Somehow those Vlogs really do it for me. And I wonder why.
ITS 2 f.e. seemed to have a similar concept of giving BTS a variety off activities in a fixed location to produce content for us.
I don't know why, but with ITS 2 it seemed more forced.
It seemed like they had a tighter script. Like "hey x and y, play tennis together" or "you all have to try out the pool, the jumping area, gaming room etc. at least once. And don't forget to subtly endorse these twenty brands that are sponsoring us".
I like the decision to let the members edit their own Vlogs.
JK's Vlog is a good example. He seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. But at some point he just said "fuck it, this is a food Vlog now with the added bonus of being on the beach" and rolled with it.
For me watching ITS 2 felt like having a semi-transparent veil between the viewer and BTS. I really had to squint in order to enjoy the content. The concept of the Vlogs feels much more crisp.
And the comments the members added in the Vlogs really were like salt in the soop...sorry, soup.
Not having a clear structure makes it look more personal, as if everything we see is the decision of the person doing the vlogging, as opposed to a team of cameramen and editors who worked with ITS 2 footage. The added subtitles with additional comments definitely helps. But I think you're onto something here with the comparison. We have to remember that a big difference is in the style of shooting and camera placement. ITS had more of a surveillance feel while the vlogs were shot with a handheld camera or added right next to them. I really want to answer your question which is why? Why does the vlog works and even a show such as ITS? In order to do that, I need to do more research because I think I have an idea, but I have to gather some proof. Right now I'm down the rabbit hole reading about Foucault's panopticon, vlogging in a culture of surveillance, vlogging culture and neoliberalism. I thought I could just write a analysis in two hours, but I was so wrong. Once I start digging, it's hard to stop. But I will get back to this topic, @guacamoli-avocadorado. Hopefully, in the next few days because I really need to come up with a sort of clear ''thesis'' on this.
