A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
Pixar’s SparkShorts project has offered something a little different from the studio’s usual polished feature films. These short films—made by emerging voices within the studio—often take on social themes in ways that feel more personal, more exploratory, and sometimes more daring than Pixar’s mainstream releases.
This video essay looks closely at how the SparkShorts series engages with ideas of social difference. From questions of identity and belonging to depictions of disability, marginalisation, and emotional vulnerability, the essay considers how these short stories give space to characters and perspectives that might not typically take centre stage in big-budget animation.
Rather than neatly resolved narratives, many of the SparkShorts dwell in complexity. They offer viewers a space to reflect, often using metaphor, fantasy, or pared-back realism to tackle real-world concerns. The essay explores how this shift in tone and style allows Pixar to experiment—while still holding onto the emotional core that defines its brand.
As part of A Closer Look, this piece highlights how short-form animation can open doors to different kinds of stories—and why that matters for audiences of all ages.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
What is it about Pixar’s short films that so often leave us feeling something deep, despite their brief running time? This video essay explores how Pixar consistently taps into powerful emotions—joy, sadness, nostalgia, even grief—through compact, visually driven storytelling.
Rather than relying on dialogue-heavy scenes or extended plotlines, these shorts use simplicity, symbolism, and character design to draw audiences in. The essay considers how Pixar uses rhythm, visual cues, and carefully chosen moments to create emotional resonance in just a few minutes.
From early experiments like Luxo Jr. to more recent pieces such as Purl and Out, the video reflects on how the studio crafts experiences that feel intimate and universal at the same time. It also touches on how brevity itself can heighten emotion, making each beat land with greater weight.
As part of the A Closer Look series, this essay highlights how short films—especially in the hands of skilled storytellers—can leave a lasting emotional impression.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
Short films are often talked about as stepping stones—early sketches for something bigger. But what happens when a short stands fully on its own? This video essay focuses on You Know Where to Find Me, a quietly powerful short directed by Sam Davis, and asks how the film creates emotional depth through simplicity and restraint.
Centred on Frankie, a young man with an intellectual disability moving into his own home, the film explores themes of independence, attachment, and the subtle tensions that come with growing up. It draws on Richard Raskin’s parameters for strong short film storytelling and shows how choices in image, sound, and structure work together to shape a compelling emotional impression.
Rather than expanding into multiple storylines, the film stays with Frankie and his mother, allowing their bond to take centre stage. Small gestures and moments—like a telephone call or a lingering look through a keyhole—carry real weight. It’s this focus that gives the film its strength: it doesn’t try to do too much, but what it does, it does with care.
The video essay positions You Know Where to Find Me as a film that isn’t aiming to be a trailer for something else. It’s a self-contained story about love, anxiety, and learning how to let go—even if just across the street.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
Marvel’s vast cinematic universe is known for its epic scope and iconic heroes, but what about the characters who rarely get the spotlight? This video essay takes a thoughtful look at how Marvel uses paratexts—short films, DVD extras, and other side media—to develop characters like Agent Phil Coulson in ways that the main films don’t always allow.
Through two of the Marvel One-Shots, The Consultant and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer, the essay explores how these shorts contribute to Coulson’s role in the broader universe. Drawing on theories of paratextuality and transmedia storytelling, it shows how minor characters can become more fully formed through small, focused stories that link different parts of a franchise together.
Rather than simply serving as marketing extras, these short films help ground the character in a more relatable, complex light. They also reveal how Marvel’s early experiments in transmedia storytelling used familiar figures to lead viewers into new corners of the MCU.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
A CLOSER LOOK: VIDEOGRAPHIC CRITICISM 2025 – Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Southampton Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.
What makes a good video game adaptation? It’s a question Hollywood has struggled with more than once. This video essay takes a measured look at the 2018 Uncharted fan film and explores how it manages to capture the spirit of the games without relying on a direct remake.
Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television course at Southampton Solent University, the essay examines how the film adapts the tone, structure, and aesthetic of the source material while making smart decisions about what to change. Drawing on ideas from adaptation theory and Edgar Allan Poe’s concept of “unity of effect,” it shows how the short form can be used to distil the experience of a game into something coherent and engaging.
The video also considers the challenges of adapting an interactive medium into a non-interactive one, and how the filmmakers chose to work around those limits—through tightly edited action sequences, familiar character references, and visual choices that echo the game’s third-person camera style.
This essay is part of A Closer Look, a series of video essays created in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and hosted by Making Waves Film Festival. Each one offers a thoughtful perspective on a piece of moving image culture, seen through the lens of emerging critical voices.
Have you ever wondered about the inspiration behind some of the most iconic music videos? Nat Pearce is a visionary film enthusiast who delved into this fascinating topic with Director Ayodeji in his captivating video essay, “Pop Music: The Visual Necessity of Apparatus.”
Pushing Boundaries: The Influence of the Horror Genre in music videos
Nat’s video essay is a fascinating visual exploration of how the horror genre pushes the boundaries of music videos. To begin with, Nat Pearce opens this topic by examining the nightmarish qualities of some of the most iconic music videos. The video essay delves into the collaboration between renowned director Chris Cunningham and iconic artists like Madonna, Bjork, and Apex. However, the main topic is an in-depth look at Director Ayodeji’s thought-provoking music video, “Underscores – spoiled little brat.” Significantly, Nat argued that these videos transcend their role as mere promotional tools. Consequently, This way of music videos transformed into powerful mediums for artistic expression.
Horror Genre in Music Videos
Artistic Purity vs. the Corporate Machinery in music videos
Nat starts the video essay with the most iconic artists and high-budget production. On the other hand, there is Director Ayodeji’s indie work, “Underscores – spoiled little brat.” Firstly, it might lack the glamour of conventional music industry icons but is not short for artistic expression and creativity. Nat Pearce highlighted how Ayodeji had expanded the concept of capturing an artist’s imagery by borrowing the horror genre narrative. Subsequently, Nat explains how Ayodeji masterfully incorporated props, locations, and cinematography to highlight the contrast of life with and without stardom. Secondly, Director Ayodeji utilised a comprehensive approach and added depth and meaning to the performance and narration. Therefore, they elevated beyond the traditional music video experience and created a narrative like a reflective short film. Accordingly, Ayodeji used this narrative structure to provoke questions about shallow fame.
To summarise, Nat and Ayodeji provided first-hand insights into the intricate process of creating this music video. The findings of this video essay reveal Ayodeji’s inspirations from the horror genre while it condemns the machinery of the music industry. Therefore, this music video can be a rebellion against commercial machinery.
Invitation to Explore Possibilities of Music Videos
“Pop Music: The Visual Necessity of Apparatus,” challenges us to appreciate the artistry behind these music videos and find socio-political meaning within for instance. Above all, It’s an invitation to explore the boundaries of visual expression within the music video world. Ultimately, it proves how music videos can be enhanced by film genres and various themes.
Nat Pearce: ‘Pop Music: the visual necessity of Apparatus.’ No copyright strikes Premiere Tuesday 2nd May 7 pm
For horror genre enthusiasts, you can also visit Gothic Horror: symbolism, philosophy & the dark imagination
“Young video essayists comment on popular audio-visual culture. Produced as part of the BA (Hons) Film and Television degree at Solent University and brought to you by Making Waves Film Festival.“
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County Lines – a true story of gangs turning children into drug mulesFashion Reimagined – A mission for sustainabilityFamous Portsmouth – Les Miserables and TransformersImmersive Cinema and A Future Beyond Belief: Inside the Creative Producer’s HubMaking Waves No6 Cinema Takeover – a great couple of nights out!
