VIDEO FORMATS

1. top rated videos

1.1. 7 wine facts and myths

1.1.1. channel: Reactions (show that uncovers the chemistry all around us, created by a team of people and produced by the American Chemical Society)

1.1.1.1. chaotic channel

1.1.2. video with many movements, very quick voice, a lot of graphics

1.1.3. positive aspect: videos of real situations; negative aspect: sometimes content is squeezed under "overdone" elements, such as graphics etc.

1.1.4. well done shooting

1.1.5. video "challenger": How to curve a ball backwards using science ft. FYFD

1.1.5.1. the way of presenting content is more targeted; value-added and balanced use of video footage also with drone, interviews, animations, graphs

1.2. How Houdini DIED

1.2.1. channel: SmarterEveryDay (created by an engineer who started making videos to explore the world using science)

1.2.2. interesting historical reference

1.2.3. amateurish video style: hand-held camera, no dedicated microphones (also when the presenter interacts with experts)

1.2.4. slow motion mode often used when focusing on experiments

1.2.5. classical music backing

1.2.6. better organised structure (also comparing to other channel videos)

1.2.7. video "challenger": 5 Science Tricks w/ Explanation

1.3. What if the Earth were Hollow?

1.3.1. channel: MinutePhysics (an educational YouTube channel created by Henry Reich)

1.3.2. after the explanation the sheet is torn up and the man who is drawing shows up

1.3.3. fantastic narration

1.3.4. after the explanation the sheet is torn up and the man who is drawing shows up

1.3.5. risk of distraction

1.3.6. alternating several modes of representing content: drawings, photographs, video footage

1.3.7. another interesting video: How to See Without Glasses

1.3.8. video "challenger": Motion in a Straight Line: Crash Course Physics #1

1.3.8.1. more "traditional" lecture format, focused on content; the presenter is more a teacher / guide rather that an animator as in the minutephysics video

1.4. The NEW Periodic Table Song

1.4.1. channel: AsapSCIENCE ( YouTube channel about science created by Canadian YouTubers Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown)

1.4.2. hand-drawn and recorded in stop motion + concrete element from the real world

1.4.3. short videos (mostly of about 3mins.)

1.4.4. well-known song, easy to memorize

1.4.5. video "challenger": Why Age? Should We End Aging Forever?

1.4.5.1. offering a more advaced knowledge level, more peculiar topic, value-added animations

1.5. Can you solve this?

1.5.1. channel: Veritasium - channel of science and engineering videos featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science (with a sort of editor in chief)

1.5.2. interesting features

1.5.2.1. engagement of other people that show up in the video (e.g. ordinary people) and of video watchers, that are stimulated by the question asked

1.5.2.2. spectacular effects various types of equipment (e.g. gopro, gingle/tripod for smartphone), multi-operator framing, stop motion

1.5.2.3. solutions explained through many examples to support learning

1.5.3. videos are recorded in a captivating context /scenario

1.5.4. substantial directing and video editing expertise

1.5.5. captivating (smiling & self-confident) presenter

1.6. Bowling in Slow Motion with Blue Man Group

1.6.1. channel: The Slow Mo Guys (award-winning science and technology entertainment web series created by Gavin Free, starring himself and Daniel Charles Gruchy and produced by Rooster Teeth Productions)

1.6.2. value added: comic perfomers

1.6.3. painstaking indoor videos

1.6.4. YouTube style enhanced with narration in order to keep user's attention

1.6.5. video "challenger": Explosions of Color: Skateboarding in Slow Motion

1.6.5.1. artistic ("canvas") dimension

1.7. What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler

1.7.1. 3D animation techniques

1.7.2. explaining an abstract concept through narration

1.7.3. If superpowers were real: Super strength - Joy Lin

1.7.3.1. cartoon technique to explain physics concepts

1.7.4. users' identification with real-life situations

1.7.5. video challenger: Pixar in a Box: Introduction to Storytelling (Khan Academy Labs)

1.7.5.1. alternating storytelling and chunks of animated films

1.8. The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens?

1.8.1. channel: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (Munich-based YouTube channel and design studio. The YouTube channel focuses on producing animated educational content; Kurzgesagt also creates videos and other design projects for companies, charities, and institutions)

1.8.2. aiming at the widest audience (popularization)

1.8.3. sophisticated graphics (many references to cinema/animations)

1.8.4. focuses more on attacting the widest possible audience rather than on conveying the core content

1.8.5. the issue: compromise between autoritative content and compelling style

1.8.6. video on the channel are developed for various funder /customers; that has an impact on the content narrative / style (e.g. more in-depth content at The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection the immune system explained). Caveat: wich autoritativeness / sources for the content?

1.8.7. video "challenger": Gravitationswellen - Wellen in der Raumzeit

1.8.7.1. plain, and clearly explained content,, focus on content rather than on graphics, autoritative source (Max Plank Gesellschaft)

2. Group activity: METID people are divided into groups of 3-4 people each. Each group has to explore a specific YouTube channel (45 mins) and to choose the best video along with another video "challenger"

3. food for thought

3.1. it is important to consider both the aim of the video and the aim of the video context

3.2. purposes of explored videos (beyond providing analytical explanations)

3.2.1. providing analytical explanations

3.2.2. supporting memorization of concepts

3.2.2.1. e.g. The NEW Periodic Table Song (Updated)

3.2.3. stimulating direct experience

3.2.3.1. e.g. How to See Without Glasses

3.2.4. sparking reflection / curiosity

3.2.4.1. e.g. Why Age? Should We End Aging Forever?

3.3. anatomy of videos

3.3.1. a "hook" is often used to catch people's attention

3.3.1.1. e.g. starting with a question, starting with an unusual or interesting object or fact; leveraging aesthetic / artistic appeal

3.3.2. mix of content formats

3.3.2.1. e.g. outdoor video footage, lab footage, footage of text content real-life objects combined with graphics, 3D, photographs, video footage of software, storytelling

3.3.2.1.1. sometimes the mix is overdone (reduced learning effectiveness), e.g. Fried Chicken’s Deliciousness, Explained

3.4. technical aspects: steadycam and drones for outdoor footage, slow motion

3.5. accessibility - design for all: e.g. video transcripts, text readability (font size and contrast), content accassibility on mobile devices (e.g. smartphone, tablet)

3.5.1. relevant to delivered quality of video

3.5.2. caveat: unreadable material from content experts can not be accepted for video production and has to be redone (negotiating who is in charge of it)

3.5.3. caveat: sometimes (rarely) the message can be conveyed by the general pattern instead than by reading the details

3.6. any content that can not be effectively conveyed in video format has to be delivered in other formats