A quick and dirty review today.
The Art Assignment is a PBS digital production hosted by Sarah Urist Green. Well, PBS is really only the funder, as The Art Assignment staff are mostly from the 'nerdfighteria' studios, which got their start from a grant by Google in 2011 to start Crash Course and SciShow and soon became a 10+ channel empire.
The 'nerdfighteria' studios consist of two arms which are separated by geography. Indianapolis, or John side, does most of the series by the 'production' and outsource much of their pay, while Missoula, or Hank side, does the merchandise with occasional filming of SciShow and Crash Course.
Which means to say that The Art Assignment aligns more closely with Metal Floss or The Brain Scoop than PBS Idea Channel or Off/Book, which is also a PBS digital production. But still there's that PBS feel that exude from this series, perhaps it's the gentle soothing music and emphasis on art and the media rather than science and facts.
Sarah Urist Green, once known as 'The Yeti' by her husband and occasional co-host, John Green because she avoid the camera on the Vlogbrothers channel, actually does a competent job at running the show and the shyness before actually prevails here as she steps to the background most of the time and let the artist and the art speak for itself.
This gives an ease of causality, that you are not forced to do this assignment, or be pressured into needless perfection, rather you could take a casual stroll or dive in deep without the series losing its atmosphere. The banter of the couple is great with John Green, dutifully playing the clueless 'normal' person, while giving his own insights and the artists not only shows their creative prowess but the humane nature underneath, which is the key difference of seeing things on the web compared to TV or film, the interactive-ness.
Overall, Sarah makes a great foray to the burgeoning web media, with enabled interactivity and humane spirit of the show within. A wonderful show to tune in every week.
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