Portfolio
Queline Meadows (kikikrazed)
â–¶ Over 2,500,000 video views across all platforms.â–¶ All videos on this page were researched, written, narrated, and edited by me. In some cases, I worked with additional personnel like assistant researchers or motion designers. For client projects, I handled feedback from editors and/or brand representatives.
Original vertical video work + existing essays adapted with additional graphics.
Client ProjectsMore than tracing: The women behind Disney animation
Making Magic: 100 Years of Disney (BFI)BEAST: Look for whatever doesn't fit in
In Dreams Are Monsters (BFI)Tripping Criticism
Woche Der Kritik (Berlin Critics' Week)The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers
Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy box set (GKIDS)
Short Form (60 Seconds)Being outed at the Oscars is kinda funny, actuallyThe Invisible Horror of Left 4 DeadAdventure Time and the UndeadOuter Wilds and the Debris of TimeBeginning at the End
Personal ProjectsWhen I Leave the World Behind
Awarded First Place by the Internet Archive.The Musical Easter Egg in Everything Everywhere All At OnceWhat makes a good Thanksgiving movie?How movie race scenes workThe Rise of Film TikTokBumblebee, CGI, and the Rules of Disney AnimationWhat Does Insanity Look Like? Psychonauts and German Expressionism
Contributions to video essay collections (The Essay Library)The fake shot that saved WALL-EWhen teenagers become tributesHow to introduce your weird rom-com familyThe Exquisite Relay: An Essay Library Co-ConstructionHow Hollywood made a lesbian horror movie in 1942
Class AssignmentsEsc (Escape)Ready or Not Like Other GirlsNotes on Camp (Rock)
Writing Samples
Below are some examples of my written work.
The best video essays of 2024
From film festivals to TikTok, our annual poll showcases 183 unique video essays nominated by 47 international voters.
Stop-motion imperfection: why animation needs the human touch
Stop-motion is most powerful when you can see indications of the hands that crafted it. In an era where new technologies like AI image generation seek to remove humans from the creative equation, stop-motion ‘mistakes’ like fingerprints, shifting clothing and twitching hairs remind us of the humans behind every frame.
The best video essays of 2023
Our annual poll spotlights 181 unique video essays, nominated by 48 international voters, showcasing the breadth and depth of current videographic practice.
Graphic Design Samples
Below are some examples of my graphic design work, in addition to all the video thumbnails above.
Social Media - FLEFF 2024
YouTube Thumbnail - "19 Video Essays About Adaptation"
Social Media - The Essay Library
Hi! I'm Queline Meadows, also known as kikikrazed.
I'm a freelance video producer with 6 years of experience making educational and entertaining video essays. I'm currently based in Buffalo, NY and have a degree in Screen Cultures from Ithaca College.I produce video essays about media and culture. I started doing this as a way to improve my editing skills and learn more about film. To make these, I typically wear all the hats: development, writing, narration, editing, motion design, publication, and marketing.I've produced these for my own YouTube channel, kikikrazed, as well as clients both big and small by commission. I also provide video editing services to online content creators on a freelance basis. In the past, I've created bespoke motion graphics templates and handled cutdowns of longer videos into short-form social content. To commission a video essay, contact me.Thanks to my continued involvement with the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, I have experience interviewing scholars and filmmakers for articles, producing events with visiting filmmakers, and managing social media marketing. In 2023, I was invited to screen my video essays as as featured guest.I've also organized several collaborative projects and events with The Essay Library, an online video essay collective where I am the community manager. My involvement in the video essay space led me to edit Sight and Sound's annual video essay polls in 2023 and 2024.In the past, I've provided guidance to film producers, theater owners, distributors, and other industry professionals about how to take advantage of digital video to elevate their brands. I also host a weekly YouTube growth workshop with a private group and am available for one-on-one consulting. Get in touch.
Contact Me
You can reach me at queline.meadows (at) gmail (dot) com. Let's talk!If your inquiry is related to my YouTube channel, @kikikrazed, please email kikikrazed (at) gmail (dot) com.Not sure? Use the contact form below (it goes to both emails!) and I will reach out to you.
Digital content
From small independent magazines to large film organizations, video essays can be a fresh addition to your range of online content.I can come up with my own pitches or create something special with a provided topic.If you're an editor or social media manager looking to commission a video essay, contact me.
More than tracing: The women behind Disney animation
This video looks at the history of Disney animation — specifically its first feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — to tell the story of the women who made it possible.Commissioned by the British Film Institute to promote the BFI Southbank season Making Magic: 100 Years of Disney. Published on the BFI YouTube channel.
BEAST: Look for whatever doesn't fit in
A look at beasts in horror, with a focus on unexpected films like Ginger Snaps and Jennifer's Body.Commissioned by the BFI (British Film Institute) to promote the In Dreams are Monsters 2022 horror season in UK cinemas. Published on the BFI YouTube channel as part of a series of five horror video essays.
Physical media
Have you ever watched something on a DVD/Blu-ray bonus disc that made you see the film in a new light?Video essays are becoming more and more common as extra materials for physical media releases. They help viewers digest what they just saw in an audiovisual format.If you're a film distributor looking to commission a video essay, contact me.
The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers
Breaking down the visual style of Wolfwalkers and how the film uses line and shape to communicate its central themes.While this was originally created as a personal project on my YouTube channel, it was selected by the directors and distributor GKIDS to be added to Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy box set.
Film festival coverage
Film festivals are about watching interesting films, but they're also sites for discussion, exchange of ideas, and breaking new ground.Film festivals move fast, with many festivals mounting blogs to keep readers up to date with all of the ideas coming out of each screening. I've written for one such blog.Video essays are only a recent addition to these blogs, and they're an exciting new way to engage with the films.If you're looking to commission a video essay response to your festival program, contact me.
Tripping Criticism
Made for the Berlin Critics’ Week daily blog as a response to the program Tripping, featuring the films Detours (Obkhodniye Puti) and Nosferasta: First Bite.I was given access to the films 48 hours in advance and provided with a recording of the post-screening talkback. This video was an immediate response to the program, intended to be produced as fast as possible.
Short-form exercises
Since 2021, I've been a moderator of The Essay Library, a community for video essayists on Discord. Born out of the r/videoessay subreddit, The Essay Library connects video essay creators and viewers to discuss their work and improve their craft.I also help organize The Essay Library Anthology, which is a series of compilations of 60-second "micro-essays" based on a shared theme. This ongoing project was mentioned in Sight and Sound's 2021 video essay roundup.
Being Outed at the Oscars is Kinda Funny, Actually
As a filmmaker, how do you find the humor in a scary situation like being outed as gay on live television?Created for The Essay Library Anthology Vol. 5: Secrets.
Based on a randomly-generated title, this one-take micro-essay explores the sound design of Left 4 Dead.Created for The Essay Library Anthology Vol. 4: We Asked A Bot to Name 18 Video Essays.
The Invisible Horror of Left 4 Dead
Adventure Time and the Undead
Why was the first episode of Adventure Time about zombies? Let's break down the pilot of Adventure Time with some help from Night of the Living Dead.Created for The Essay Library Anthology Vol. 3: Death.
This is the story of how Outer Wilds helped me understand postmodern historiography.Created for The Essay Library Anthology Vol. 2: Time.
Outer Wilds and the Debris of Time
Beginning at the End
A brief look at stories that begin at the end.Created for The Essay Library Anthology Vol. 1: Beginnings.
Personal projects
While I sometimes create work for specific purposes like commissions and collaborations, these video essays were all created simply because I had something I wanted to explore and share with others.
The Musical Easter Egg in Everything Everywhere All At Once
Son Lux has been sneaking one melody into every project of theirs since 2008. It even shows up in their score for Everything Everywhere All At Once – and it works so well thematically that it feels like it was written for it.This is the story of "Weapons."
(American) Thanksgiving movies are rare but special. Let’s look at some key films to figure out what exactly makes a good Thanksgiving movie (and why it's so hard to pull off).
Why Aren't There More Thanksgiving Movies?
What Makes Luca's Race Scene So Good?
In order to understand Luca's best scene, we need to talk about the 100-year-old silent film that started it all: Ben-Hur.
Breaking down the visual style of Wolfwalkers and how the film uses line and shape to communicate its central themes.While this was originally created as a personal project for my YouTube channel, it was selected by the directors and distributor GKIDS to be added to Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy box set.
The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers
The Rise of Film TikTok
A look at Gen Z’s latest hub for film appreciation.This video essay has received attention in both academia and the film industry, and I have continued to talk about Film TikTok on panels and in industry meetings.
Can we apply traditional animation principles to modern CGI? Let’s find out by analyzing a scene from Bumblebee using Disney's 12 principles of animation.
Bumblebee, CGI, and the Rules of Disney Animation
What Does Insanity Look Like? Psychonauts and German Expressionism
A look at how different mental states are represented in the cult classic video game Psychonauts, with some help from German Expressionism.
Collaborations
In addition to my short-form work created alongside other essayists, I've also produced longer video essays for other collaborative projects.
How to introduce your weird rom-com family
A breakdown of Stuck in Love's opening scene.Created for When Essay Met Library, a chain where essayists were tasked with making a 5-minute video essay based on another creator's romantic comedy film recommendation.
The Lesbian Horror Movie from 1942
A queer reading of Jacques Tourneur's horror classic Cat People.Created for Tales from the Essay Library, a chain where essayists were tasked with making a 5-minute video essay based on another creator's horror film recommendation.
This ambitious collaboration from The Essay Library contains two video essays, each made one minute at a time. One video was made forwards, the other backwards. Each creator had four days to do their part before passing it on to the next person.My contribution is the introduction to the "Team Backward" essay, meaning I was last in line and had to introduce a video that was already made by the other participants.
The Exquisite Relay: An Essay Library Co-Construction
All press mentions, invited talks, and other appearances
Accolades and Lists
2025 Public Domain Day Film Remix Contest (Internet Archive)
My public domain remix video When I Leave The World Behind was awarded first place, with judge Rick Prelinger calling it "subtle and emotionally affecting."
The Best Video Essays of 2024 (Sight and Sound)
Co-editor, introduction writer, and voter. My video The Fake Shot That Saved WALL-E was named one of the best video essays of 2024.
20 YouTubers Well Worth Your Time (YouTube - Stoked)
Featured essayist.
The Best Video Essays of 2023 (Sight and Sound)
Co-editor, introduction writer, and voter. Work from an Essay Library project I helped organize (When Essay Met Library) was also featured.
The Best Video Essays of 2022 (Sight and Sound)
Invited contributor, featured essayist (The Exquisite Relay: An Essay Library Co-Construction).
The Top 10 Video Essays of 2022 (YouTube - I Am Error)
Featured essayist (Why Aren't There More Thanksgiving Movies?)
The Best Video Essays of 2021 (Sight and Sound)
Featured essayist (The Rise of Film TikTok, The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers, and the ongoing Essay Library Anthology project).
Appearances
Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival
Featured guest, screened video essays at Cinemapolis movie theater in Ithaca, NY.
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
Presentation about YouTube video essay viewing and production cultures.
Cinema Rediscovered Festival
Spoke on two panels related to Film TikTok: industry-facing and public-facing.
Woman with a Movie Camera Summit (British Film Institute)
Invited participant in the "Film TikTok Creators" panel.
Can Film TikTok Save Film? (Sub-Genre Media Newsletter)
Features my video essay The Rise of Film TikTok.
Interviews
Fear Street Is Cool, Queer, and Corpse-Filled (feat. kikikrazed)
Socratic Cinema S6, Ep 2 - Podcast conversation about the Fear Street trilogy and its queer subtext.
The video essay boom (Vox - The Goods)
Interviewed for a piece about long-form video essay content in the age of TikTok.
On Your Screen
Podcast interview with Will DiGravio about my video essay The Rise of Film TikTok.
Notes on Videographic Criticism
Featured in the student spotlight with an interview about my work.
Other creative work
Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy (GKIDS)
Bonus disc featurette (The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers) on a Blu-ray box set.
Stop-motion imperfection: why animation needs the human touch (British Film Institute)
Essay written for the BFI's stop motion season in collaboration with Laika.
My work has been highlighted in "best of" lists.
The best video essays of 2022
Sight and Sound - BFI
Project mentioned: The Exquisite Relay: An Essay Library Co-Construction"A fascinating experiment in essay structure."
– Will Webb, video essayist
The Top 10 Video Essays of 2022
YouTube - I Am Error
Project mentioned: Why Aren't There More Thanksgiving Movies?"This video is compact but rich and full of interesting insights. What I love most about this video is how kikikrazed threads the needle, or potently sews together three distinct pieces of media to find meaning."
– I Am Error, video essayist
The best video essays of 2021
Sight and Sound - BFI
Projects mentioned: The Rise of Film TikTok, The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers, and The Essay Library Anthology Vols. 2 + 3.
Praise for The Rise of Film TikTok:
"A superbly engaging work on Gen Z’s latest hub for film appreciation."
– Catherine Grant, film scholar"A go-to reference for film dinosaurs like me to make sense of how film culture can thrive among a new generation and its preferred platforms."
– Kevin B. Lee, video essayist and educator
In addition to making video essays, I also contribute to "best of" lists.
The best video essays of 2023
Sight and Sound - BFI
I was one of three co-editors for this annual poll.
The best video essays of 2022
Sight and Sound - BFI
I was invited to contribute to the 2022 edition of the Sight and Sound video essay poll. For my picks, I chose to highlight six video essays across different styles, subjects, and platforms (even TikTok!) that push the form in new directions. Check out my picks.
My work has been showcased at film festivals.
26th Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (2023)As a featured guest, I screened a selection of my video essays at the Cinemapolis movie theater in Ithaca, New York.This screening was followed by a Q&A where I discussed my approach and answered audience questions.
In addition to screening my own work, I've also been invited to festivals and other film events as a panel member discussing video essays and TikTok.Learn more about these other speaking engagements.
My work has been mentioned in articles, podcasts, and newsletters.
The video essay boom
Vox - The Goods (2022)
I was interviewed and quoted in this piece about long-form video essay content in the age of TikTok.
On Your Screen: The Rise of Film TikTok
(2021)
Podcast interview with Will DiGravio about my video essay The Rise of Film TikTok.
Notes on Videographic Criticism Student Spotlight
(2021)
Written interview with Will DiGravio about my video essay process.
Can Film TikTok Save Film?
(2021)
Mention in Brian Newman's Sub-Genre Media newsletter.
In my video essays, I like to analyze a specific element in a piece of media.
These videos are deep-dives into a significant technique or theme shown in a film.
The Two Worlds of Wolfwalkers
The Musical Easter Egg in Everything Everywhere All At Once
The Lesbian Horror Movie from 1942
In my video essays, I like to examine multiple films to identify common themes.
These videos put multiple films in conversation with one another to draw out shared traits and ideas.
BEAST (BFI Commission)
Why Aren't There More Thanksgiving Movies?
Tripping Criticism (Berlin Critics' Week)
In my video essays, I like to situate new works in over a century of film history.
These videos bring film history into the present by applying old ideas to new films.
What Makes Luca's Race Scene So Good?
The Rise of Film TikTok
Bumblebee, CGI, and the Rules of Disney Animation
In my video essays, I like to bring together different media forms like film, television, and video games.
In these videos, I go out of my comfort zone of film analysis and incorporate other media forms.
The Invisible Horror of Left 4 Dead
Outer Wilds and the Debris of Time
What Does Insanity Look Like? (Psychonauts)
In addition to making video essays, I also give talks about them at festivals, industry events, and universities.
Fingers Lakes Environmental Film Festival
(Apr. 2023)
Screening of my video essay work + Q&A.
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
(Nov. 2022)
Presentation about YouTube video essay viewing and production cultures.
Cinema Rediscovered Festival
(Jul. 2021)
Two panels related to Film TikTok: industry-facing and public-facing.
BFI Woman with a Movie Camera Summit
(Jul. 2021)
"Film TikTok Creators" panel with Pavan Bivigou and Nirupam Dhakal, hosted by Isobel Harrop. Also mentioned in Refinery29.
In addition to making video essays, I also curate collections of video essays made by creators, artists, and scholars.
The Essay Library Anthology is an ongoing project where participants create 60-second video essays based on a shared theme.This project is organized via The Essay Library, a Discord server affiliated with the r/videoessay subreddit. To learn more, visit our website.
The Essay Library Anthology (Mentioned in Sight and Sound.)
Volume 1: "Beginnings" (2021)
Volume 2: "Time" (2021)
Volume 3: "Death" (2021)
Volume 4: "We Asked A Bot To Name 18 Video Essays" (2022)
Volume 5: "Secrets" (2023)