610]

That makes sense, I might quote you on this, this could go for any creative endeavour really if they are stuck in the "define my goal first" phase.

[@PrettyTranslatorSarahMoon]

As a translator and video maker, I always read my scripts out loud to see how they sound. It's always pretty solid advice.

[@EricChoiniere]

I love the multiple shoutouts to other creators. Action Button, specifically, was a pleasant surprise. But I especially loved you making an analogy when explaining analogies. It reminds me of the XKCD line "Analogies are like sandwiches in that I'm making one right now".

[@israsaleh]

Also the example for examples, I was having a very fun time breaking down this video's script in my head lol

[@enbyarchmage]

"Your fingers are your new mouth" is a quote I'll keep at the back of my mind whenever I type, for the rest of my life 😂

[@zoe_bee]

you're welcome :)

[@fionafiona1146]

It's applicable to periodsex too

[@enbyarchmage]

I have absolutely zero desire to become a KZbinr, but I watched this video anyway because I thought it would help me write paper essays more clearly. Bingo! I'm already filled with ideas, and the video's far from over! 🤩 Thanks, Zoe, your tips on writing, argumentation and other things have been changing my life. You may not have a million subscribers (yet), but in my heart you do 🥰 P.S. Charlie, your comments make the video even more funny than it already is! 😂 Also, you probably are a nerd like Zoe. For me, us nerds are just people who like to think about everyday things in out-of-the-box ways, and manage to turn those thoughts into things that are engaging not only to themselves, but to others. All artists are nerds, and all nerds are artists, but our individual interests, and the depth with which we choose to explore them, may differ.

[@nicolasbecerra6601]

Here are my notes to be read AFTER watching the video, hope this helps someone! 1. Write on a topic I know or an idea related to me. 2. Focus my idea into a small digestible nugget, aka a specific related subject. 3. Find a new way to talk about my idea or look at my idea under a new lens/angle. I have something unique to say, figure out what it is. 4. Thesis statement. (Find the kernel) -"Take the idea, ask what is it that I want people to know or feel after watching the video. Then write down the answer to the question. This is the thesis statement." This gives you a goal, a kernel to build the essay around. Gear this to your audience, Who am I trying to reach, what am I trying to do with my work? You are free to change the kernel at any point and it should as you evolve the video 5. Write a journey. - Think about where my audience is at the beginning of the video, how I want them to change by the end, and how to get them there. 6. Add Analogies, examples, and humor. - This makes it easier to get your point without oversimplifying your ideas. - Analogies prime our brains for complex flavors. Examples, seeing others make a recipe can give us a better idea of what we need to do when we make the recipe. Humor, If your dish doesn't have any bite, it will seem like it's too dry and like it's missing something. Using these three spices adds lots of value to your dish but over-relying on them has the opposite effect. 7. Write like you're talking. It's a lot easier to understand explanations when they're done conversationally. It's also more fun to perform and can stop your video from sounding boring. When you do use acidemic phrases, make sure they aren't out of place. Make sure every word fits and adds to your work. Also, write like you're talking to a friend. 8. Remember the medium. - Video is a time-based medium. Use "as I mentioned earlier" vs. "as mentioned above" for example. Ask why I'm on KZbin and what I want myself and my viewers to get from my channel.

[@JMH475]

Thank you 🙏🏾

[@Poe_ssessed]

Thank you

[@pdpUU]

I always have trouble with mapping out workflows! Ideas and writing comes easier for me but I struggle with structure. This is an approachable roadmap for tackling that. Thanks Zoe!

[@zoe_bee]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wokeaf1242]

Video like this is what we need more of. Best opening ever. You should write for Saturday Night Live - they can use an actual funny sketch these days (and for the last 20 years.) I also think content creators really underestimate their importance. Sure some might talk about movie, others video games and others politics. But there's a reason right-leaning individuals hate it all. Because content creators offer us something more powerful then entertainment - good choices. As always, excellent job.

[@zoe_bee]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)

[@brandoncoxwell9181]

You should watch Drew Goodens video on SNL. Every season from the beginning of the show has had it's moments. Not every Farley sketch killed nor did every Belushi Sandler or Meyers

[@TrggrWarning]

Sounds like you are agreeing with right-leaning haters.

[@DesignFrameCaseStudies]

Great video! Finding who you are is so important. It took me a while to hone myself and I've even unlisted a bunch of my old crap that I wasn't happy with or didn't fit the channel, but it's a process to really grow not only who you are but writing and everything else that comes with it. No one should ever be afraid of dabbling in the space and seeing where it takes them 😀

[@tmbocelot]

This is a great video that I hope up-and-coming creators take an opportunity to learn from it. I click off so many videos because they don’t have anything original to say or they repeat themselves ad nauseam (like they take what could’ve been a 5 minute video max and drag it out to 40+ minutes)

[@Ben-sg5cq]

This is EXACTLY the video I've hoped you'd make!! Strong guide with excellent examples. Now we need "The Art of Writing Thesis Statements" 👀😂

[@seapineapple1239]

I can't begin to express how helpful this video was. I've been trying to get into video essays for the past few years and I've always ended up stumbling when it came to scripting. I'm a pretty fun person in the real world but I've been taught informative essays for so long in high school that I kind of forgot for a while how to write like a human. I really liked step 7 in this video. This has really inspired me to go out and get back into really making a solid attempt to make video essays. Thank yo so much Zoe, this is honestly the first real genuine good advice I've seen about this topic on this platform.

[@Evasionx]

I am very excited I found your channel! I was in need of a video essay guide and didn't know where to start. I really enjoyed the fun/cozy atmosphere while being very educational. Thanks Zoe Bee!

[@kafrynd4184]

I've come back to this video multiple times as I draft my first video essays. I cannot thank you enough-- it's been too long since college!

[@aira_riri_2]

Analysing my favourite video essayists (CJ the X and Roe Ramdin) through this lens I really notice how I love casual and spicy video-essays, both are always throwing jokes at the viewer every 5 seconds and for most of their videos' run time they are extremely casual, even when talking about very serious and even personal topics. But are very good at understanding their narrative, and when to switch for a more serious tone and poetic tone. It really feels like watching a friend talk about something they care about, and I really love that

[@QuestingRefuge]

Thank you! No matter how many times I hear messages like this I think my brain needs as many inputs as possible for this kind of thing. Feeling excited for my next video essays!

[@pdpUU]

Desmond sneeze so cute Edit: my cat is so interested in Desmond she keeps putting a paw up to him 😭

[@zoe_bee]

aww 😭

[@laurachalupa118]

This is a video I will come back to watch more than once. I have wanted to try to make video essays for years. I even bought the camera and audio equipment. I have ideas for videos, but something has been holding me back. It is intimidating trying to enter a field filled with people who produce such well-crafted content. This video helps demystify some aspects of what makes video essays work. I really appreciate your content.

[@LegalKimchi]

Fantastic stuff! I keep pushing myself to improve my own content. Love getting your perspective here!

[@KyletheScott]

I've not made it as a video essayist (yet) but a practice that always help's me when writing scripts is to read it out loud to myself before I record it, primarily because that makes it really obvious what sounds natural and what sounds like something I would say in conversation instead of written down and then I can fix it accordingly.

[@zoe_bee]

for sure! I always recommend folks do that with any piece of writing. It really helps get a sense of how "awkward" it might be, and helps you catch mistakes.

[@Alexlalpaca]

"I am very white" Yeah, I realized when you said paprika is spicy, it's allright

[@pennyforyourthots]

I know someone who thinks ketchup is spicy, though i think maybe their confusing spicy and acidic.

[@Alexlalpaca]

@@pennyforyourthots That would explain the "mayo is spicy" meme

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

The comparison of analogies to salt was great because it made me stare into the metabyss* without actually dunking me in there. (Because it was a comparison and not an analogy) *that vision you get when you're watching yourself stream yourself streaming yourself ad infinitum.

[@hajnalmiklos01]

thank you for this video! i've been thinking about a topic that i want to discuss in a vodeo essay for a long time but didn't really know how to begin. this video is exactly what i needed to give me the push to just get to it and start writing! :)

[@RichardNathanHolloway]

I loved this. I’d be ecstatic to see more content that would elucidate the finer points of creation with a focus on concise communication.

[@Leftistattheparty]

One thing that i really like about this channel is that it is both very professional and well done but also so authentic and real.

[@unlearningeconomics9021]

Thank you for this great video. As somebody who struggles to keep a dense, academics, and jargon-filled subject as light and humorous as possible, I've found a lot of helpful tips here.

[@realitypoet]

Finding new ideas is the hardest part for me - I’ve been wanting to start making video essays but every time I think of a topic I search for it and so far I’ve always found an existing (and well made) video covering that topic already. One of these days I’ll find something lol. This was still helpful, thanks.

[@SeitanicPanicc]

Really useful! Especially the audience experience bit - I hadn't thought of that I think a lot of people end up doing some of these accidentally, but formalizing these steps can be a good sanity check, a diagnostic if something doesn't "feel right"

[@silversam]

Good "stuff" Zoe 😃 Some of this is a refresher for me from another medium; but in keeping with your own advice, you've brought something new to it 😎

[@thegriffin2135]

Love how you used an analogy to explain analogies and an example to explain examples.

[@FinntasticMrFox]

This was very helpful, thank you for making this. 💙 I've been feeling the creative burnout lately despite having barely started as a video essayist, and I think it's because I haven't been implementing the right strategies and structure.

[@acoelomate2984]

oh man this came at such a good time; i’ve been thinking about working on a video essay but have been super overwhelmed at what a task it is

[@veldtwalker]

I was looking into doing so videos about weird choices of Canadian economic history, so started researching how to do video essays. Found your video and now yet another amazing KZbinr to watch! Thank you!

[@HamZero]

I'm so glad I found this video. Whatever points you made extends to general content creation.

[@derekhasabrain]

I’ve wanted to be a breadtube KZbinr for a while now, but writing has been a challenge for ALL MY LIFE. I got the ‘tism that made me good at math and understanding concepts, not communicating them. Speech and socializing and writing and conveying ideas has always been a huge struggle for me, but deconstructing ideas and systems is my bread and butter. Which is why I want to be a breadtuber!! I want to contribute to the cause of making the masses more liberated and educated. Unfortunately, I also have ADHD and reading is a struggle so I haven’t read any books by any of the philosophers or educators or other big thinkers that everyone seems to know intimately. I’ve had to edit this comment several times because it’s just so difficult to piece things together. Ugh. Anyway. Thanks for making this video.

[@DeLaSoul246]

I like that you specifically brought up the genre's place in a timeline. I feel like people frequently underestimate the constantly morphing nature it has... And thats just a deathly habit to have on the internet in general lol

[@jonstanton1304]

My mother and both share Aphantasia. She had a newsagents and we read all the newspapers from when I was 8. Criticism of source, accuracy of nuance, conciseness and clarity of message were literally my daily fair from age 8 to 13 High school was a disaster as "imagery" became more valuable than lexicon. I worked for years in welfare, then years more in taxation (IRS), and policing. All the while translating legalese to 'plain english'. Complicated ideas translated into simple ones. Thanks Zoe for showing that a video essay needs enough colour and movement (thanks also Benson) to keep the visual processing people engaged while listening to the ACTUAL content spoken (nuance, timbre and inflections noted). Thanks again. Love the content and the furry purry 😀

[@psych0536]

I have been wanting someone to make a video like this for so long and tbh im glad it was zoe who finally did it; cant think of a better option

[@iyana1332]

Ive been wanting to get into writing video essays for a few months now but couldn't really figure out what goes into them and how I wanted to make them my own other than the basics but this video has helped a lot

[@TalkingKnight]

I've been making video essays for 7 months now and I realized I never thought of how to make them deeper. I just list off a bunch of facts and sprinkle in a few opinions I have. This will help me build structure and give a lesson. It makes my content more valuable. Thank you.

[@domsusefulstuff]

Thank you for this incredibly useful video and perspective Zoe. I wanted to mention Idea Channel and Mike Rugnetta in terms of the modern KZbin video essay. I feel like they pioneered a lot of techniques and pushed the medium in interesting ways that others used to push things even further. The first time I saw Philosophy tube was in collabs with them. Still one of the most solid playlists on the website.

[@TOMSCOTTYTP]

i always love when youtubers reference themself in the description.

[@MOONSUN4Life]

Desmond, oh, Desmond! That big, furry ball of heart-melting adorableness! I love that you left the whole popcorn-popping bit in there... The topics you cover are what initially drew me to your channel and keep me coming back, but it's those random, candid moments that really make your video essays unique. This was another great video, and while I don't plan on writing a video essay in the foreseeable future, I feel that a lot of the advice you give here can be useful to writers in general. I would love more of that type of content. 14:47 Charlie, dude, that sh!t was subliminal. I'd have missed it if I had blinked at that exact moment... Don't fight the Nerd in you, man, it just creates unnecessary tension.

[@davidlivingston4203]

Just found you, and love your takes on life and culture. Great stuff, happy to subscribe.

[@cencent2189]

I 100% agree with the part of being approachable and I think it also helps improve in my Academic learning experience with professors that feel approachable instead of monoliths of knowledge

[@pennyforyourthots]

"Monoliths of knowledge" sounds like a killer band name though.

[@abandonedmuse]

You are a wonderful teacher. A lot of these I knew, but it’s so much nicer to have validation of my ideas. I just need to start.

[@sanyal90]

There are so many things this helped me with and when I finally finish my first video essay in the next 20 years, it will only be because of you

[@wordswordseverywhere9113]

All I could think of during this was how my copy of Zone One would be the same distance from the right as your edition is from the left on your bookshelf if you are ordering books by colour. Great video though, love it. A+

[@SwaggestNico]

Wow super helpful!!! I was in the middle of a video essay I'm excited to finish and this was super helpful in making me motivated and editing the script! Seems like I took some of the tips and hopefully it'll pop up in your recommendations 😅 love your vids!

[@Vritzien]

This video is super insightful! I’ll be sure to keep these in mind while working on my projects! Thank you so much!!

[@Hugex97]

BTW, I love the way in which you added chapters to your videos. They make sense after you watch the chapter and they are so funny. I´ll steal that lol

[@mishaf19]

I always had an idea for a video essay, and it fascinates me, but I’m not old enough to have moved out of my parents place so I can’t pull it off, but I just want to mention it. I always wondered if people can become truly satisfied of their own accord with something, or if outside stimuli force us into accepting something. I wanted to frame it as myself moving into an apartment and being tasked with decorating it, and chronicling me moving older items, buying new ones, stressing over what I should or shouldn’t put up, double guessing, tearing down and destroying items, getting burned out and putting it on hold, being called away to other activities, and end with the apartment no where near close to what my original “dream” of what the apartment would be, but living my life “ok” with what it is. Seemingly from the outside satisfied, with no will to change my incomplete home, yet still understanding that this is wrong. I think it’d be a cool journey/metaphor for regret. Maybe doing the video essay when I move to college and submitting it as a film project in my senior year might be cool. Just thought I’d mention it since I put some thought into it.

[@quinlanbaylor]

The recipe structure of this video is so on point! Definitely referring to this vid for future video essays

[@PhtevenPineapple]

You are so brave to post this. You’ve disillusioned me to your you process and I was honestly annoyed to see your formula play out in front of me. Only for a moment. Because you have bettered my life in the long run and I will be grateful for opening the curtain for us

[@notarabbit1752]

I'm a Math/CS guy so instead of making arguments I'm interested in exploratory stuff where you go through the process of trying to solve a problem. I'm guessing most of this advice still applies, but there aren't as many examples to follow.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Incredible noteworthy Examples for Good-Faith-Criticism Essays: Jay Exci covered Doctor Who, Hbomberguy covered both RWBY and Sherlock (and in fact, his whole channel is all about Essays he calls Measured Responses and they're all epic) and Madocate did The Flash.

[@poeterritory]

Surprisingly helpful information. Thanks. I really think the "tell a story" tip can be applied to so many things.

[@schneeraizor7020]

"i know you have something unique to say, you just have to figure it out how it is." this is the best quote i have hear in a while. im really thankful for this video. i wanted to create a video essays of animes for a while. this is really helpful for me. thank you so much

[@Bumblenut]

Insanely helpful!! I hope you can go into detail on your video making process as well? Like how you handle doing multiple games and stuff like that to become a better content creator

[@BurnBluefireK]

I've been wanting to write video essays with my partner for quite a while. The two of us are great with ideas and impromptu communication but were totally lost in formalizing and structuring our thoughts. This has been a really helpful guide! Thank you.

[@NIGHTTIMEstudio]

Thank you so much for this! I'm a small fashion video essayist and I believe this will help me improve my product tremendously.

[@Alkeeros]

A well put together video, and a very lovely kitty. You can tell he's been soothed by the comfy voice work you do. It's given me something to consider should I ever attempt to craft something on KZbin

[@GreenDM]

I don't make video essays, but these steps still help with the creation of my own style of videos! Thanks for the insights!

[@MainelyMandy]

What a fantastic video! It had a bit of meta-ness to it (which is something I always enjoy), great information (I especially liked number 7 as that's something I work really hard on both to make my videos accessible and fun to watch), and cute cats! Also, is that a sword earing??!!

[@zoe_bee]

Yes, they ARE sword earrings! (because....y'know... the pen is mightier than the sword....)

[@MainelyMandy]

@@zoe_bee yes! I love it! You are so fashionable!

[@hive_indicator318]

Crap. I had an essay on the film *Memento* that I was supposed to write for a college class almost 20 years ago, but could never figure out how to do it. You've helped me figure it out. It needs to be a video. Well, poop. Never wanted to make one, but I really think my perspective on this flick is unique. Guess I gotta now.

[@altyrrell3088]

Go for it. Let yourself fail; it's practice for the next try. When you make one that's good enough (not perfect), then upload it. Maybe ask Zoe to watch it first and see what she thinks. I've never seen Memento, but I watch reviews for movies I've never seen. I'd like to hear what you have to say.

[@masonator4032]

Memento is an awesome movie, when the essay dropping?

[@alexiskaas907]

Watching this video and she says "130K subscribers" then looking down and the number is 280K. Best feeling ever! Keep it up Zoe Bee you're amazing!

[@2ArtistsEXPlain]

Thank you so much for creating this video. It honestly could not have entered my life at a better time! I've just written my script and I'm pretty proud of what I want to say... but finding how to deliver it was my biggest problem! You've given me a lot to think about.

[@zoe_bee]

Glad it was helpful!

[@2ArtistsEXPlain]

@@zoe_bee - I wanted to follow up because this video was what pushed me to create my channel. I now recommend this video to friends who want to get started. Your tips were (and are!) so helpful and I just wanted to say thank you. :)

[@mxbvibes]

Subbed in the first 20 seconds… thanks for the content and tips 🙌🏽

[@daczimek]

what you shared about your editor and the perspective on the show as an experience sounds a lot like john deweys art as experience!!! It's such an awesome concept and I had to write a paper on it in uni :)

[@nickbecerra9580]

Very insightful video! You make writing video sound fun

[@robertprueter3292]

Hell ya I want more content creating and writing tips, fascinating stuff

[@C4s4ndr4]

I loved this and would love to learn more about how to research and write the essay part. My schooling never taught me that I'd love to learn it.

[@HKG432]

yo this was so helpful! thank you so much!

[@mylesmwalkerjr]

Hmmm This video has already given me some ideas of what I'm gonna do for a Video Essay and I don't even have the right camera equipment or even taking a College Course for it, thank you Zoe

[@antispeedrun]

Data is literally my favorite of all of Abby's videos, at least in the sense of being the most well-made. I think some of her others have had a lot more of a personal impact, but, it was really cool to see the clip rolling here and immediately be like, "oh, yep. That one, hell yeah" before you even described the video. :)

[@dramallama9564]

I would love to see a video on how your research topics, your thoughts on quality control and how you determine which sources are the best to use.

[@amaralfqzextra8802]

I found your channel for the video about pokémon (which for some reason appeared on home) and now I'm marathoning your channel, your content is amazing, i recommended to all my friends

[@ciaduck]

Here's a shocker: I didn't formally learn "editing" until my masters program. It was a mindblowing experience. As someone who was "too terse" in writing through undergrad, it became valuable when I needed to suddenly find the most clear and concise form of a sentence. School failed me in so many ways.

[@slevinchannel7589]

Incredible noteworthy Examples for Good-Faith-Criticism Essays: Jay Exci covered Doctor Who, Hbomberguy covered both RWBY and Sherlock (and in fact, his whole channel is all about Essays he calls Measured Responses and they're all epic) and Madocate did The Flash.

[@violettracey]

Thank you! This is very helpful!

[@TwoSugarsandMilk201]

Thank you for this video!!!!!! I’ve had a bit of a creators block recently and find it hard to start planning a video now. I always try to do too much for one video

[@ThorirLenvik]

Thanks! This was very inspiring and helpful! Maybe I should try...

[@Eliasstatis2341]

I'm so excited for this video your channel is so good

[@LilayM]

I'd happily watch more about video essay creation, if you're inclined to make it : ) Good stuff, this. I've been gearing up to making video essays for a while now, so this is pretty helpful.

[@bulliemthembu5846]

I had an English Teacher just like you growing up called Holly Smith. Thanks to the clear, creative and passionate examples both of you used, I was able to turn a curiosity about words into a 1 hour rap show. Thank you (did I did it right?)

[@thelourdelovesyou]

Very useful, thanks for sharing!

[@suddenlyezra5782]

I've wanted to do video essays since the dawn of KZbin (my first video ever was 2008). And then when it took off I was unable to do it. Lately I've had big ideas, and now I see my problem was literally thinking too big. (it feels impossible because I'm giving myself too much work, not because others are inherently that much better than me.) And that makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

[@assortedgem219]

Even if I don't think I would make video essays, I still stayed throughout the entire video. Thanks for this!

[@Deptosbooking]

Thanks for your entusiasm. I'm almost a proffesor of literature (in spanish), I'm waiting for the aprobal of my thesis. I'm going to start a chanel to share the ideas that I found fascinating. You helped me a lot with this advice; technically, but also, emotionally. Thanks!

[@leahaawhy1633]

This video is mad helpful litteraly while listening to it I found my video essay main question !!!!

[@ashtonsgotsauce9981]

the first time i heard the advice of taking off layers while performing was from KRS-One. It caught me pleasantly by surprise when your started talking about your punk musician editor lmao

[@itsdavidmora]

Super helpful, thank you! I'm really grateful to learn from a creator who's far ahead of me! Love the point about "the medium is the message", but I suspect you could have take it much further: McLuhan, in my imperfect understanding, wasn't creating trying to be hyperbolic and actually meant "the medium *affects* the message" as you say here. Instead, he literally meant that, on a society-wide level, the medium delivers a message about about how life works, what matters, & what is true that far outweighs any individual idea expressed on it. One can be understated, over-scoped, slow, writer-like, etc on KZbin even though the medium isn't made for it. But KZbin *as a whole* creates a society where we come to believe things like: education should be entertaining, truth must be well packaged, what's new is what is important etc. McLuhan wasn't talking so much about KZbin's affect on what you make, so much as KZbin's affect on how we perceive reality. Or so I understood him. :D Haha, sorry to knit pick, I just am really fascinated by this phrase and couldn't help but share :P

[@SebiStr99]

I had no intent of making a video essay and don't have time to do it either, but this was really interesting to watch (and I kinda wanna do something now)

[@no_categories]

Thank you so much for making this video. I'm an experienced writer, just starting out on KZbin, so I especially liked your comparisons between writing and the video medium. Many principles apply to both: know your audience, find your voice, etc. (I would even say that "don't sound too academic" ought to apply in writing more than it does, especially in academia.) If you make any more meta-KZbin videos, I'll be sure to gobble them up, but please don't slide all the way down the slippery slope into becoming a full-time meta-KZbinr. They're like gaming reviews -- so very plentiful! Anyway, I'm off to go watch the videos and channels you mentioned here. Thanks, and please give some pets to your cameo kitty.

[@sophiethepegasus]

Watching this like I have never known anything ever in my life. LOVE this stuff.

[@TheSunGamer101]

I have to say, I think Olsen’s strange amalgam of documentary and video essay has made him the best video essayist on the platform (no shade, I love you and others). I don’t know how much it’s replicable, because it looks to require a pretty high production value, but I’d love to see more in that vein