For the last three weeks or so, Hank and I have quietly started a series of videos called Thoughts from Places.
As many of you know, I’m really interested in finding ways to write for people that do not involve ink and paper. Reasons for this include:
1. I would like to find a way to give my writing to people for free while still becoming fantastically wealthy. I think free is an excellent price for stories, but it is also a difficult price, because even under the current system wherein writing is not free, authors are pretty poorly compensated.
2. I want to reach people who may not think of themselves as readers, and also people who don’t think of themselves as YA readers.
3. I think Youtube could use a little more writing, and I think books could use a little more Youtube. Writing is very good at slowing us down and leaving us, however briefly, with that rarest gift of the Internet age: a quiet, contemplative moment. Youtube is good at calling us to action and bringing us together.
So the idea is this: Thoughts From Places will be a series of 100 visual essays, each exploring an encounter with a place and the people we meet there. Sometimes these places will be very small (my old high school, a bison range in Montana) and sometimes they’ll be very big (Munich, London). We hope you enjoy the series (and that you’ve been enjoying it, even if you didn’t previously know it was A Thing). Your comments, as always, are appreciated.
Here are the first five videos:
Lust and Folly in London and Edinburgh
Family, Love, and Bison Attacks
Looking for Alaska at My High School
Umbrellas Amuse Me: Observations from Munich
Life in a Day: Missoula
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic fantastic!
I’ve really been enjoying these recent videos. Sometimes showing is better than telling, and while normal vlogs are great and good, the day in the life kind of thing is really engaging and special and yes yes I adore this!
Ugh, brilliant!
My friends and I have been noticing how really good and cohesive the last few videos have been, and wow, apparently it is A Thing!
Thank you so much, we look forward to them an inordinate amount. :)
I noticed, and loved it!
This is a great idea, John. I’ve particularly enjoyed those videos, so the concept is definitely working well! I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!
I love this idea. Especially since my voice is in one of those vidoes. I do admit it’s masked by lots of other voices, but still, I think it’s pretty cool. The Munich one makes me giggle, how strange for you to be caught looking at your own books by a fan, thats hysterical and embarrassing in equal measures.
I was beginning to think this might be A Thing; I’ve been enjoying them immensely! YouTube is an excellent tool for writing, particularly travel writing, as you can visit a place – regardless of whether or not you’ve been there before – in a new way, through someone else’s eyes. Glad to hear there will be 95 more.
oh so this IS intentionally a thing. my friends and I noticed this trend with these 5 videos. i quite love the idea. it not only gives a chance for some very passionate vlogging since there is going to be writing involved, but also room for very intriguing visual shots since it wont be your face talking.
Hi John,
I’ve loved all the videos you’ve mentioned in this post. They’ve all been thought provoking and are amongst my favourites from the Vlogbrother’s channel. I’m really glad this is A Thing. I’m actually writing a blog post right at this minute which was provoked by “Lust and Folly in London and Edinburgh”.
So yeah, it’s great – keep it up!
I love this idea.
It’s harder and harder to really pause for reflection in a rather face-paced crazy, short attention-spanned world.
And if you can do that in amongst all the crazy, reaching out to so many people at the same time…
all I’m saying is, it’s a great concept.
And I always love your videos anyway.
I’ve noticed the format of your vlog change in the last few videos, and I have to say I enjoyed those the best! Keep it up! Thoughts from Places is awesome! =)
Hi John!
I love this idea! I really enjoy these videos, especially the one you made from your old high school. I’m also excited to see/make video responses!
Best wishes,
Sarah
I’ve been loving this recent trend in your videos, and I’m so glad to hear that it’s a “thing” that’s going to continue.
I’m curious how you edit. Do you do the voice over first and then edit the video to match, or the other way around? The timing is excellent.
I, like many others as it appears here, thought that these videos were perhaps going to be a “thing”. I love it. I love the sort of “storytelling voice” that John adopts in his videos of the series. Maybe it’s just the voice over that makes it feel like a storytelling voice…
But mostly I love it because there are places in my life that inspire me to think about bigger Things. Sometimes, I’ll be walking alone on campus or sitting at the end of the dock at my grandparent’s cottage and out of nowhere I’ll start talking to myself, narrating why this place is so important to me, and what makes places like this so important.
I’m glad that I can watch/listen to two awesome peoples’ “Thoughts from Places” because it helps me to remember to really look at my surroundings instead of just live day by day, floating through.
That was a rather long comment. Whoops.
Hey John, I’d definitely noticed a change in the format of your recent videos and I have to say I’ve been really enjoying them. Both yourself and Hank have created such thought provoking pieces and I’d really like to see more.
On a more personal note, I introduced my boyfriend to the world of vlogbrothers a while back and he has been quietly catching up on brotherhood 2.0 (he’s in june or july at the moment). One of the things I’ve always loved about the vlogbrothers is how genuinely funny you guys are but how its never humour at the expense of other people. So much of today’s humour is at someone else’s expense and it’s so refreshing to find people who can be funny without it ultimately hurting someone somewhere. I don’t think Seán had appreciated this but he watched the video where you two guys meet in person for the first time in ages and found it genuinely hilarious.
Anyway I just wanted to let you know that there’s a pair of gays here in Ireland who think you guys rock. I love the way the pair of you are constantly innoventing new ways to entertain and educate via youtube. Long may vlogbrothers continue. Nerdfighters FTW.
I think one of the most awesome things about the Thoughts from Places series is that the writing process is so wonderfully apparent in the videos.
There are elements of prewriting/planning (from having your writing tools [i.e., camera and self] ready to compose to perhaps having thought about how certain scenes might fit into the overall narrative [e.g., the Starbucks coffee comment following the Lust purse scene in the "Lust and Folly" post]).
And the “writing” (filming) of the piece is clearly an act of thinking (“what will be useful to film to represent what I want to say about/capture the feeling of where I am?”) and following that thinking to cultivate spontaneous moments of writing that merge with more planned moments. Not to mention the collaborative element of composing, with references and help from other YouTubers, etc.
And of course the revision! Taking the amassed footage and recursively cutting and splicing and weaving and pasting and presenting a final product that has gone through a process that has taken time and energy and thought and that is moving and witty and lovely all at the same time and then stating THIS is an ESSAY, THIS IS WRITING.
Yes. It is. And I LOVE that you and Hank are contributing to that discourse of visual composition = writing (because as a college composition instructor who *hearts* new media studies, I can tell you there are many who still heavily question that notion).
John-
I haven’t gotten a chance to watch all of the videos yet, but I did see the Lust and Folly / Looking for Alaska ones. I really enjoy your videos anyway with Vlogbrothers, and I think that these visual essays are a fantastic idea. I specifically loved the Looking for Alaska video just because it’s crazy how much you pulled from real life to create that novel. As an aspiring novelist myself, I’m now wondering if any moments in my life could be significantly inspiring for a novel and maybe I should reach back into my own past and see where it could take me.
:)
I did sort of notice a change in video style, and I love it! are you guys going to start a new channel for it? I think that would be epic! also it would get rid of squids who don’t like change in the comments…
hi john, i think it is good that you talk about things possibly in story type manner,
it is good to have videos that can be talked about in the comments and enjoyed and so forth,
when john green is mentioned in other peoples videos alot of the time they mention the books which can be a bit un inclusive because i cant afford to nor find all the books (then there would be shipping because im in the uk…)
its nice somtimes to have videos that are straightforwardly this is what it is about, an experience, topic, whatever, this is what we will be talking or thinking about this video,
I have been loving these videos, and now that I know they are purposely A Thing, I love them even more. I think exploring a new format of sorts is smart and forward-thinking and, in a word, excellent.
I had been wondering why these last vlogs had been so different! To be honest, I didn’t really like it before I knew what was up, but now that I know, I think it’s pretty cool.
I don’t think I believe you that this was an actual thing you two were planning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the videos, I just don’t think you guys are that organized.
John,
I’m with Chip in that I’m kind of skeptical in that you guys have really been planning this, but honestly I’ve thought that these have been some of the best videos in a while.
I’ve really enjoyed these videos so far (like, more than I’ve enjoyed some of your other more recent videos.)
I love the idea of a visual essay, so I say keep doing it.
And as always, DFTBA.
This comment comes in four parts:
Firstly, it can be tough coming up with topics when you’re just vlogging from one place; so, when your project offers a virtually unlimited range of environments from which to vlog, you’re more likely to come up with something interesting.
Secondly, it shows people both a part of the world and a culture they may not be familiar with. I, for one, had never seen a place that sold Bison Burgers.
Thirdly, it’s a great deal more personal and insightful than a vapid ‘holiday destination’ programme, and much more entertaining than your average travel documentary, especially since you have to condense your thoughts from that particular place into a video of four minutes or less.
And finally, I think it’s a great theme and a great way of getting your writing to reach a wider audience. I look forward to more.
Jonny
I have to say I love the concept behind these videos. I really love how they presented a story, and I’ve actually become inspired to write because of them. They have this philosophical feel to them, and I’ve started to take a look at my life too. I really hope the two of you continue this style of vlogging because it’s so touching and real.
Yes! I didn’t know it was going to be A Thing, but I definitely noticed the trend AND I LOVE IT.
I really like this idea. Loved the looking for alaska video
I love this. So glad you are doing it.
Wow, I didn’t even notice that these “Thoughts from Places” videos were going on already. It was so sneaky and subtle.
But I love these videos and I would enjoy watching more in the future(: Nice work!
I love this idea! All of these videos have been some of my favourites because I realy like the style of them. It is such a cool idea.
It kind of reminds me of a book I read recently. It is a travel novel about two guys (one being Obi-Wan-Kenobi – Ewan McGregor) who rode around the world on motorbikes and although some of the narration talks about the actual travelling and other things there is a lot about the people they met and their stories. That was definitely my favourite part.
Also, I love that these videos are like mini stories and they take us all somewhere we may never have the chance to see.
So Yah! Keep ‘em coming!
xx
So that’s what you call those. I was going to say that I like when you did those videos with the voiceover thingy. I may have to try making videos like that, cause vlogging freaks me out. I get nervous when that camera’s staring at me. o.o
Oh yes! I am so excited this is a “thing” I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series of videos so much! John, you are such a poet and you don’t even know it. The only difference between your writing and poems is the way you format it ;]
Looking forward to more of these and hoping one day I’ll see one about Miami.
I love the Thoughts from Places videos! I think they are clever and thought provoking and therefore highly enjoyable :]
I love when John does voice-overs, it makes me laugher harder than most things.
I love stories.
I love concise things.
YAY.
DFTBA.
Okay I know it’s easy to say AFTER you’ve announced it, but I was totally going to suggest you make these kinds of vlogs a thing.
Or you know, if you don’t make it a thing, just make it as close to a thing as Explosion Wednesdays.
These have been some of my favorite vlogbrothers videos ever. I especially loved “Looking for Alaska at My High School”. It left me with the same quiet yet full feeling a really good poem does.
I have been in love with this series, and all this time, I just thought you were changing your video style! I think with your written (sort of) YouTube videos, I feel like I am reading something amazing or at least listening to a really insightful podcast.
I quite enjoy the last couple of lines of each video, since, like any written piece, it does have that powerful take-home (what an English composition class-sounding term, I apologize) message.
You can tell we’re enjoying these when I constantly see quotes popping up on Twitter, Tumblr and a couple have made their way into Skype conversations.
Thank you and Hank for always thinking of things to keep us thinking and keep us inspired.
Oh! I noticed the change, but I thought it was more you adopting another style of vlogging. I love it!
-Esther
I’ve quite been enjoying the new format, John, and I expect lots more great videos! They almost reminded me of short local interest news stories.
- Jason
Brilliant. As always. Im SUPER excited to see how the project turns out, because I’m sure it’ll draw in a bunch of new nerdfighters..which is lets face it..so jokes.
yay :)
-Hillary
Ah, so this is A Thing! All of those video’s have been my favorites, so far. yesterday I was just thinking, ” is it me or did vlogbrothers get more awesome than they usually are?’ I totally love the idea of it. It’s always humerous and fun, and then it really gives you something to think about at the end, something to dwell on, and I’m always dwelling on the negative, so these vids are definitely putting a smile on the face and, not to sound completely cheesy, but a little more optimistic. I don’t exactly know what it is, exactly, but it doesn’t keep up all night, bugging me, so it’s a-okay in my book. Can’t wait for the next installment. :)
What a wonderful idea!
“Umbrellas amuse me” is one of my top favorite videos on your channel. I have watched it so many times, I know the voice-over by heart. I really enjoy this format and I am very much looking forward to watching more of it!
Thanks for being awesome!
I’d been noticing how fantastic these last few videos have been.
It didn’t even occur to me that is was A Thing!
But I like it. :) It’s a fantastic idea.
And now I must go because my darling mother is ushering me out of the house.
Best wishes!
more john, less hank…
I have loved these videos. Some of the images have been beautiful, and the editing is excellent. It’s like a very advanced version of jump cutting. You guys are exploring the boundaries of vlogging, and it’s wonderful!
You guys make me feel so good inside. Not even about myself, I would just call myself conceited for that. Just good in general. Watching you guys talk to each other through video and whatnot changes the way I see things in my own life, and makes me wish I was closer with my family.
Hank, here’s to the things we love today not ruining the things people will love in generations to come.
John… I just typed your name without anything to actually say before I realized I didn’t have anything to actually say.
DFTBA
I love this idea and I really love the way these videos have been done. Both of you are just really fantastic storytellers which makes the narration innately interesting. Also, the way you fit the video together is brilliant. I find that Thoughts From Places is soothing and informative and I look forward to seeing more of them. You guys never fail to impress me. DFTBA!
I really like this idea. Firstly, from a viewers point of view it not only shows us round some interesting places but gives us an insight into your thoughts on the place and the experience, also it is written so much more eloquently than a lot of youtube videos, even dare I say it, some of your other videos.
Secondly, and I presume you know this but, for yourself and Hank these videos could be such an interesting time capsule, even more so than normal vlogs. It combines many of the important elements of your memories of the time. They will be very interesting to watch in 20/30 years.
So long comment, sorry, but I love them,
Catherine M
I really love this series of videos. They are artful (visually stimulating that is), yet grounded by the stories you are telling. I adore the image of the umbrellas in the city and your thoughts on such a simple object.
Keep them coming!
I LOVE this idea. And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first few Thoughts from Places videos. And your point about YouTube needing more writing, and writing needing more YouTube is so true. I never thought of that before.
These videos are beautiful and inspiring. I’m glad to hear it’s a thing.
Will you end up making a playlist for these?
Please do :)