Rough Sketches

On this episode of The Observatory, Michael and Jessica discuss two new—and opposing—trends in video. On one hand, ordinary people are capturing raw footage on cell phones during confrontations with police and streaming live views from Black Lives Matter protests and other political events. On the other, filmmakers and designers are “thinking by making,” and offering up eloquent criticism in the form of meticulously edited video essays.

Jessica says:

It’s just emotionally really rewarding to see these things. I think we live in an age where video is so polished and we go to see blockbuster movies and everything’s in 3D and now we’re waiting for augmented reality to hit next. So to see these things that are made by these really thoughtful, intelligent people? I think the world needs a lot more people like Jarrett Fuller and Tony Zhou.

Also discussed:

• Frank Lesser on the Trump convention aesthetic
• The stories of photographer Jonathan Bachman and Ieshia Evans, who he photographed at a Black Lives Matter protest in Baton Rouge
• More commentary on that photo by photo editors on Petapixel, critics on Hyperallergic, Max Bruinsma on Facebook, Teju Cole in the New York Times
• Alexandra Lange, Farewell to the Four Seasons
• Introducing the Allen Brain Observatory
• Greg Miller, The Many Ways to Map the Brain
• Jarrett Fuller, A Rough Sketch for a Video Essay as Design Criticism
• Charles and Ray Eames, Rough Sketch for a Sample Lesson for a Hypothetical Course (video)
• Tony Zhou, Every Frame a Painting series

Thanks to AIGA for sponsoring this episode.

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