The Video Essay Podcast

The Video Essay Podcast

Interviews with leading critics, filmmakers, scholars and other creators about the craft of videographic criticism. Hosted by Will DiGravio. Learn more at www.thevideoessay.com

  1. 12/31/2025

    Jiří Anger on "Towards a Film Theory from Below: Archival Film and the Aesthetics of the Crack-Up"

    On today's show, Jiří Anger joins to discuss his book, Towards a Film Theory from Below: Archival Film and the Aesthetics of the Crack-Up. We also discuss Jiří's approach to videographic criticism and "The First Frames of Czech Cinema," a video essay created with Adéla Kudlová. [02:15] - Videographic origin story [10:30] - Intro to the book [24:30] - Hybridity & the moving image [29:00] -  Film artifacts and a "theory from below" [34:30] - Jan Kříženecký & "Digital Kříženecký"  [42:00] - Beyond decay [49:00] - Is there a "best quality" version of a film?  [55:30] - "The First Frames of Czech Cinema" [1:01:30] - "The Crack-Up" [1:19:00] - On Deformative Criticism  Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    1h 28m
  2. On the Work of Katie Bird (Chiara Grizzaffi and Annalisa Pellino w/ Kevin B. Lee)

    10/26/2025

    On the Work of Katie Bird (Chiara Grizzaffi and Annalisa Pellino w/ Kevin B. Lee)

    Today's episode of The Video Essay Podcast features a conversation hosted by Kevin B. Lee with Chiara Grizzaffi and Annalisa Pellino, who discuss the videographic work of Katie Bird, including the essay, "With a Camera in Hand, I Was Alive," and in particular Bird's innovative use of a video as a creator's statement. The discussion functions as a companion to the recent conversation on this podcast between Bird and Johannes Binotto.  This episode is the ninth in an ongoing collaboration between The Video Essay Podcast and "The Video Essay: Memories, Ecologies, Bodies," a three-year research project on video essays led by Kevin B. Lee, Locarno Film Festival Professor for the Future of Cinema at USI University of Lugano, with Johannes Binotto and Evelyn Kreutzer, and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Editing by Elsa Despoix. Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    35 min
  3. Katie Bird on Approaches to Videographic Practice

    05/09/2025

    Katie Bird on Approaches to Videographic Practice

    On today's episode, Katie Bird discusses her work and practice in an interview with Johannes Binotto. Much of their conversation centers on Katie's 2023 desktop documentary, "With a Camera in Hand, I Was Alive." Katie and Johannes discuss the potentials of videographic practice, filming oneself as a method of videographic criticism, and her work as an independent scholar and industry professional. Other works discussed include, "young (woman) filmmaker(s)" (2023), "Feeling and Thought as They Take Form: Early Steadicam Labor, Technology, and Style, 1974-1985" (2019), and Katie's research on editing and Gunsmoke.   This episode is the eighth in an ongoing collaboration between The Video Essay Podcast and "The Video Essay: Memories, Ecologies, Bodies," a three-year research project on video essays led by Kevin B. Lee, Locarno Film Festival Professor for the Future of Cinema at USI University of Lugano, with Johannes Binotto and Evelyn Kreutzer, and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    56 min

  4. 05/01/2025

    Jason Mittell on 'The Chemistry of Character in Breaking Bad'

    On today's episode, Jason Mittell joins to discuss his videographic book, The Chemistry of Character in Breaking Bad. The book is the first in a new series of open access, videographic books from Lever Press. Jason joins to discuss the origins of the book and series, the philosophy behind a videographic book, and his longtime interest in alternative, open access forms of digital publishing.  Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Music by Ketsa.

    1h 47m
  5. Episode 7. How to Measure the World - Filmexplorer’s Video Essay Gallery

    12/23/2024

    Episode 7. How to Measure the World - Filmexplorer’s Video Essay Gallery

    Today's episode features the latest collaboration with the Swiss publication, Filmexplorer. For the second time, Filmexplorer has invited guest curators to select video essays to screen as part of their online Video Essay Gallery. In this conversation, Evelyn Kreutzer, Julian Ross, and Volker Pantenburg discuss three videos they curated under the theme, "How to Measure the World." For more, visit filmexplorer.ch. The conversation centers on three works: Volker Pantenburg presents: capricorn sunset [a constellation] (2023) by Johannes Binotto Julian Ross presents: Constant (2022) by Sasha Litvintseva & Beny Wagner Evelyn Kreutzer presents: Xena’s Body: A Menstrual Auto-Investigation Using an iPhone (2024) by Occitane Lacurie Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    36 min
  6. On "Ways of Doing" w/ Lucy Fife Donaldson, Colleen Laird, Dayna McLeod, and Alison Peirse

    12/02/2024

    On "Ways of Doing" w/ Lucy Fife Donaldson, Colleen Laird, Dayna McLeod, and Alison Peirse

    Today's episode features an interview with Lucy Fife Donaldson, Colleen Laird, Dayna McLeod and Alison Peirse on their ongoing series of collaborations and methodological practices, "Ways of Doing." They are interviewed by Kevin B. Lee. This episode is the seventh in an ongoing collaboration between The Video Essay Podcast and "The Video Essay: Memories, Ecologies, Bodies," a three-year research project on video essays led by Kevin B. Lee, Locarno Film Festival Professor for the Future of Cinema at USI University of Lugano, with Johannes Binotto and Evelyn Kreutzer, and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. For more on Ways of Doing, visit their website. Learn more about the Scholarship in Sound & Image Workshop here. Listen to the previous episode with Evelyn Kreutzer and Alan O'Leary, and read a response from Miklós Kiss. Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    1h 8m
  7. Episode 6. Who Owns an Image? - Filmexplorer’s Video Essay Gallery

    10/17/2024

    Episode 6. Who Owns an Image? - Filmexplorer’s Video Essay Gallery

    Today's episode features the latest collaboration with the Swiss publication, Filmexplorer. For the second time, Filmexplorer has invited guest curators to select video essays to screen as part of their online Video Essay Gallery. In this conversation, Evelyn Kreutzer, Julian Ross, and Volker Pantenburg discuss three videos they curated under the theme, "Who Owns an Image?" The conversation centers on the works: A History of the World According to Getty Images, by Richard Misek – 19’ (Evelyn Kreutzer) Maryam Jafri vs Mariam Jafri, by Maryam Jafri – 12’ (Julian Ross) Excerpt from Bitomsky “Das Kino, der Wind und die Photographie” (1991, 55 min), by Hartmut Bitomsky/Volker Pantenburg – 10’ (Volker Pantenburg) Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    48 min

  8. 10/11/2024

    Alice Lenay on Zoom Aesthetics & 'Twisties!'

    Today's episode features a conversation with Alice Lenay, an academic researcher and artist based in Paris. The discussion centers on Alice's recent work Twisties!, made with Théophile Gay-Mazas and recently published in NECSUS. Will and Alice also discuss her ongoing interest in Zoom aesthetics. Learn more about the podcast's collaboration with the Cary Comes Home Festival, and our call for video essays on Cary Grant and the theme of "acrobatics," here. Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more at the pod's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music by Ketsa.

    38 min
See All (73)

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Interviews with leading critics, filmmakers, scholars and other creators about the craft of videographic criticism. Hosted by Will DiGravio. Learn more at www.thevideoessay.com

Information

  • Creator
    The Video Essay Podcast
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Video Essay Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Video Essay Podcast