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doorbloggr · 1 year

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Long Form YouTube Videos: Documentaries and Video Essays

Thursday 8/12/22

Media Recommendations #41

Content:

The History of Wii Sports Resort Golf World Records (Summoning Salt)

Disney Channel's Theme - A History Mystory (Defunctland)

The Line Goes Up (Folding Ideas)

Treasure Planet - Disney's Biggest Mistake (Breadsword)

YouTube and new TV

YouTube is one of, if not the most popular ways to engage in video media in the modern age. I am in my mid-20s now, and I do not watch broadcast television at all. Subscription services like Netflix and Disney+ have meant that users can now curate their watching experiences, watching what they want, when they want, instead of having to watch for a certain time of day for a show to air.

Netflix is a giant in today's media consumption

Unlike these other subscription services, YouTube is a user driven site and thrives off the very low bar of entry for creators. All you need is a camera, and/or microphone, and a computer. This means that videos can be and are about anything. Videos of people playing videogames, rating their personal preferences of foods, tourist commentary, chemical demonstrations, original animation and music, or just educating other on your favourite things.

Some of my favourite Youtube Media. Clockwise from the top left: NileRed, SoloTravelBlog, LunaiMooney, TerminalMontage

Getting paid for your creations on YouTube is a tricky topic I do not want to get into deep today, but to get to today's topic, there is a sweetspot of length. A very short video does not pay well, and a very long video does not either. And it is tragic that longer videos do not get the recognition, reward, and engagement they deserve, because I have recently become very aware of how good the long form video catalogue is on YouTube these days.

Long Form Video Content

Now it can be quite easy to make a long video, but what I'm talking about today is beyond just stream archives and let's play compilations. I'm talking about feature length discussions of topics that the creators are passionate about and have put their passion into. In the early phase of planning this article, I came across two terms to describe my taste: Video Essays, and Documentaries. And there is a difference.

Now, Documentaries exist as a broad appealing form of media outside of YouTube. But the difference between a David Attenborough narrated exploration of nature and an explanation of the history of speedrunning a Wii game is resources and interest. The BBC would not greenlight funding for a History of Speedrunning, because it is a niche topic that will not have the broad appeal necessary to return on the cost to make that documentary at a BBC level budget. But just because it does not have mass appeal, does not mean it doesn't have appeal. The reason why I'm writing this article is because these are topics that will engage a niche audience, and these videos would not exist without the passion of the creators.

GenoSamuel's documentary of ChrisChan is a very unique case of something that can only exist on the internet.

The point of a documentary is to document. It is a presentation of collected facts, with little room for interpretation other than the presentation itself. BBC's Blue Planet is not a narrative any more than the the History of Wii Sports Resort Golf Speedrunning is. They are a curated presentation of knowledge on the topic that is enjoyable because it is easier to enjoy in one complete package rather than the interested party having to seek out and consume the scattered information themselves.

A Video Essay on the other hand is exactly what the name suggests, it is an essay in video form. It is the creator making an analysis or argument on a topic, often by dividing their video into sections, presenting information supporting their point of view. Video Essays are often more emotion driven, targeting the viewer's empathy to support the creator's opinion, either by making them happy, sad, or angry with the information presented. Video Essays do not exist as a popular form of media outside of YouTube, since their scholarly/professional equivalent are written essays. The idea of the Video Essay is not unique to YouTube but it is the best platform for independent long-form media. On the internet, there's an audience for everything, and a someone willing to present their opinion on it.

Contrapoints is a trans video essayist that discusses societal values, politics, ethics, and trans rights.

It might be my personal taste evolving, but even if YouTube doesn't financially support the models of Documentaries and Video Essays, the rise of crowd funding e.g. Patreon, has meant that the model becomes more feasible, and as a result, the general quality and variety of good long form videos has increased on the platform. So I'm take a bit of more of your time to recommend some of my favourite creator's of such media, and my favourite videos they've made.

Documentary Recommendations

The History of Wii Sports Resort Golf World Records

Summoning Salt

youtube

Summoning Salt is a historian of videogame speedrunning. To the outside observer, speedrunning may not seem like a topic that needs or lends itself well to documentation, but in reality it works very well. Since Speedrunning works around reporting your records via footage, there is lots of footage to demonstrate the topic. And if you fear getting lost in the jargon of techniques, Summoning Salt is very good at explaining the runs in laymen's terms. His sound design, narration, and how the video is formatted makes it easy to follow a topic, and the Documentaries go at fast enough pace that you never feel bored down by unnecessary detail.

The video that introduced me to Summoning Salt and the true depths of speedrunning was their video on Wii Sports Resort Golf. It was a tale of competitive spirit, flukes of ingenuity, and tenacity. What was one person's whim became a series of trials for many. How far can you stretch the technical ability and exploits of a Wii Motion Control Game? Very far it turns out. At 36 minutes, it is a shorter doco, a great introduction to Summoning Salt and his genre. It is a gripping tale that I implore you to experience for yourself.

Disney Channel's Theme - A History Mystery

Defunctland

youtube

Defunctland is a historian on theme parks, children's media projects, movies, and shows. Their origin was in extinct theme parks, but the breadth of topics discussed has expanded. While theme parks documentaries are not an uncommon subject area on YouTube, nobody does their research quite as thoroughly or directly as Defunctland. Much of the information presented in their works are things the creator had found out themselves via interviews with involved parties, or trudging through deep internet archives, all to put together complete packages.

The first video I watched of theirs is the latest (at time for writing) and is a story of how Defunctland found out who wrote the theme song for the Disney Channel. Given it is only a four note melody, it seems like it would not be difficult to find, but there are several layers of intricacies about channel tones, Disney's marketing teams, and composers that make this a very long journey. It is an emotional tale that does great tribute to those artists involved. Do watch!

Video Essay Recommendations

The Line Goes Up

Folding Ideas

youtube

Folding Ideas is a documentarian who discusses ideas that often affect society at large. Some topics are meta discussions of how to make media online and analysis of certain media products, others are societal level analysis of phenomena such as Flat Earthers. Folding Ideas has a sort of university lecture style presentation unique to Video Essays, where a large part of the video actually features the speaker in frame, while images and videos are used secondarily to better demonstrate his points. Folding Ideas videos are very long, but easy to follow; any concept brought up during explanations is quickly explained in layman's terms, so the entire essay can be followed.

The video that introduced me to Folding Ideas was their 2 hour explanation of NFTs, which also explored market capitalism, cryptocurrency and Web3. It is a Video that can be enjoyed in the background of other tasks, but I advised that for a first watch, you may want to set aside a couple hours near bedtime to sit down and absorb the explanation. Like many other Folding Ideas videos, it is overall neutral on the topic itself, but he is not afraid to make clear his stance on what he thinks of cryptocurrency and NFTs. If the NFT craze passed you by and you had no idea what any of it meant, this is THE source to educate yourself on what it all means, and why it is so bad.

Treasure Planet - Disney's Biggest Mistake

Breadsword

youtube

Breadsword is not your typical video essayist, I would describe them more as a story teller. Breadsword's target content is nostalgia bait for people who enjoy feel good media, be that older anime, disney and dream works movies from the 90s and early 00s, or even videogames. The videos of Breadsword are a love letter and analysis of childhood memories, stories from their internal development, deeper meanings, and why we should (or do) enjoy these pieces.

The first video I watched of Breadsword was their exploration of Treasure Planet, one of the last 2D Disney feature-length films. The video is both an exploration of all the technical and narrative techniques that made this movie great and how Disney tried to sabotage its success. Breadsword makes the argument that since movies like Treasure Planet are so technically demanding, and 3D animation was on the rise, Disney wanted the film to fail, so they had the excuse to change medium. It is an emotional story and a heartbreaking one, and Breadsword tells it very well.

Thanks for Reading

The irony of my article about Long YouTube Videos being very long was not lost on me, and I understand that this length will be intimidating to readers. I will not expect a lot, if any, to read the while post, but if you did, and you're reading this, thank you so much.

Like many YouTube creators, my input on this blog is for the benefit of my creativity first, and if it turns out others enjoy it, then that's fantastic. If you want to see what my other recommendations are, I have a list of them in pinned post on this blog.

#Youtube #blog #blogpost #media recommendations #video essay #documentary recommendations #documentary #youtubers #folding ideas #defunctland #breadsword #summoning salt #genosamuel #contrapoints #long post

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toiletpotato · 3 months

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The Sit In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show is an incredibly captivating documentary that discusses both a week in US television history, late night television, the Civil Rights Movement, and so much more.

The centrepiece/focal point of the documentary is the week that Harry Belafonte (pictured above) hosted The Tonight Show (as a guest host, at the time it was hosted by Johnny Carson), the guests he had on (including Dr. King!), and the television landscape at the time and afterwards (such as discussing a lack of Black and other marginalized voices in late night programming today).

It is a very approachable piece, you do not need to know much about the topic in order to learn from the documentary. Though it would be beneficial to know what The Tonight Show is (a late night chat show currently hosted by Jimmy Fallon) and who Dr. King is (an incredibly significant figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. It would also be beneficial to know that his image today has been very sanitised).

I think that the documentary provides a good understanding as to how systemic racism has been intertwined into nearly every system/institution. If you are looking to have a documentary double feature, I would recommend Stamped from the Beginning, based on the book of the same name, as it provides a more direct history and background on just how pervasive racism is (and how race was invented).

#documentary recommendations

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julykings · 1 year

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a messy drawing inspired by a beautiful film

#ok i know its like two weeks late but i made a little piece for the little prompt i posted #inspired by the documentary Fire of Love which i recommend to everyone #mine #art #fire of love

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filmsoftheflesh · 2 years

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Emily St. James on Frankenstein, specifically the 1931 James Whale movie, in Queer for Fear: the History of Queer Horror episode two.

#edit: I don't recommend this miniseries but i liked this bit here #frankenstein #james whale #emily st. james #queer for fear #queer for fear: the history of queer horror #caps #tv #documentary #horror #queer horror #2022 #2020s #30s #1931 #miniseries

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ms-hells-bells · 7 months

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discovered an amazing youtube channel called real horror, who does history and crime videos. she only has a few videos on her channel, as she has a full time museum job, and she researches, script writes, narrates, and edits the videos all herself, but she's incredible. her voice is so soothing and smooth, and she is super respectful of any topic she talks about, always getting permission from relatives, or contacting the relevant people to get the facts (if they wish to give them).

but what drives me insane, and seemingly her from a few comments i have seen her make, is that a ton of the comments praise the work of 'the channel creator', but presume that she, the narrator, is not the channel creator and script writer. the say stuff like 'your videos are amazing! and i love the voice of the narrator', and just very clearly viewing the channel owner and narrator as two distinct entities. when she clarifies that it's all her, they're surprised.

you NEVER see this on faceless narrated male documentary style channels. it's presumed until otherwise said that they are the ones who also researched and wrote everything. but for her, they immediately think that a man is running the channel, and she's just a hired voice for a script a man wrote. it's wild to see.

#anyways i highly recommend her #if you like history and true crime but hate the spectacle and glorifying of cases #and like seeing rarely spoken about events covered #and like the bbc documentary style british female voice #you'll love the channel #she only has like 6 videos over two years #but as of recently she's been looking at potentially increasing activity due to the success of the channel

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wigglybunfish · 2 months

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Some outfit exploration for my OC Chime, a Tibetan nomad! She's the best lil guy for me to play around with the concept of lengthy braids that can be wrapped around your neck. Technically a women's chuba (Tibetan robe) goes down to one's feet, but Chime only has access to the one from her childhood, so it's easily mistaken as men's :D (oh, and the gas mask? don't worry about it<3

#COUGH COUGH I HAVE. A FEVER #anyway #I drew this some weeks ago and I have nothing to do now so. I release this into the wild #watched so many documentaries on Tibet and fell through so many online article rabbit holes #it was fun #also if you haven't seen the Nepali movie Karma I highly recommend it #it has nunnery friendship and adorable old women #ily gramma with the fruit basket #posting oc art. embarrassing.#uuh lets see #bunfish ocs #sonam chime #wigglybunfish #nomad goatherd star

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catabasis · 5 months

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David Tennant in Talking Doctor Who (2023)

#doctor who #david tennant #dwedit #timelordgifs #davidtennantedit #davidtennantedits #dtennantedit #talking doctor who #i watched this documentary today and it was delightful i highly recommend it #happy 60th anniversary to doctor who!#dtedit #mygifs #mygifs:doctorwho #mygifs:davidtennant

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marisatomay · 7 months

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Been listening to books about the Salem witch trials and it’s so weird to me that there’s this prevailing narrative where people think of Salem as “oh they were deluded primitive folk who believed in witchcraft lol” when there are contemporary documents where prominent people said the accusers and the court (which hadn’t followed standard legal procedures even for that time) were committing crimes so grievous it would forever be a stain on New England

#i really recommend the first season of the documentary podcast ‘unobscured’#it goes into great detail the interpersonal relationships and perfect storm politically economically socially and spiritually #that led to the trials #and features extensive interviews with six of the leading historians on the trials and colonial new england

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worstloki · 2 months

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love the idea of the Avengers adding new members but being stingy about rooms so the OG Avengers each get their own but Bucky and Loki are forced to share one under the guise of it being 'healthy interaction'

#Bucky and Loki being friends but in a weird way and now Thor is concerned like 'i don't recognise my brother anymore T-T'#and Steve is grimacing and sighing like 'my chemical romance isn't that bad Thor you just have to acquire the taste'#Bucky and Loki bunking in a room together and people just forgot to give them a second bed but it's ok because they both sleep on the floor #they wake each other up from nightmares and when it's done/conscious they look at each other in slight alarm and just give '👍❓❗' '👍👍❓'#aggressive thumbs up before returning to bed still communicating with thumbs up like 'all good??' 'all good??' 'all good!' 'go sleep?!?'#they both are convinced that oily hair is a way to keep it healthy and dandruff free and like they're not WRONG bc it works for them #but people also hate listening to them corroborate such experiences with each other #like you can't deny their hair is healthy and silky when they wash up and get dressed for something. BUT. STOP TALKING LIKE THAT.#they talk about how the bath they share is so comfortable for two people and it's driving people up a wall #Natasha opens the door and sees Bucky in the dark propped against a wall looking half dead with earphones in #(he is watching a nature documentary Loki recommended)#they bond over times they were being controlled and/or suicidal in Tony's lab and Tony who was working nods along absently long used to it #Tony: ah yeah I have PTSD but im managing it okay for now with meds #Bucky and Loki: *making faces* boo 👎

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fiercynn · 7 months

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queer short film: "راكب راكب إنترنت | wifi rider"

queer short cuts is a biweekly newsletter where i share queer & trans short film recommendations. i'm featuring some of my favorite films on tumblr because why not

youtube

jordan | 13 minutes | 2020 | documentary short audio in arabic; english subtitles embedded

راكب راكب إنترنت | wifi rider, directed by roxy rezvany, introduces us to shukri lawrence, a young, queer palestinian-armenian fashion designer and photographer. shukri, who was born in east jerusalem and now lives in jordan, came to fame through his instagram account @wifirider, which he created as a teenager to share his style, fashion, and takes on pop culture. the film, shot on 16mm, also integrates footage from shukri’s early life as well, with shukri’s voiceover to tell us about his story and the clothing label named trashy clothing that he founded with his co-designer omar braika, who is also palestinian. the displacement and threat of state violence that shukri faces is felt throughout the docu-short; he begins by telling us how as a child he dreamed of moving to france, where he thought he would find freedom from his experience in israel. however, over the course of his adolescence, shukri began to understand that while he, like all palestinians currently, has no real home, he prefers his life to still be grounded in the arab world where he still has community in the palestinian diaspora. - deepa's full review, including content notes at the end

you can also find more of director roxy rezvany's work on her website!

#queer short cuts #queer film #film recommendations #shukri lawrence #trashy clothing #short film #documentary short film #roxy rezvany #palestinian queer film #jordanian queer film #video #undescribed #gay short film

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regulusrules · 11 days

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Yo, I saw your post about orientalism in relation to the "hollywood middle-east" tiktok!

How can a rando and university dropout get into and learn more about? Any literature or other content to recommend?

Hi!! Wow, you have no idea how you just pressed a button. I'll unleash 5+ years on you. And I'll even add for you open-sourced works that you can access as much as I can!

1. Videos

I often find this is the best medium nowadays to learn anything! I'll share with you some of the best that deal with the topic in different frames

• This is a video of Edward Said talking about his book, Orientalism. Said is the Palestinian- American critic who first introduced the term Orientalism, and is the father of postcolonial studies as a critical literary theory. In this book, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the concept and a deconstruction of western stereotypes. It’s very simple and he explains everything in a very easy manner.

• How Islam Saved Western Civilization. A more than brilliant lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda. This, in my opinion, is one of the best lectures that gives credit to this great civilization, and takes you on a journey to understand where did it all start from.

• What’s better than a well-researched, general overview Crash Course about Islam by John Green? This is not necessarily on orientalism but for people to know more about the fundamental basis of Islam and its pillars. I love the whole playlist that they have done about the religion, so definitely refer to it if you're looking to understand more about the historical background! Also, I can’t possibly mention this Crash Course series without mentioning ... ↓

• The Medieval Islamicate World. Arguably my favourite CC video of all times. Hank Green gives you a great thorough depiction of the Islamic civilization when it rose. He also discusses the scientific and literary advancements that happened in that age, which most people have no clue about! And honestly, just his excitement while explaining the astrolabe. These two truly enlightened so many people with the videos they've made. Thanks, @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog

2. Documentaries

• This is an AMAZING documentary called Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies A People by the genius American media critic Jack Shaheen. He literally analysed more than 1000 movies and handpicked some to showcase the terribly false stereotypes in western depiction of Arab/Muslim cultures. It's the best way to go into the subject, because you'll find him analysing works you're familiar with like Aladdin and all sorts.

• Spain’s Islamic Legacy. I cannot let this opportunity go to waste since one of my main scopes is studying feminist Andalusian history. There are literal gems to be known about this period of time, when religious coexistence is documented to have actually existed. This documentary offers a needed break from eurocentric perspectives, a great bird-view of the Islamic civilization in Europe and its remaining legacy (that western history tries so hard to erase).

• When the Moors Ruled in Europe. This is one of the richest documentaries that covers most of the veiled history of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Bettany Hughes discusses some of the prominent rulers, the brilliance of architecture in the Arab Muslim world, their originality and contributions to poetry and music, their innovative inventions and scientific development, and lastly, La Reconquista; the eventual fall and erasure of this grand civilization by western rulers.

3. Books

• Rethinking Orientalism by Reina Lewis. Lewis brilliantly breaks the prevailing stereotype of the “Harem”, yk, this stupid thought westerns projected about arab women being shut inside one room, not allowed to go anywhere from it, enslaved and without liberty, just left there for the sexual desires of the male figures, subjugated and silenced. It's a great read because it also takes the account of five different women living in the middle east.

• Nocturnal Poetics by Ferial Ghazoul. A great comparative text to understand the influence and outreach of The Thousand and One Nights. She applies a modern critical methodology to explore this classic literary masterpiece.

• The Question of Palestine by Edward Said. Since it's absolutely relevant, this is a great book if you're looking to understand more about the Palestinian situation and a great way to actually see the perspective of Palestinians themselves, not what we think they think.

• Arab-American Women's Writing and Performance by S.S. Sabry. One of my favourite feminist dealings with the idea of the orient and how western depictions demeaned arab women by objectifying them and degrading them to objects of sexual desire, like Scheherazade's characterization: how she was made into a sensual seducer, but not the literate, brilliantly smart woman of wisdom she was in the eastern retellings. The book also discusses the idea of identity and people who live on the hyphen (between two cultures), which is a very crucial aspect to understand arabs who are born/living in western countries.

• The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole. This is a great book if you're trying to understand the influence of Islamic culture on Europe. It debunks this idea that Muslims are senseless, barbaric people who needed "civilizing" and instead showcases their brilliant civilization that was much advanced than any of Europe in the time Europe was labelled by the Dark Ages. (btw, did you know that arabic was the language of knowledge at that time? Because anyone who was looking to study advanced sciences, maths, philosophy, astronomy etc, had to know arabic because arabic-speaking countries were the center of knowledge and scientific advancements. Insane, right!)

• Convivencia and Medieval Spain. This is a collection of essays that delve further into the idea of “Convivencia”, which is what we call for religious coexistence. There's one essay in particular that's great called Were Women Part of Convivencia? which debunks all false western stereotypical images of women being less in Islamic belief. It also highlights how arab women have always been extremely cultured and literate. (They practiced medicine, studied their desired subjects, were writers of poetry and prose when women in Europe couldn't even keep their surnames when they married.)

4. Novels / Epistolaries

• Granada by Radwa Ashour. This is one of my favourite novels of all time, because Ashour brilliantly showcases Andalusian history and documents the injustices and massacres that happened to Muslims then. It covers the cultural erasure of Granada, and is also a story of human connection and beautiful family dynamics that utterly touches your soul.

• Dreams of Trespass by Fatema Mernissi. This is wonderful short read written in autobiographical form. It deconstructs the idea of the Harem in a postcolonial feminist lens of the French colonization of Morocco.

• Scheherazade Goes West by Mernissi. Mernissi brilliantly showcases the sexualisation of female figures by western depictions. It's very telling, really, and a very important reference to understand how the west often depicts middle-eastern women by boxing them into either the erotic, sensual beings or the oppressed, black-veiled beings. It helps you understand the actual real image of arab women out there (who are not just muslims btw; christian, jew, atheist, etc women do exist, and they do count).

• Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This is a feminist travel epistolary of a British woman which covers the misconceptions that western people, (specifically male travelers) had recorded and transmitted about the religion, traditions and treatment of women in Constantinople, Turkey. It is also a very insightful sapphic text that explores her own engagement with women there, which debunks the idea that there are no queer people in the middle east.

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With all of these, you'll get an insight about the real arab / islamic world. Not the one of fanaticism and barbarity that is often mediated, but the actual one that is based on the fundamental essences of peace, love, and acceptance.

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doorbloggr · 2 years

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Saturday 4/6/22 - Media Recommendations #34

These past few years have been an exciting time for paleo nerds. The revival of the Jurassic franchise has renewed the public's interest in dinosaurs, and new paleontological discoveries such as the revamping of Spinosaurus, and new understandings of behaviour, integument, and taxonomy are coming out every few months.

But there's this disconnect between what the general public thinks of dinosaurs, and what experts and enthusiasts (like myself) understand. Once upon a time, dinosaur nature documentaries were all the rage. Walking With Dinosaurs was a cultural cornerstone of the turn of the century, but it has been a while since any Dino Doco has had anywhere near the same success.

Fast forward to 2022, and Apple TV presents a BBC series in the style of Planet Earth and Blue Planet, but with dinosaurs, called Prehistoric Planet. And I loved it.

Prehistoric Planet

BBC / Jon Favreau / Mike Gunton

The Pitch

Prehistoric Planet is a 5-part nature documentary, each episode about 45 minutes long. Unlike Walking With Dinosaurs, which explored habitats and species across the Mesozoic period, Prehistoric Planet focuses in on the end of the Cretaceous, around 66 million years ago.

Each episode explores biodiversity in a specific type of habitat;

Coasts

Deserts

Freshwater

Ice World

Forests

Rather than follow a group of animals in one specific locale, each episode will jump around different locations around the world that match the episode's theme. Episode 2 for example gives an insight into deserts in South America, North Africa, and East Asia. This formula allows the documentary team to discuss various species from all across the world.

There's fantastic variety in the species chosen to focus in each episode. With the dinosaurs, of course they have to discuss mainstream fan favourites like Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. But they also discuss species not as well known to the public like Nanuqsaurus, Antarctopelta, and even dinosaurs I hadn't heard of until now, like Zalmoxes.

Something I have seen discussed as somewhat unique to this series, is the spotlight on non-dinosaur animals from this period. Plesiosaurs, frogs, primitive birds, Mosasaurs, Ammonites, and most of all, Pterosaurs. Pterosaurs get a great amount of focus in multiple episodes, and from a variety of groups within Pterosauria; aerial expert Nyctosaurs, impressively decorated Pteranodontids, and the gigantic stalking Azdarchids.

And I can't believe I haven't mentioned it yet, but the documentary is narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and that just ties together the whole package.

My Thoughts

As a fan of anything with David Attenborough, this was an immediate sell for me. The tenderness and wonder in David's voice as he details the mundane and exciting of these extinct animals holds your attention firmly.

The special effects used to create the illusion of these animals interacting with their world is stunning; water splashes and flows as animals move through it, snow and sand shifts against them, leaves are brushed aside. It's expertly done.

Every behaviour and design aspect of the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and the animals they live with is called against direct fossil evidence and further inferred from behaviour and physiology in living animals. Even the most speculative aspects of their design have roots in actual zoology.

Each of the 45 minute episodes are accompanied with a 5 minute behind-the-scenes clip, where palaeontologists who were consulted for the project explain how all decisions made were steeped deeply in real science. These were once living things on this planet, and the way they are depicted, and described by David Attenborough, illustrates this fact.

That last part is probably my favourite aspect of this documentary series, that the dinosaurs and other creatures are treated like animals. They were not blood thirsty monsters that would stop at nothing short of absolute bloodshed. They had families, they would back off if there was too much danger, they were curious about their environment.

It's a shame that dinosaurs have become little more than movie monsters in the eye of today's public, because as Prehistoric Planet shows us, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and all extinct animals were living things, and they were extraordinary.

Credit to tumblr user @bluedaddysgirl for all the gifs used in this post

#blog #blogpost #palaeontology #dinosaurs #media recommendations #apple tv #documentary recommendations #prehistoric planet #david attenborough

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salvadorbonaparte · 4 months

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Broaden Your Horizons 2024

A Non-Fiction Rec List by Salvadorbonaparte

Books

Adventures in Yiddishland: Postvernacular Language and Culture - Jeffrey Shandler

A Good Man in Evil Times: The Heroic Story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes -- The Man Who Saved the Lives of Countless Refugess in World War II - Jose-Alain Fralon, Peter Graham (trans.)

Brief Answers to the Big Questions - Stephen Hawking

Erebus: The Story of a Ship - Michael Palin

Every Word Is A Bird We Teach To Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language - Daniel Tammet

Federico Garcia Lorca: A Life - Ian Gibson

Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in - Roger Fisher, William Ury

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - Malala Yousafzai

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition - Paul Watson

Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny - Amartya Sen

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating - Alan Alda

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism

Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe - Gaston Dorren, Alison Edwards (trans.)