Car Jacker FAIL

One of my all time favorite YouTube celebrities is Joe Penna, better known as MysteryGuitarMan.  Known for his incredible looping skills, Penna never fails to deliver innovative entertainment every Thursday.  One of his weekly uploads is entitled "Car Jacker FAIL".

This video begins with the camera placed directly beside the car's taillight, making the light itself seem larger in comparison to the rest of the car.  MysteryGuitarMan then enters the frame from the right.  With the given angle, it appears as if this camera is hidden from Penna.  Since the camera is angled up at him it creates the illusion that he is in charge.  The location of the camera, partially concealed by the car, also frames the shot and exemplifies the rule of thirds.  The angle of the car and the sidewalk also work as leading lines which, at 0:05, point to Penna who is attempting to break into the vehicle.  This beginning shot is the second longest in the entire video at 10 seconds long (the longest being 15 seconds).  The majority of the shots are between 2-5 seconds in length.

Another tool used for the duration of the video is the close-up.  Throughout the scene, the camera zooms in on all the items that make the sounds contributing to the soundtrack: the handle bar, the air conditioning dials, Penna's fists on the steering wheel, the glove box, the ignition, and the gas pedal.  These close-ups are mostly intermixed within the medium shot from 0:36-1:10 when MysteryGuitarMan is behind the steering wheel of the car.

The scene overall has a grey-blue tint.  Everything has a dusky look, a cooler "temperature", perhaps adding to the mystery of the car jacker.  At 1:29, after a fast-forwarded sequence of Penna preparing his sound equipment, the video turns into a "vlog" (a.k.a.video blog).

Another aspect of film that MysteryGuitarMan explores expertly is depth of field.  While outside on the street, the depth of field allows almost all the details in the shot to be in focus.  However, while inside the car, everything outside the door is a blur (a shallower depth of field).  The smaller depth of field while inside the car allows Penna and the musical car parts to be the only objects the audience can see, not allowing for any distraction from the scene.  Outside, with the larger depth of field, the audience is free to allow their eyes to wander from the flashing light in the lower left hand corner to Penna trying to break open the window.

Finally, MysteryGuitarMan's ability to cut between shots is also commendable.  One great example is at 0:28-0:30.  These two seconds demonstrate his skill in allowing the viewers eye to naturally follow the action of opening the car door from one shot to the next; from wide shot, to medium shot.  This idea is seen throughout the video a countless number of times.  MysteryGuitarMan's cutting abilities are by far superior to most other YouTube celebrities.

The one aspect MysteryGuitarMan could have benefit from utilizing is the idea of clean entrances and exits.  At 0:38-0:42, instead of using another cut between shots, he could have filmed his hand entering and exiting the shot of the air conditioner dial.  At 0:41 it appears as if a clean exit was being made; however, his hand re-enters and a cut is made at the end of the shot.  The repetition of this cutting can be somewhat dizzying at times and the video would benefit from the intertwining of other techniques (such as clean entrances exits).  By using techniques such as this (which I'm 100% confident he is able to do), the issue of making the viewers' heads spin would be solved and the piece would further display Penna's capabilities.

At 2,136,272 subscribers and 288,976,133 total upload views, MysteryGuitarMan must be doing something right.  From his iconic dark sunglasses, funky hairstyles and exaggerated hand motions, MysteryGuitarMan has succeeded in creating a brand image for himself.  This image not only sells videos, but t-shirts as well.  Overall, each of Penna's videos showcases his skill and commitment to his editing and animation meets music technique.  Penna really has taken YouTube from a world of webcam-based videos into a world where amateur filmmakers can showcase their talent.