This week on The Deep Dive: Digital cinematography took the color out of movies but at least we still have La La Land, 2009: the year our phones started going silent, how celebrities lost their cool, Amy Schumer’s unhinged behavior that somehow landed her a Variety cover, and the Big Brother winner who did everything you aren’t supposed to do.

Let’s help Fadi AbuTaqiya’s and his family evacuate Gaza. If you donate at least $10, reply to this email with your receipt and a video essay category of your choice – I’ll send you a personalized recommendation from The Deep Dive’s archive!

FILM

when the director happens to be an expert in colour theory by Archer Green (11:24)

In a time when digital film reigns supreme, colorful, well-lit movies shot on film feel especially beautiful in an almost jarring way. Color theory also has the power to act as an incredible storytelling tool, case in point: La La Land. In this video, Archer Green breaks down the film’s color palette, highlighting the meaning of each notable color and the life transitions they signify. Why is blue Mia’s color? And why is Sebastian’s red? What happens when you combine and separate blue and red to tell a story of love and loss? What roles do yellow and green play in the film? And in a colorful movie about following your wildest dreams, what do black and white represent?

TECHNOLOGY

The Death of Ringtones by naomi cannibal (17:27)

It’s the early 2000s and downloaded music in the form of MP3s is quickly gaining steam. The music industry is doing everything it can, but this train isn’t slowing down anytime soon – before long, music fans would be able to own all of their beloved songs for free. Revenues took a massive hit and artists had no choice but to rely on touring to make an income. Then, in the distance, a savior began to appear. The music industry rejoiced as a new form of media came into existence. Billboard charts and award show categories would quickly be created for this new medium. Industry experts and musicians alike believed that it was inevitable, the future of music would be centered around…ringtones. In this video, naomi cannibal looks back at the trend we swore was forever, then came the iPhone.

A Sneak Peek at The Rabbit Hole:

May 9, 2024: Authenticity Sells

I still remember the day I realized my prefrontal cortex had most likely fully developed. I was, statistically, around the age of 25 and going about my day when all of a sudden, it hit me. “Ohhhh, that’s what it means to be myself.”

Growing up, this was advice many adults in my life would share with me. I didn’t understand it at the time, but there was a reason for this. I was a little bit of an oddball as a kid – my interests didn’t align with others my age and I spent a lot of time in my “own little world,” to quote a number of my elementary school teachers. Some of my earliest memories of socializing with other kids consisted of me wondering why I needed to befriend them at all.

Eventually, I grew up. One by one, I started shedding the personality traits that came naturally to the part of me that hadn’t yet learned to second-guess myself. I stopped singing and baking and escaping to my imaginary world. Instead, I took on new interests that were better suited for a tween girl who wanted to fit in – things like shopping and learning to do my hair and makeup and spending hours learning basic code to design the perfect MySpace profile. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun doing those too, and I’d be lying if I said they weren’t a formative part of becoming the person I am today.

But before I knew it, I was in my mid-twenties with no way to answer the question “What are your favorite hobbies?” I didn’t realize people still had those.