When we think of filmmaking, we don't often think about the science behind the aesthetics, despite its incredibly important role. Take, for instance, the geometry behind many of our favorite compositions: the vectors, the proportions, and yes, even the shapes help communicate different things to audiences that aren't easy conveyed through words alone.

There are plenty of video essays that explain how geometry and shapes can be used to tell better visual stories, and this video from Clickhole, which explores Paul Thomas Anderson's use of hot dog shapes to convey mood in his films—is not one of them.


I just came to the realization today that my adorable 9-month-old Boston Terrier will die at some point in my 40s, so if I needed any kind of excuse for sharing a hilarious post about PTA and hotdog shaped nonsense, it's that. Besides, it's always nice to take a break from our intensive cinematic studies for a second and laugh at how absurd aesthetic theory can be, because, let's get real, we all take ourselves and our love affair with cinema a little too seriously sometimes. 

A video that explains how Paul Thomas Anderson uses a "striking tableaux of three distinct hot dog shapes" in the opening scene of There Will Be Blood that seems to "loom threateningly over the world of the film," effectively establishing the ominous mood of the film is a video that I need to see—over and over and over again.

Of course, when you've had your fill of yucks, you can always resume your studies in aesthetics with something like this.

Source: Clickhole