Investigating Genres

For this blog post, I chose the genre, Video Essay, because I am terrified of this completing this genre for this class. J

1. What purpose does this genre usually serve?

          The Video Essay is generally used to inform the audience of an issue or a concept, and explain it in detail. The examples given introduce a theme like emotion, a favorite piece of literature, or the influence of highly gender specified commercials on young children. Some of these examples made a claim about the issue, and then backed it up with examples and evidence from real commercials. Others simply analyzed a problem and explained it thoroughly. And others simply presented a piece of literature using film instead of paper.

2. Where, how, or in what context do readers usually find this genre?

          Readers can usually find this genre on the internet because it is film. Often social media sites are the fastest ways to share and spread this type of genre, because most people spend at least a little time online every day. This type of outlet can reach thousands of viewers very quickly, as opposed to small screenings around one city, or mailing a DVD to another city for viewing.

3. Who is the typical audience for this genre?

          This genre is more typical for younger audiences rather than older audiences because of the outlet that is used to view it. Younger viewers tend to have a better grasp on how to venture through the Internet and find what they are looking for; therefore, they are more likely to find this video on the internet and view it. While older viewers may still see these videos, it is more likely that younger viewers with more experience using the internet will find and watch this video.

4. What are some of the key characteristics that are unique to this genre, distinguishing it from other texts?

          This genre is unique because it offers something visual and auditory. The essay is simply text, the quick reference guide offers text along with images or graphs, and the podcasts are only auditory. The Video Essay allows the viewer to take in the information visually off the screen, but also through whatever sound is accompanying the video. Information is being interpreted through more than one of the senses, offering a better understanding of the information presented.

5. Based on your answers to the questions above, come up with a definition in your own words for this genre.

          A video essay is similar to a written essay, except it is filmed instead of written. The video essay uses both visual and auditory methods to convey a topic or problem, the context surrounding said topic, and the evidence to back up whatever claims the author is making about it. It is a digital version of the classic essay.

Edit: After reading James' and Amelia's posts, I learned more about the other genres, and what kind of things I should include in my versions of these genres. Now I know what to expect, and I have a better understanding of how much time each genre will take to produce. However, I am still worried about time management because I am not sure how much time the pre-production will take for each project.