Colin Sanders

*"What is art? How should we as a modern audience approach the genre film? How should the filmakers go about creating a art?"*

## Personal Information

### Gender

Male

**Colin Sanders** is a YouTuber who makes short films and has also made video essays.

## History

### PreFAP

Colin's channel is primarily focused on making short films, with video essays only being a secondary interest (at the time of his appearance on EFAP 152, he only had two video essays on his channel). While he was becoming more interested on video essays, he caught some of MauLer's videos, and enjoyed them. His first video essay on *Batman V Superman* caught far more traction than he anticipated it would, putting it on EFAP's radar.

### In Defense of *Batman v Superman*

> *"Bantman v Superman is beautiful and unique experience for the modern audiences"*
>
>

MauLer, Rags, Fringy, Southpaw, and Metal first encountered Colin Sanders on EFAP 130, where they covered his video "**A Modern Masterpiece: Why Batman v Superman is a True Work of Art**". The gang had several disagreements with the points made in the video throughout, and poked fun at it for various pretentious-sounding statements made about the film, text onscreen that repeats what was said in the video, and the bold proclamation that "THIS IS ART." They also took issue with his praising the theological, philosophical, Classical and Biblical references, imagery and symbolism in the film simply because those things were referenced.

He believes that the film making industry does not care about the film maker and he is exited to see the Zack Snyders Justice League and likes that people are "united" about how they want to see Snyders vision. In preparation of the Snyder cut, he wanted to talk about batman v Superman, which is one of his favorite movies of all time as the movie is head of its own time.

In his opinion, in order to understand why the BvS is so hated, one just need to look at the Marvel movies and realize that people waited "MCU experience", with humor and light colors, but instead they got dark and gritty movie . Dark Knight movie was "gritty", but it was also "safe" compared to BVS. On top of it, Man of Steel had been seen as failure despite DC and "loyal fans" vouching for the movie, but Marvel movies had made a formula out of the superhero films, so people could not accept Snyders movies as it did not follow that "Marvel Formula".

The so called "Marvel formula" in Colln's own words is "write a mediocre, safe story, sell out for millions of dollars to make the movie, wait for the next one", which he sees as just "vanilla, cut and dry, and safe". He thinks Captain America Civil War was breakign that formula, but even it was safe, not allowing characters to suffer consequences that marketing said they would. Marvel formula has gotten to the point where people mistake "escapism" for "good filmaking", "amusement" for "art"

But then BVS came out and audience went to see "superhero movie", but they found something that went against the Marvel Formula, there were superheroes that killed crooks and heroes that died, things were darker. The formula had been broken and people were ready for darker tone, but they thought that the movie went too far and Snyder became one of the most hated directors and it broke Colins heart that the studio had second thoughts about the DCEU.

In truth, BVS is masterpiece that looks gorgeous and has message people should not forget, but most of the people talking against the movie don't understand it or its message, unable to listen to what the movie has to say. Message is that batman should not be killing, which people agree with, but since they see him killing people in the movie, they don't understand the message is him understanding the he should not be killing people

He din't go trough every critique about the movie, since he believes that the movie needs not help to defending itself and people, like Twin Perfect and Tex, have done it "excellently", but he is going to explain why its "good film":

Part is the visual narrative, Snyder made stunning imagery, where every frame is a painting. Films cisuals have meaning, unlike Michael Bayes movies where all frames have no meaning behind them. Its amazing that director could make every shoot have meaning behind them. Every shot in a movie should have meaning behind them and Snyder put great care in all of his shots.

Paradise Lost painting in Lex Luthos house, which the character constantly points at out and talks about, is neat reference and reflects Lex Luthos journey. Batman holding spear over Superman is reference to a painting of angel holding spear over devil, like if Batman is killing a devil in his mind. Lot of other scenes mirror other biblical paintings, which makes the visuals good. He up can pick lot of them.

But the biblical references are not the only thing that makes the movie visuals good.

The movie uses common camera tricks to make Superman, the stronger character, in higher angle of Lex, weaker character from the low angle, but when the dynamic changes, the angle shows Lex from high and Superman from low angel, showing how their position has shifted duirng their talk.

Movies score is great. In scene where Bruce is falling, the music is falling (except when it gets higher at places) and when Bruce rises, the music rises with him. Because the music, Snyder is great film maker.

What the film is about and what is its messages go past people that just want to critically analyze movies and the modern audiences that just look at the critics score in Rotten tomatoes. THis si because people are more willing to indulge in the escapism of Thor Ragnarok than the grim reality of Snyders "visionary art".

Arts job is to shake our belief and ask questions and show us best and worse of us. We place ourselves into media we consume. like Superman, we are looking our place in this world and like Bruce, we are loking for redemption for our failures.

Its too lazy to write this movie off as too high brow.

People burned the movie to the ground by not accepting it and not seeing themselves in the characters journeys. The movie merits more than one watch trough as you need to think while yo watch this move, you can't just turn your brain off and ride the roller-coaster.

This movie is art.

### Offscreen Redemption Arc

Sanders began receiving comments on his video mentioning it had been covered on something called "Every Frame A Pause," and while he had seen some of MauLer's other videos he was not aware of EFAP itself. He took a look at EFAP's coverage of his video and managed to take it on the chin, then took a look at more episodes and, as he described it on EFAP 152, became a fan.

### Colin v Colin - Dawn of 'FAP

After MauLer caught wind of the fact that Colin Sanders had uploaded another video essay about Zack Snyder's movies called "Y**ou Don't Understand Snyder: A Batman v Superman Character Study**", Sanders was invited on to join MauLer, Rags, Fringy, and The Meme Repository on EFAP 152 to discuss Zack Snyder's DC movies, his videos on the topic, and his views on media in general, as well was watch through his video on Snyder's films with him so they could discuss the ideas in it with Colin himself. His video also contained responses to The Closer Look, who the gang noticed was wearing an oddly-proportioned sweater. Sanders was very nice and easy to get along with, and the rest of the roster had a good time talking with him.

## Trivia

* Has problem with movies playing "safe"
* "Visionary director" means that "director has great vision and imagination"

## Quotes

"something felt wrong, something felt "broken". There was danger present, danger of breaking the formula"

"The world that hates" with text of " HATES" on black screen

"And that... Breaks my heart" hearing that DC extended universe was in danger for bad PR BVS got

"Batman V Superman is modern masterpiece of film making"

"Zack Snyder is often refereed to as "a visionary director", but what does that mean?"

"Every frame of painting comes to mind, just look at these frames, the film speaks for itself"

"Its obvious that if films look means nothing if it, well, means nothing"

"Its no mystery that film score is half of the experience"

"Bruce Wayne , introducing the theme of "fallingess". Everything falls in this scene"

"Art asks questions and does not give answers"

"Like Bruce, we have all failed"

"The beauty is hard to deny"

"art is not a amusement park, film is art"