If you’re not familiar with the work of Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou, I apologise in advance – because I’m about to introduce you to some of the best video essays about the art of filmmaking that exist on the internet – and also hit you with the news that this is it.
There aren’t going to be any more.
Since 2014, Every Frame A Painting has been teaching us about the techniques the masters use to create truly spectacular films. Here’s six examples of their most popular work.
Jackie Chan – How To Do Action Comedy
Some filmmakers can do action. Others can do comedy. But for 40 years, the master of combining them has been Jackie Chan. Let’s see how he does it.
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The Marvel Symphonic Universe
Off the top of your head, could you sing the theme from Star Wars? How about James Bond? Or Harry Potter? But here’s the kicker: can you sing any theme from a Marvel film? Despite 13 films and 10 billion dollars at the box office, the Marvel Cinematic Universe lacks a distinctive musical identity or approach. So let’s try to answer the question: what is missing from Marvel music?
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Edgar Wright – How to Do Visual Comedy
If you love visual comedy, you gotta love Edgar Wright, one of the few filmmakers who is consistently finding humor through framing, camera movement, editing, goofy sound effects and music. This is an analysis and appreciation of one of our finest comedic voices.
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Akira Kurosawa – Composing Movement
Can movement tell a story? Sure, if you’re as gifted as Akira Kurosawa. More than any other filmmaker, he had an innate understanding of movement and how to capture it onscreen. Join me today in studying the master, possibly the greatest composer of motion in film history.
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David Fincher – And the Other Way is Wrong
For sheer directorial craft, there are few people working today who can match David Fincher. And yet he describes his own process as “not what I do, but what I don’t do.” Join me today in answering the question: What does David Fincher not do?
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Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag
Before Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson, before Chuck Jones and Jackie Chan, there was Buster Keaton, one of the founding fathers of visual comedy. And nearly 100 years after he first appeared onscreen, we’re still learning from him. Today, I’d like to talk about the artistry (and the thinking) behind his gags.
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The reason for the series ending is “nothing sinister – we just decided to end it, rather than keep on making stuff.”
In a final farewell, the duo left some cool tips for budding YouTube creators – it’s worth taking a look at.
“Thank you all for watching and supporting us over the past three years. We can never express what an amazing experience this has been and how much this has meant to us. We hope that this script may help someone somewhere. Just liked we hoped the videos would,” Ramos and Zhou say.
“Maybe we’ll see you for the next project. But for now: My name is Tony and my name is Taylor, and this concludes Every Frame a Painting.”
Thank you, Tony and Taylor.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2016/02/every-frame-a-painting-explores-character-reverse-shots-withjoel-ethan-coen/” thumb=”https://img.youtube.com/vi/5UE3jz_O_EM/0.jpg” title=”Every Frame A Painting Explores Character Reverse Shots With Joel And Ethan Coen” excerpt=”The latest episode of Every Frame A Painting has dropped, and Tony Zhu has taken a deep dive into Joel and Ethan Coen’s work on shots and reverse shots, and how it’s used to convey the film’s story.”]
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2016/01/every-frame-a-painting-shows-why-ensemble-staging-is-a-lost-art-in-film/” thumb=”https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/549285272_640.jpg” title=”Every Frame A Painting Shows Why Ensemble Staging Is A Lost Art In Film” excerpt=”Tony Zhou is back with a new episode of Every Frame A Painting, this time looking at how directors can use ensemble staging to their advantage when it comes to conveying the story in a scene.”]
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2015/11/every-frame-a-painting-explain-why-buster-keaton-is-still-a-classic-2/” thumb=”https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/544884157_640.jpg” title=”Every Frame A Painting Explains Why Buster Keaton Is Still A Classic” excerpt=”Every Frame a Painting is a fantastic look at film and how it’s constructed. Now, Tony Zhou has put together a new video essay, this time looking at how Buster Keaton’s works have endured for over a century.”]