The Instagram Reels/TikTok feed - designed to be effortless and endless, it’s pretty rare to find content that truly sticks beyond a two-second timeframe on there. But, albeit sparingly, it is possible to find some high-quality and valuable content on there.
I find it interesting how my different accounts cover different content genres, and furthermore, how each one periodically goes through phases. In another article, I discussed how my feed has diversified my music library through a vast range of new artists.
Similarly, I’ve been immersed in areas such as architecture, fashion, science, food, and much more. Although it’s amidst a pile of fodder, there’s no denying how much quality is being produced through these short-form channels if you can find it.
Recently, I’ve been seeing and consuming more smaller-scale creative projects from filmmakers, actors and musicians. This weekend, two examples particularly stood out, as both were so well produced that I was encouraged to instantly go and watch the extended videos on YouTube. I had the idea to highlight them in this week’s article as proof of some of the gold to be found between scrolls.
When We Move - The Fletcher Brothers
What do you think of when you hear ‘documentary’? Are the topics something like true crime, history, or nature?
The beauty of documentary is that it can tell any story, and when done correctly, the film will showcase the value in any topic.
In ‘When We Move’, twin brothers Jasper and Lukas Fletcher document their 7-sibling family as they move houses. Starring Edith, the youngest at four, Marvin the duck, and the countless other siblings and pets, each family member gets a moment on the screen to share their feelings
The film is shot and edited in a nuanced and authentic way - there is no extravagant ornamentation or elaborate orchestration. It is a story about a family and a process they are going through, captured with the exact minimum number of words needed for it to be impactful.
As the Fletcher brothers swap between stunning still frames, intimate family shots, and comedic cutaways, their film tackles the themes of home and family without doing too much besides playing out.
There is nothing particularly special about this family - although they were able to win me over within mere moments of pressing play. But of course, the ordinary nature of this documentary’s subject, and of this family, is exactly what makes it so special.
At the core of any great film is a great story, and in most things in life, there is a great story to be told. ‘When We Move’ embodies this sentiment perfectly.
thank you i guess - Forrest Nolan
A music video is a valuable opportunity for any singer to extend the feeling that their music communicates, and when I saw a clip of the intro to this video, I was instantly hooked with curiosity.
Forrest Nolan is an indie singer I’ve never remotely heard of. When I came across the video, which later led me to the full MV, I thought I was watching part of a series or skit. But when the music kicked in, and the stunning mixed-media visual effects slowly filled the screen, I knew I had to finish the whole thing.
The video borrows from many aesthetics; it’s a hybrid of Scott Pilgrim, Weezer, and coming-of-age high school movies. Yet, it still manages to carve out its own unique charm - all while accompanied by a pretty great earworm of an indie hit.
I later discovered that Nolan is releasing a series of skits to accompany this video, which serve as promotion for his upcoming album. Shot for short-form in the style of a classic Disney Channel sitcom, these videos extend the silly, comedic charm of the music video and build extended hype and attachment to the artist’s music.
From the first clip I saw, to the full music video, to the song itself, ‘thank you i guess’ is a whole lot of refreshing fun. I might just have to stick around for the album.
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These two videos represent a fraction of the brilliant creations I’ve found through social media scrolls. However, they represent a much smaller fraction of the countless other things I’ve totally forgotten about.
Social media is a complicated thing, and although its cons list is long, its pros list is equally so. Another positive that these projects highlight is how shorter content can be used to give your longer content as much of a chance as possible.
There’s unfortunately no guarantee that high-quality content gets the attention it deserves… But more often than not, I like to think that the right eyes get to see the right things eventually.