Hope, Frames, & Process
Koreeda's Storytelling, Quiet Photography by Agnieszka Sosnowska, and Lessons from Marques Brownlee's, Llms Cheat Sheet, and Some App/Tool Updates
Hey guys, here's some stuff that stood out from my last few weeks:
On Koreeda and Hope
A few days ago I read THIS ARTICLE about Hirokazu Koreeda's film Monster. I love how Koreeda shows Japanese family life and relationships in his movies. It seems to me that like Yasujirō Ozu before him, he captures those small, everyday moments that make up our lives. But Koreeda adds his own touch of magic that gently shakes up these intimate stories.
An insight I got from the article was a new layer to something I already knew about storytelling. While I've always understood the power of leaving empty spaces for audiences to fill with their imagination or their own answers, the article highlighted something very important: it's not just about leaving things unsaid - it's about keeping hope alive in your audience's hearts.
This balance between mystery and hope seems essential in any kind of storytelling, not only films, but also in narrative writing, maybe even non-fiction work. When creators only focus on leaving questions unanswered without offering that glimmer of hope, it's so easy for the audience to feel frustrated rather than engaged. I was thinking about this, because it has often happened to myself—when a story leaves me with too many questions but no sense of purpose, I often lose interest and want to move on. After all, it's that perfect mix of mystery and possibility that keeps us coming back for more.
On Photography
Last week I read THIS ARTICLE featuring the work of Agnieszka Sosnowska. I like quiet photos like these; they make me feel like slowing down. One thing stood out from the article is how the photographer talks about not having a project and just photographing "obsessively." I've seen this form of creative obsession in other artists. When you really love doing something, you don't always need a strict plan or project. Well, that is, if you do it with this kind of intensity. Without creative obsession and without a plan, then I'm not sure you'll get anywhere.
"Trust the process" is something I have to remind myself very often.
Oh, and one quote from the article that really stayed with me:
"Honing our ability to notice is one of photography's greatest gifts."
On Content Creation
Last week I watched this video by the team behind Marques Brownlee's channel that felt like a masterclass in content creation. I had no idea this channel even existed! This specific video shows a lot of what goes on behind the scenes at MKBHD's YouTube channel. I liked how different team members covered different approaches to creating pro-content that pulls viewers in. Whether it's the storytelling, the structure of the videos they create, the details or context they present to viewers, or production aspects like visuals, audio, and editing. Every single member involved in these productions is not only excited but also communicates this enthusiasm so well in the content itself. There's lots to learn here, even without having a big YouTube channel like MKBHD.
Some Highlights:
"No matter the kind of video you're trying to make... there are two or three things that you want to keep in mind: number one, have a thesis; number two, learn the context; and number three, unearth all the details."
"Something that I (Marques) personally like to do is to give the audience a ton of context for everything that's leading up to this point that I'm trying to make, so that maybe you can care about this as much as I do."
By the way, a few days after watching that video I found this video where I discovered they also use Auphonic for their audio! Auphonic is such an unknown and underrated tool. I have been using it to clean the audio of my videos, super fast and love the quality.
On Updates
Last week I shared AI memos, a Keyboard Maestro and Shortcut automation for quick note-taking through dictation. Since then, I've made a small update to improve error handling. I also added a new field in the Shortcut where users can choose their preferred transcription language instead of using automatic detection. You don't need to update if everything's working well for you. Helping users work around bugs in the Shortcuts app has been more challenging than I expected (come on Apple, you can do better than this).
A few days ago Reader got some great updates. My favorite is the cleaned up version of YouTube scripts. It's so much better, and I am having a blast highlighting and reading along. Now I just need a way to transcribe YouTube videos that don't have any scripts.
Screen Studio recently had a pretty dramatic price increase. I love the app, but I'm not sure about this new pricing strategy. I feel lucky that I got it for $89, and I don't plan to switch to another app (I just hope they survive this big change). From what I've seen, Focusee might be the best lower-priced option. It's definitely not the same and, in my opinion, not as good. There's lots of room for new competitors in this space.
On LLMs
I saw this tweet with a helpful and concise cheat sheet for Chat GPT. You can use it with any LLM, of course.
On Cinema
The Substance (2024) has been getting a lot of attention lately, and I really enjoyed it. If you like this one, you should also watch Revenge by the same director. Synopsis: A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Good One (2024). A quiet, simple, and almost meditative portrait of the relationship of a teenager and her dad. So good. Synopsis: On a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend.
You Hurt My Feelings (2023). Have I mentioned that I love films that can honestly portray the complexity of relationships? Incredible film. Synopsis: A novelist's longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book.
I Know This Much Is True (2020). This one is a short TV Show (6 episodes). I watched after reading the name of the director on the project (Derek Cianfrance, director of Blue Valentine). What an amazing and heart-wrenching series. Seriously guys, I'm giving you gold with these recommendations. Synopsis: The parallel lives of identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in an epic story of betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness set against the backdrop of 20th century America.
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