On Tuesday, famed film critic Dave Kehr tweeted a link to “some of the best criticism I’ve encountered in a while.” Nothing unusual, but for the second part of his endorsement—said criticism was “a promo for a stock footage company.” That company is Shutterstock, and the promo is indeed thought-provoking: it’s a tribute to the visual styles of various directors, assembled entirely from stock footage and music.
The directors in question are Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, Alfonso Cuarón, and Terrence Malick. Naturally, the stock footage isn’t quite as precise, composed, or moving as their films, and yes, this is mostly an advertisement, but there’s something a tad profound at work—the video pokes at questions about art and intent, auteurism and anonymity. Enjoy.
