Other Michael’s Mentor Text
Source:
How to Make a Traditional Margarita. Perf. Charlotte Voisey. YouTube. Howdini, 03 May 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaCfUE7sVSA>.
For my mentor piece, I chose to examine a Margarita instructional video posted by “Howdini”. I plan on making some sort of drink preparation instructional video for my rhetorical piece.
Howdini is a YouTube channel that specializes in making how-to videos for kitchen related things. Although many videos pertain to making food, the channel also releases addition content that is relevant to other aspects of food, such as “How to Use a Chef’s Knife”. There are several components that seem to be reoccurring in these videos. Firstly, they are all very brief. There is no need to sit down at a TV and devote a great deal of time and concentration into watching the video; they all could be easily watched in 1-5 minutes time while on your phone in the kitchen. Additionally, all of the instructions seem to be relatively simple; there are no unreasonably complex steps or skills required in order to carry out the task. From a visual perspective, the camera does not remain static over the course of the video. A number of different camera angles are used, from MS shots to close ups. Each video also contains some sort of narrative element, be it in the form or subtitles or spoken words. The videos also contain some sort of lighthearted background music to accompany the visual images on screen. I believe that the specific video I chose is a good representation of the genre because it contains all of these elements: it is concise, simple, well narrated, contains a variety of camera angles and upbeat background music. It addition it contains several other elements that I believe make it an exemplary video. In addition to providing instruction for how to make the drink, the narrator also provides suggestions for other variations of the drink. She also gives personal preparation tips along the way, pieces of information that the viewer wouldn’t be aware of if they hadn’t made the drink before.
From a business standpoint, I think that the purpose of these video is to generate views, which in turn funds the channel and allows the creators to profit and continue to release videos. On a more personal level, I believe that these videos are created for the purpose of teaching kitchen novices how to prepare simple dishes and build basic culinary skills. Because of the easy, lighthearted manner with which the material is presented, I think that these video are meant to encourage people to try new things in the kitchen and promote the idea that cooking can be enjoyable and fun.